Blowing their trumpet
Show
us the money
Brass
bands get it off their chest.
By
gum, lets fix that buzz.
At
the going down of the sun... we will remember them.
Brass
band Conductor lays down baton after 22 years, July 2007.
How
John turns brass into gold, May 2007.
Yorkshire
Regional brass band championships, March 2007.
Brass
player Ruth on the crest of a wave, December 2006.
Bandfest,
November 2006.
April 2008
Blowing their trumpet
The Band Recently featured in a 3-page spread in the Yorkshire-Life magazine you can find it in the April edition or view it online here.
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Of Page.
January 2008
Show
us the money
Barnsley East and Mexborough
MP Jeff Ennis took a delegation of representatives from
brass bands to London to ask culture minister Margaret
Hodge for more money.
Over five years the Arts
Council for England has given £155m to opera and
70m to ballet but £140,000 to brass bands.
Mr ennis said "Now that
cannot be right. That means for every one pound the ACE
has given to brass bands opera has been given £1113."
But after his meeting with
the culture secretary ,he said yesterday: "i was
very impressed with the monister's concern. She came forward
with many supportive proposals as to how brass bands could
improve their prospects including external financial help."
He alos said Mrs Hodge came
upwith the idea of a brass band playing at the opening
ceremony of the Olympic games, and said she would speak
to Olympics minister Tessa Jowell MP to see if it was
possible.
Barnsley Metropolitan Band
conductor Alex Francis said smaller brass bands can easily
be forced to fold if they do not have sufficient funds.
He said: " Instruments,
uniforms, sheetmusic and rehearsal space can cost a lot
of money, especially for the smaller local bands.
"Some of the top bands
can charge several thousand pounds to give a concert,
but the smaller bands simply can't and it is these bands
that are the future of the likes of the famous Grimehtorpe
and Brighouse."
Alex's associate conductor
at the Met band John Grinnell, and Grimethorpe Colliery
Band secretary Terry Webster, were amongst those who joined
him on Wednesday's visit.
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Of Page.
Brass
bands get it of their chest
Barnsley
East and Mexborough MP hailed the recent meeting with
Culture Minister Margaret Hodge as having some very positive
outcomes. Mr. Ennis has been highlighting in Parliament
recently the under-funding that brass bands apparently
receive in comparison with Opera and Ballet from the Arts
Council for England.
Jeff
said," The whole delegation was impressed by the
Minister's concern with regards to the future of brass
bands in the country. She came forward with many helpful
suggestions as to how brass bands could improve their
prospects of receiving more external funding help."
"As
a consequence of her suggestions I shall be contacting
the new chair of the Arts Council when he takes up his
post and I also intend meeting with the Chief Executive
of Yorkshire Forward. I also believe that the BBC could
play a greater role in promoting the profile of brass
bands via its programs on TV and radio and I shall write
to the Director of the BBC with that in mind."
PHOTO
SHOWS TERRY WEBSTER SECRETARY OF GRIMETHORPE COLLIERY
BAND PRESENTING THE MINISTER WITH A CD AND DVD FROM THE
FILM "BRASSED OFF"
FROM
LEFT TO RIGHT: JOHN GRINNEL (DIRECTOR, BARNSLEY METROPOLITAN
BAND) BRYAN CATCHESIDE (DIRECTOR, ASCOTBRASS) JEFF ENNIS
MP MARGARET HODGE MP JOHN BRAY( DIRECTOR, NEWPORT METROPOLITAN
BAND) TERRY WEBSTER (SECRETARY, GRIMETHORPE COLLIERY BAND)
JOHN MYLES (YBS BAND).
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Of Page.
November
2007
By
gum lets fix that buzz
More than 2500 turned out
to honour the dead from two world wars and other conflicts
at the rembrance day service at the war memorial on Sunday.
British Legion organiser
Goff Griffiths sait it was one of the biggest turn outs
in years. Before it began, many sang along with Barnsley
Metropolitan band which played a melody of favourites from
the war.
Then the town hall clock
struck 11, the exhortation was given ending with the words
'at the going down of the sun, and in the moring, we will
remember them'. The bands Pete Cotton then heralded two
minutes'silence by playing The Last Post.
Music continued for the
laying of the wreaths. The first was laid by the Lord Leiutenant
of Yorkshire, David Moody. Also in attendance were Lord
and Lady Mason, all three Barnsley MP's and civic leaders.
Fr Rodney Marshall, Mayor's
Chaplain, conducted the service. He spoke about the service
men and women who die in Afganistan and Iraq, as well as
those who fell in the two world wars.
Following the National Anthem,
a parade including veterans. cadets, serving personnel,
territorial army, St John ambulance and members of the scout
movement marched around the town hall to the sound of the
band.
Barnsley Chronicle November
2007
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Of Page.
July
2007
Brass
band conductor lays down baton after 22 years.
By Mike Cotton
A brass band
conductor is stepping down after 22 years at the helm. John
Grinnell, 55, of Lockwood Gardens, Hoylandswaine, took his
last rehearsal as musical director of the Barnsley Metropolitan
Band on Wednesday.
He is deputy head of service at the Performing Arts Development
Service (PADS) where the band rehearse. From september head
of wind Alex Francis, a prominent cornet player player with
the famous Brighouse and Rastrick band, will take over.
Mr Grinnell said: "it's really traumatic. I was very
close to tears as I told the band I was stepping down. There
is a lot of me in this band. But I will still be heavily
involved as associate conductor. Because of my management
role at PADS I teach less and less, and think that the person
who conducts the band should be the person who teaches the
children." The band has many younger players who have
lessons through PADS. Most of the adults in the band are
parents who have learnt following the lead of their children.
Mr Grinnell took over the band in 1985 and built it from
a struggling group of eight into a thriving outfit known
throughout the borough and further afield. Now he will be
conducting less the band and audiences may soon be treated
to the sound of Mr Grinnell's trombone playing once more.
"My idea is to get back into playing and help out around
the band as and when needed. But I do need to get back into
practice having not played realistically for 25 years."
Barnsely
Chronicle July 2007
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May
2007
How
John turns brass into gold
By Mike Cotton
Music
mad: John Grinnell, who's love of the trombone led him to
Barnsley.
A
Trombone player turned conductor arrived in Barnsley in
1985 after a decade working at bandings highest level. Mike
cotton finds out what kept him here.
Born
in the far reaches of north dorset, John Grinnell is assistant
head of service at the Performing Arts Development Service
(PADS) and conductor of the Barnsley metropolitan Band.
He has worked with countless brass bands around the country,
including those from the championship section - the highest
competitive division. But has spent the last 22 years working
in Barnsley primarily with young musicians. He has taught
beginners to blow their first note and later coaxed rousing
performances from them with Barnsley's youth-filled bands.
In 2000, he was given the Millennium award bythe worshipful
company of musicians for his work with young musicians,
presented to him in front of his own band at the brass band
champrionships at Bradford St George's Hall. He said: "It's
been a fantastic pleasure working with Barnsley's talented
young musicians". "There have been many very special
performances with the Barnsley Metropolitan band and other
PADS groups like the Town Concert Band, the old Barnsley
Youth Orchestra". "I've seen kids from the age
of seven progress into juge success stories. One girl I
started cornet in Barnsley has gone on to work as a headteacher
and playes flugel horn in a championship section band. She's
asked me to give her away at her wedding". But why
did an eminent band leader and leacher, born in a cheese-making
Dorset town end up in Barnsley? He was told by a school
careers' advisor that agriculture was the route for him
and was sent to agricultural college on day release. But
a love of the trombone was instrumental in steering him
down his very different path. He had always wanted to play
the tuba,but initially had no opportunity to learn from
the young age Barnsley children now can. "I started
very late at 14, when the first four instruments came into
school: three trumpets and a trombone". "The trombone
was closest to the tuba so I picked that. and I fell in
love with it". John learnt quickly. By 16 he had already
tried conducting, and was appointed director of music at
Weymouth Silver Band, though playing trombone remained a
source of great enjoyment for him. "My best mate and
I used to ride around on a BSA Bantam motorbike, my trombone
across the back of it. his euphonium between us". "Basically,
if any band had a concert in a 30-mile radius, we were playing".
But conducting became a passion. Work as a teacher and proffessional
conductor took him around the country staying two or three
years in several places. But in 1985, he took a job teaching
Barnsley kids to play brass from the old 'tin hut' music
centre in Pitt Street. When it closed in 1990, he applied
for the new post at PADS where he still works. "From
the first moment driving into Barnsley for my interview,
coming accross Woodhead, I fell in love with the place.
So I took the job, bought a house in Thurlstone and five
years agio moved to Hoylandswaine". When asked what
the future would hold, and where he and wife Margaret ,
might move next, he couldn't be clearer. " We will
not move. We're totally settled".
Barnsely
Chronicle May 2007
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March
2007
Yorkshire
regional brass Band Championship
Barnsley
Metropolitan had earlier produced the marker off the number
2 draw for the rest of the bands to try and beat. In the
end it came a deserved 5th, but it was notable for the sensible
and intelligent management of playing resources from MD
John Grinnell (he only had three tubas to play with) and
the exceptional (and we don't say that lightly) playing
of their solo horn Andrew Thompson.
Colour
coordinated: Barnsley make a mark on the prize list
This is a lad with a big future ahead of him if he carries
on like this it was wonderful stuff in the Waltz, and he
even had the confidence to flick his fringe on his long
hair out of his eyes with his one hand as he completed the
two difficult trills at the end of the second movement with
his other. Class or what! Both he and the band can be proud
of their efforts on the day.
Star
turn: Winning soloist Andrew Thompson
4barsrest.com
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Of Page.
December
2006
Brass
player Ruth on the crest of a wave
By
Mike Cotton
A Young brass player is set for a life of music making in
the HM band of the Royal Marines. Ruth Brooke, 17, from
Thurnscoe, learnt to play euphonium through the Performing
Arts Development Service (PADS) and plays in the Barnsley
Metropolitan band. Her teacher from PADS and conductor of
the band, John Grinnell, said: "We are so proud of
Ruth. she has worked hard to acheive this goal that she
has had for many years.the standards for acceptance into
this prestigious band service are so high that many candidates
apply three or four times and still don't get accepted and
Ruth has managed it on her first attempt." She will
spend two years at the marines school of Music in Portsmouth.
She will also study for a degree in music and learn to play
the violin alongside the euphonium.
Barnsley
Chronicle December 2006
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November
2006
Bandfest
Barnsley
Bandfest 2006 Goes Continental
It's all going a bit German in Barnsley.
Now
in it’s 10th year, Barnsley Bandfest based on an idea
from Swiss band concerts, is making a dream come true by
welcoming a performance from a German band.
The
Musikzug Deutschherren Rachtig, under the Director of Music
Edgar Kropp are travelling from their village base of Zeltingen
Rachtig in the beautiful Moselle valley to perform at the
Elsecar based event.
Unique
style
Tony Hunt chair of the Barnsley Metropolitan Band who organise
the event each year to 4BR: "At last this unique, continental
style event is to host a German Band. Our players have made
friends with these musicians, having played alongside them
on our numerous visits to Germany, when we have stayed in
Rachtig to perform at the Christmas markets."
Warm
up
As
a warm up to Bandfest, members of the German Band will perform
a concert for local school children in the newly refurbished
Dearne Playhouse on Friday 17 November and attend a Civic
Reception at the Town Hall.
Bandfest
takes place Elsecar Heritage Centre on Saturday 18 November.
Starting at 1.00 pm, no less than 7 bands will perform,
before ending with a massed band finale at around 9.30.
Highlights
One
of the highlights will be a performance by Carlton Main
Frickley Colliery Band who recently finished in the top
6 at the British Open. Bandfest is unique in as much that
the audience can enjoy concert hall style seating or more
informal cabaret style seats at tables situated in the main
body of the hall. The audience are invited to come and go
as they please, and there is a well stocked bar and refreshments
available throughout.
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