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<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=160 BGCOLOR="#FFFF99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="9ba8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I><B> <a href="http://photobucket.com/images/trophies" target="_blank"><img src="http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb241/lottsof/Trophies/goldtrophy.gif" border="0" alt="C-Gold Pictures, Images and Photos"/></a>  </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Silk Brass"><U><B><IMG SRC="9ec8e1b0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="27" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B><IMG SRC="9ed8e1b0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="27" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U><B><IMG SRC="9ee8e1b0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="27" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Player Profiles"><U><B><IMG SRC="9ef8e1b0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="27" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Engagements 2010"><U><B><IMG SRC="9f58e1b0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="27" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U><B><IMG SRC="9f18e1b0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="27" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recordings Shop"><U><B><IMG SRC="9f28e1b0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="27" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B><IMG SRC="9f38e1b0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="27" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Guest Book"><U><B><IMG SRC="9f48e1b0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="27" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="9bb8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Vladimir Script" >Silk Brass</FONT></div> <div> <B>  </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#336699" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B><IMG SRC="7e6c9290.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="41" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="9bb8dfc3.jpg"> <div> News</div> <div>  <A NAME="030810__comments_from_silks_new"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I>03/08/10  Comments from Silk's New Chairman</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="aada1d70.jpg" border=0 width="161" height="215" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">At the recent AGM of Silk Brass, the long-standing Chairman Barry Worth, an Eb bass player in the band, decided to step down from the position due to pressure of work.  Taking his place is Andy Snelson, Silk's first trombone player, who, in his working life, is an Undertaker Manager for Co-op Funeral Care based in Crewe.  Andy has a long pedigree in music, starting his playing career at the age of 11 with Crewe Co-op Youth Band.  There then followed spells with Tarporley Band, Cheshire Youth Band, United Co-op, Besses o th' Barn, Fodens Motor Works Band, Normid 2000 Brass, Whaley Bridge Band, Lees & Goldwick Band, eventually joining Silk Brass in 1997 as a founder member.  His banding life has included tours to America and Europe, he has been involved with numerous recordings, radio broadcasts (both as a player and soloist) and has even appeared on television in Champion Brass and also a documentary about the life of Peter Skellern.  </div> <div> He recalls joining Silk Brass, saying <I>“the band first started as a 10 piece on a cold February night in a school hall in Stockport and I can still remember our first piece which was “Punchinello” and the rest is history.  I can only say how pleased I am to see the progress of the band - who would have thought back in 1997 that we would be competing in the championship section against bands such as Faireys, Fodens and Leyland and it's all down to the dedication of our players.  We have some very talented and committed individuals and the band is run with the interests of everyone in mind.  I am proud to have been elected as Chairman at this exciting time and want to thank Barry for his contribution to the band, both as our chairman for the last 6 years and as an outstanding Eb player.”</I>  Andy and his wife, Shirley, also a musician, met on the banding circuit and they now live in Crewe with their two sons, Daniel and Ryan.</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="110710__thanks_to_paul_andrews"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I>11/07/10  Thanks to Paul Andrews</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="aacb8070.jpg" border=0 width="184" height="263" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">Silk Brass would like to express their thanks to Paul Andrews for all his hard work with the band over the last two months.</div> <div> Paul stepped in to help the band out during one of their busiest periods this year, while their resident conductor, Jim Cant is recovering from illness. </div> <div> Paul's first engagement with the band was at Whit Friday, where they picked up a best first section prize and best trombone section prize from the seven venues they competed at. Next on the list was a banding marathon, which saw Silk performing at two hymn and march contests and an evening concert all in one day.</div> <div> Finally over the last two weekends Paul has found himself down on the farm with Silk Brass, when they performed at a concert at Silk's Eb bass player's farm, which had been turned into a wild west ranch for the evening, followed the next weekend by a concert to over 700 people at a potato farm in Chelford.</div> <div> Bandmaster, Bob Goodwin said <I>“It's been a very hectic couple of months, but the band has turned out some excellent performances and Paul has a brilliant rapport with our audiences. We are immensely grateful to Paul, for all the work he's put in to help make our early summer engagements such a success”.</I></div> <div> Silk Brass will now be working towards their performance at the National Finals at Harrogate in September, under the baton of Dave Holling, who steered them to qualification at the Area contest in Blackpool in March.</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="300610__a_weekend_of_brass"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I>30/06/10  A Weekend of Brass</I></div> <div> On Saturday, 26th June, Silk Brass the area's local brass band, performed in an unusual venue to raise funds for their visit to Harrogate later in the year to participate in the National Brass Band Championships.  The owners of Davenport Lane Farm in Marton, Barry and Barbara Worth, kindly offered the use of one of their large barns to host an evening of brass band music, together with providing a pie and pea supper and a very tempting array of delicious desserts, all made by volunteers.  The barn was filled to capacity, the food was wonderful, as was the music and all in all everyone had a very enjoyable evening with the event raising £1,000 towards much needed funds.  If any corporate body, or indeed anybody at all, would like to get involved in helping the band achieve its target to cover the cost of the travel and accommodation needs in Harrogate, please contact Claire on 07976 305511.</div> <div> On the following day, Sunday 27th June, the band were again in action quite early in the morning at Sandbach to lead the Veteran's Day Parade to church and play accompanying hymns in the church afterwards.  </div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="280610__silk_brass_marches_on"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>28/06/10  Silk Brass Marches On</I></div> <div> Silk Brass, the area's local brass band, have been completing their summer round of marching contests which this year were made all the better by the events enjoying some decent weather for a change.</div> <div> First on the marching calendar were the Whit Friday Marches on 28th May.  Silk Brass competed at Hurst Cross, Greenacres, Scouthead, Lydgate, Carbrook, Stalybridge and Denton, and only large numbers of bands already queued in other villages prevented them from more performances.  They won the Best Trombone Section in Contest and Best First Section band at Denton which, in a field of record entries this year, was quite an achievement.  Some of the contest villages in the scheme had nearly 50 bands visiting during the day!  Out on the road from mid-afternoon until well turned midnight it turned out to be a very long day indeed.</div> <div> On Sunday, 20th June, the band also competed in both the Morley and Hebden Bridge March & Hymn Contests.  Whilst not taking any honours on the day at Morley, Silk Brass kindly lent several of their players to another band, City of Sheffield, who had several key players missing on the day and as Sheffield then won Best First Section band, maybe Silk can bask in a little reflected glory in this case!  At the placePlaceNameHebden PlaceTypeBridge contest, Silk Brass, came second with their rendering of “Love Unknown”.  Later on that day, Silk Brass took some time out between the finish of the contests and an evening concert in Burnage to pay a visit to the home, in Timperley, of their Musical Director, Jim Cant, who is recovering from a serious illness.  They marched down the cul-de-sac and stopped in front of his house to play the march and hymns that they had played earlier in the day.  Jim, his wife Angela, their neighbours and many passing motorists thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle.  </div> <div> The day was rounded off with a very successful performance at St. Nicholas Church in Burnage where the band played to a full house (or church!) of very enthusiastic people.  From 11 am until 11 pm this also was a very long day but also a very rewarding one.</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="180510__silk_wedding_bells"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I>18/05/10  Silk Wedding Bells</I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><I><IMG SRC="a83d8a60.jpg" border=0 width="216" height="166" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></I></FONT>On 9th May our Bb bass player Nic Bracegirdle got married to his Fiancé Joy. </div> <div> His fellow players from Silk Brass made up a small 10-piece group which played before, during and after the wedding ceremony, with more players swelling the ranks to give a short concert in the early evening. </div> <div> As you can see from the photograph Joy looked beautiful and Nic brushed up pretty well for the big day as well. Nic and Joy are now honeymooning on a cruise around the Mediterranean. We wish them good luck, good health and happiness for the future. </div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="070510__meet_our_new_pr_officer__"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I>07/05/10  Meet our new PR Officer - Anne Drinkwater</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="a887b9a0.png" border=0 width="123" height="154" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >We are pleased to welcome Anne Drinkwater, who was elected as our new PR Officer at the recent Silk Brass AGM. Although recently retired, Anne has worked as a secretary/PA for all her working life and brings a wealth of organisational and communication skills to this important role. </FONT></div> <div> When she has not got her “PR hat” on for Silk Brass, Anne also acts as Secretary to her local crown green bowling club, plays on a couple of their teams, captains one other team, swims and plays badminton regularly. We see why she says she doesn't know how she found the time to go to work! Widowed several years ago, she now has a partner in the form of our Eb bass player, Mike Jackson.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="200410__band_agm___18th_april"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I>20/04/10  Band AGM - 18th April</I></div> <div> At Silk's AGM on Sunday 18<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> April two new officers were elected to the Committee. After years of excellent service to the Band, Barry Worth stood down as Chairman and his place has been taken by solo trombone player Andrew Snelson. Bob Goodwin led the Band in thanking Barry for all he had done for Silk Brass since he had taken over as Chairman. The post of PR Officer has also passed from Sue Howell to Anne Drinkwater.</div> <div> All other post holders remain the same and the officers are now looking forward to planning for the next 12 months, including a second successive trip to the National Finals in Harrogate, promotion to the Championship section and a very full engagement diary.</div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="150310_silk_brass_qualify_for_the"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I>15/03/10 Silk Brass Qualify for the Finals!! </I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="a8550db0.jpg" border=0 width="336" height="219" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">For the second year in succession Silk Brass have qualified for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in Harrogate, after once again achieving success in the regional qualifying contest in Blackpool this weekend - but this time they will be competing in a higher section after being promoted to the first section in only January of this year.</div> <div> The path to success hasn't been an easy one for the band this time around. In January their conductor, Jim Cant, was taken ill and the've had to call in support from four different conductors to get them through all of their rehearsals, engagements and the contest at Blackpool. On top of that one of their bass players and a baritone player were also taken ill in the run up to the contest, meaning that players had to shuffle parts and even instruments around. As a final challenge their second horn player was also taken ill the night before the contest and so Silk called on the services of a cornet playing supporter, who had only come along to support the band. Keith Hilton, Silk's saviour on the day <I>said “I've never played horn before, but I couldn't say no. It's the first time I've been to listen to a band and been handed an instrument - the wife of one of the players even went and bought me a white shirt! - but what a brilliant result”</I></div> <div> Bob Goodwin, Silk's Bandmaster said<I>, “we've had our challenges since Christmas, but Silk is an amazing group of people and when the chips are down they really pull together and do whatever it takes to get the job done. We are all absolutely over the moon with the result - to qualify in two successive years in two different sections is a real achievement. We have worked so hard and I'm so proud of what we've achieved!”</I></div> <div> You can follow Silk's success at this website, or you can join the Silk Brass fan club and receive a quarterly newsletter by contacting Bob Goodwin on 07770 366511</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="100310_a_heart_felt_thank_you"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I>10/03/10 A Heart Felt Thank You</I></div> <div> Silk Brass would like to say a heart felt thank you to Dave Holling, Paul Andrews, Jamie Meredith and Peter Christian for their time, effort and words of wisdom over the last couple of months. Their help has been invaluable in ensuring that the Band is ready for the Area Contest in Blackpool and has also been able to fulfil a number of recent engagements. The Band also appreciates the large number of offers of help it has received from across the banding world since their conductor, Jim Cant was taken ill in January.</div> <div> Jim and Angela have also been overwhelmed by the number of get well messages and words of support that they have received and they would also like to take this opportunity to thank everybody that has sent their best wishes.</div> <div> Everybody at Silk Brass is hoping that Jim will have a speedy recovery and will be back at their helm soon. </div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="050110_farewell_to_les"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <div> <I>05/01/10 Farewell To Les</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="96fc1010.jpg" border=0 width="193" height="257" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >This Christmas Silk Brass bid a sad goodbye to one of their most talented players, when their solo horn player Les Manning put away his mouthpiece for the last time. Les has been with Silk Brass for six years, but when he turned 50 he felt that the time was right to retire from brass banding, buy a shiny new motor home and take off around the country at weekends and holiday - something the demands of banding would never allow.</FONT></div> <div> Les started playing at the tender age of 11 at MoorsideHigh School under the enthusiastic eye of Keith Millward, but before long his talent shone through and he was asked to join the Royal Doulton Band, under the baton of Ted Grey. Les stayed with Royal Doulton for almost 17 years, touring Tennessee, Holland, Edinburgh and London, including performances in the Royal Albert Hall.</div> <div> When Royal Doulton disbanded in 1991, Les moved on to Greenway Selectus Band and then BT Band- where he stayed until 1998, with his last performance being at the Grand Shield, qualifying for the British Open.</div> <div> Following a couple of years off, Les was brought out of retirement to join Silk Brass, and although he has thoroughly enjoyed his time with Silk, he looks on recent years as being extra special. Les says, <I>“the last three years at Silk under Jim Cant have represented some of the most enjoyable times in my banding life. Jim is a very musical conductor who has a great way of making the band play. Silk Brass are also a great advert for how banding should be, the ethics and morals of the band are to be greatly admired. The players work hard and support each other in a way that I have never experienced before in any band, they have achieved a lot of success under Jim and I am sure this will continue.”</I></div> <div> Silk Brass would like to say a huge thank you, to both Les and his wife Alison, who has been a staunch supporter of the band over the years. They will be greatly missed and we wish them all the best with their new hobby - but we know that they won't be strangers.</div> <div> Silk is know on the hunt for a new solo horn player to take over Les's seat - if you're interested please call Bob Goodwin on 07770 366511.</div> <div>  <a href="HTMLobj-2448/Les_Manning.pdf"><u>Les Manning - Personal Statement</u> </a>  </div> <div>  <A NAME="101209_silk_brass_make_a_big_sound"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I>10/12/09 Silk Brass Make A Big Sound For Charites</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="9510fcb0.jpg" border=0 width="271" height="203" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Silk Brass have made a big sound and raised more than £3,000 for local charities.</div> <div> Three charities, East Cheshire Hospice, Macclesfield, Odd Rode and District Cancer Research UK Committee and Marton Church of England Assisted Primary School, will benefit from a series of successful concerts staged by the band during the past six months.</div> <div> The bulk of the money was raised as a result of the band linking up with Odd Rode cancer fund raisers.</div> <div> Band chairman and local farmer Barry Worth provided a marquee for a joint event with the band for a lunch which alone raised £2,186. The marquee had been used the previous day for the wedding of his daughter.</div> <div> Mary Tipping, head of the cancer fund committee, said they were delighted at the result from the luncheon.</div> <div> <I>“It was a most lovely venue for the occasion and we thank Silk for playing so beautifully during the afternoon. It really was a day to remember.”</I></div> <div> The rest of the cash from other events, including a concert given for the school, will be donated to the band's two other charities. </div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="021209_silk_brass___a_successful_year"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>02/12/09 Silk Brass - 2009 - A Successful Year</I></div> <div> Silk Brass can look back on 2009 and reflect on the many successes the year has brought, not only on the competition circuit, but also with their concert work and the charitable fundraising they've undertaken. </div> <div> The contesting year started off well in February at Derby when the Band swept the board, walking away with first prize and soloists awards for their Principal Cornet player - Mark Davies and their Solo Trombonist - Andrew Snelson. </div> <div> March saw even more success as Silk Brass qualified for the National Championship Finals at the North West Area Contest in Blackpool. The rest of the year saw excellent performances at the Whit Friday March Contests, Morley March and Hymn Contest and Bolsover Entertainment Contest, picking up many prizes along the way.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="91fc9440.jpg" border=0 width="457" height="324" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">In September the Band travelled to Harrogate to compete in the National Finals where they were placed a creditable 8th out of a field of 17 bands.</div> <div> Due to the excellent contest performances over the last couple of years, Silk Brass has been promoted to the first section for 2010, which is a huge achievement for the Band.</div> <bR> <div> Silk Brass has also had a very full engagement calendar in 2009, and they are incredibly proud of the charity concerts they have put on; many of which they have organised or arranged themselves, with beneficiaries including East Cheshire Hospice, Rossendale Trust, Christies Hospital, Cancer Research, Macclesfield Reformed Church Restoration Fund and Marton Primary School. Players have also done their bit for the troops in Afghanistan, pooling resources to fill over 20 shoe boxes with various goodies for a group called the “Father Ted Massive” who support the 4th Rifles.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="9255d6a0.jpg" border=0 width="93" height="106" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="9215d6a0.jpg" border=0 width="93" height="106" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">Like many bands and organisations Silk Brass has sadly had to say goodbye to two long serving members in 2009 - Peter Weaver (cornet) and Anthony Longden (bass trombone) and we'd like to wish them well for the future and thank them for their dedicated service. However the band has also welcomed four new players into the fold, <A HREF="id101.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Solo Cornet"><U>Amy Leslie</U></A> (cornet) <A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2nd Cornet"><U>Matthew Arnold</U></A> (cornet) <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Solo Cornet"><U>Andrew Townsend</U></A> (cornet) and Andrew Durber (bass trombone), who've already settled in really well and will hopefully help the Band go from strength to strength.</div> <bR> <div> December will be a very busy time for the Band, with 5 Christmas concerts and numerous carolling jobs. The first concert is at Bosley Church on 4th December starting at 7.30pm, tickets available on the door, followed the next evening by a concert at the United Reform Church, New Mills (again tickets available on the door).</div> <div> The following weekend, on Saturday 12th December, the Daneside Theatre, Congleton will once again be ringing with festive music and carols from Silk Brass. The concert is in aid of Congleton charities and is organised by the Rotary Club of Congleton Dane. Tickets are available from Congleton Tourist Information Centre. This festive evening is a great way to get you in the Christmas spirit and is always very well supported, so get your tickets early.</div> <div> The Band's own Christmas concert - which is a candlelit evening of fun and fantastic festive music, is on 18th December at St Michael & All Angels Church in Macclesfield,  Tickets are priced at £7 and are available from band members, Macclesfield Information Centre or telephone Sue on 07710 406002. </div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="091009_silk_blasts_off_with_boxes_for"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>09/10/09 Silk blasts off with boxes for  troops</I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="8ecedb20.jpg" border=0 width="237" height="178" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></FONT>Silk Brass has given the troops serving in Afghanistan a little bit of home comfort after it served up more than 20 boxes of goodies, by taking part in the `Father Ted Massive' scheme.The National campaign is collecting boxes of goods for British forces, and Silk Brass' contribution will be airlifted to the '4th Battalion The Rifles'.</div> <div> Now the mechanised infantry regiment will receive luxury items reminding them of home such as toothpaste, soap, T-shirts and socks along with games - and even in one box a yo-yo. Members immediately jumped on the band wagon when they heard of the campaign and within days they had collected dozens of items to fill the boxes with goods and treats. Band spokeswoman Sue Howell said: <I>“When we realised that many of the every day things we take for granted, even toothpaste, can be a luxury to the troops serving on the front line, everyone rallied round and bought or begged items from relatives and friends. We are quite amazed at the response and the organisers were delighted with the number of boxes we handed over to be flown to Afghanistan. I am sure they will be well received.”</I></div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="260609_success_in_morley"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>26/06/09 Success in Morley</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="8c2e7ad0.jpg" border=0 width="231" height="173" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"><I>“A fantastic afternoon was had in Morley West Yorkshire on the weekend for the third Morley March and Hymn Tune contest. </I></div> <div> <I>Defending Champions Marsden were back, not only to defend their title but to go for a hatrick of wins - which they achieved in some style, although they were pushed all the way by dark horses Silk Brass.”</I></div> <div> This was the quotation from the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?id=10039" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp"><U><U>`4barsrest'</U></U></A></FONT> website. Yes, June 21st  was a great day out for the band with success in both the March and Hymn contests. The March contest saw Silk Brass take second place to the Championship section band, `Marsden Silver Prize Band' from West Yorkshire. Silk managed to beat the defending champions in the hymn contest with a stylish performance of the hymn tune Nicaea. </div> <div> Following on from the success at the Whit Friday march competitions, the band continues to grow from strength to strength. </div> <div> The players now look forward to the upcoming concerts throughout the summer months, along with the preparation for the National finals in Harrogate in September.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="260409_barry_worth__chairman__talks"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>26/04/09 Barry Worth (Chairman) talks of charity concerts</I></div> <div> On May 9th Silk Brass will once again be doing what it does best to help another local good cause. Despite losing AstraZeneca as its main sponsor in December the Band has decided to reintroduce its Spring Concert and at the same time raise funds for Macclesfield's United Reform Church Restoration Fund.</div> <div> The Band, who recently qualified for the National Finals in Harrogate, wanted to put on a concert to celebrate this achievement, and they decided it would also be the perfect opportunity to help the URC. As Barry Worth, <I><IMG SRC="8b375a40.jpg" border=0 width="117" height="164" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></I>Silk's Chairman explained, <I>“We were so pleased with our recent contest performances that we really wanted to `blow our own trumpets' a bit. Last September at our Autumn Concert we introduced the format of donating half the total proceeds from the concert to a local good cause, and we managed to donate quite a substantial amount to the Rossendale Trust”</I>. Barry continued, <I>“even though we've lost our sponsor, we're determined to continue the good work that we do”.</I></div> <div> The concert is at Macclesfield United PlaceNameReform Church, starting at 7.30pm, tickets are priced at £6 (children under 10 are free) and are available from Sue Howell on 07710 406002, or from 'Fraser's Travel' in Macclesfield, and Macclesfield Tourist Information Centre.</div> <div> Silk's good deeds for 2009 don't end with their Spring Concert as this is just the first of four `good cause' concerts that they are arranging this year.</div> <div> In August, Silk will continue the tradition it started last year at it's Autumn Concert, by donating half the proceeds from one of its biggest concerts of the year to the East Cheshire Hospice to help their fund raising efforts.</div> <div> In September the Band is providing a free performance in aid of the Christie Hospital. In an extra act of generosity one of Silk's Band members has offered the marquee hired for his daughter's wedding to local fundraisers for a Sunday luncheon event, and the Band will be providing that extra something with music while the guests arrive and a short concert.</div> <div> Finally in October, Silk is helping a local primary school to celebrate its 40th anniversary in style with another fundraising concert. The Band's base is the village of Marton and when they heard that Marton Primary School had a big birthday in 2009 the players felt that they couldn't let the occasion pass without a celebration concert.</div> <div> Barry finished by saying, <I>“The Band wants to make a difference and help wherever it can, especially in these difficult times. Our supporters are really special and they follow us to every concert, but we'd love to introduce ourselves to new audiences as well, and get them hooked on Silk Brass. These concerts are the perfect opportunity for people to get out and hear some great live music as well as supporting a local brass band and more importantly some very worthy causes at the same time. Further information can be found by keeping an eye on the bands web site and the local media”.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="240409_silk_brass_welcome_a_new_solo"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>24/04/09 Silk Brass welcome a new solo cornet player</I></div> <bR> <div> Silk Brass are delighted to welcome Amy Leslie as a new addition to their front row cornet section.</div> <div> Amy has spent the last few years playing soprano cornet at Tintwistle Band, but after working hard as a Bank Manager in Wythenshawe all day she really wanted to find something a little bit closer to her home in Macclesfield and so Silk Brass was the natural choice.</div> <div> Commenting on the new appointment, Jim Cant said<I>, “Amy is a great addition to the Band, she's settled in really quickly and she seems to be enjoying the varied programme of music that we're playing at the moment.”</I></div> <div> Look out for Amy at Silk's next concert on 9th May at Macclesfield United Reform Church, plus you'll be able to check out her extended profile in our players section in due course.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="040309_contest_success_as_silk_brass"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>04/03/09 Contest Success as Silk Brass Prepare for Harrogate</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="8ac429f0.jpg" border=0 width="322" height="159" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Silk Brass has hit a rich vein of form recently with their contest performances, and their trophy cabinet is starting to groan under the weight of the extra silverware that's been added over the last two weekends.</FONT></div> <div> On the 22nd February Silk competed against bands from the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West in Derby and they were thrilled to walk away with first prize for their performance of a brand new contest piece, <I>New World Sketches</I>, which pays homage to the great American composers like George Gershwin and Aaron Copeland. The piece has some fantastic solo passages for the Band's principal players, and not only did the Band walk away as overall winners but with all the available brass soloists prizes as well; their Principal Cornet player, Mark Davies was named best cornet and their Solo Trombonist, Andrew Snelson was named best trombone player of the day.<IMG SRC="8ae3e980.jpg" border=0 width="318" height="152" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Just one weekend later on 1st March the band qualified for the national finals of the most important brass band competition in the country following a successful bid at the North West regional qualifying heats in Blackpool. Every brass band in the country dreams of success at their regional contest and they put in months of hard work before the big day. Silk has been no different and in the last two weeks alone, the players have come together ten times for rehearsals and the two contests. Barry Worth, Silk's Chairman said<I>: “In the run up to a contest every player makes a huge commitment in terms of extra rehearsals to try and make our contest performance as good as it can be. We normally practice for two hours, twice a week, but for at least two weeks before a contest it's a case of work, band, sleep there is no time for anything else and we couldn't do all this without some very understanding families. But when they call out your name and you've won a prize as huge as qualifying for the National Finals it makes all the hard work and sacrifice worthwhile.”</I>   </div> <div> The National Finals will be held in Harrogate in September and will see Silk competing against bands from all over England, Scotland and Wales in a bid to be crowned National Champions.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="020209_silk_brass_in_joint_concert"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>02/02/09 Silk Brass in joint concert with United Co-op Band (Crewe)</I></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.unitedco-opbandcrewe.co.uk/index.php?sessionuid=8dac55401adb7aec3489abdec0124327" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.unitedco-opbandcrewe.co.uk/in"><U><IMG SRC="8921b980.jpg" border=0 width="283" height="152" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"></U></A>As Silk Brass approaches the contesting season, they are to join up with the champion section band, `<A HREF="http://www.unitedco-opbandcrewe.co.uk/index.php?sessionuid=8dac55401adb7aec3489abdec0124327" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.unitedco-opbandcrewe.co.uk/in"><U>United Co-op Band (Crewe)</U></A>' for <IMG SRC="89720b50.jpg" border=0 width="288" height="181" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">a free concert for supporters, to perform their respective area test pieces before the forthcoming national qualifiers in Blackpool on March 1st.  As a result of a very successful concert last year in Sandbach, it has been decided to repeat the event before the areas again this year. The concert will comprise each band playing one half of the concert, performing various entertainment pieces, concluding with their test piece. United Co-op Band (Crewe) will play Gilbert Vinters `Salute To Youth', and Silk Brass will play Daniel Prices `New World Sketches'. It offers an opportunity for the bands to `run the test piece out', and for supporters keep upto date with the contesting activities of the bands. This year's concert will take place at the Dane Bank College in Crewe on Saturday 21st February.</div> <div> If you would like to reserve <I><B><U>free</U></B></I> tickets for this event you can contact Silks secretary, Sue howell <<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="mailto:" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:"><U><U>music@susanhowell.net</U></U></A></FONT>><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >, </FONT>mobile:07710 406002, or United Co-op Band (Crewe) via their concert secretary, <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#333333" FACE="Arial" >Carol Mowbray on 07736383106. There are limited tickets available, so an early enquiry will reduce the chances of disappointment. The band looks forward to mingling with their supporters at this event. </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="bandmaster_bob_bamboozles_band_by"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>07/01/09 Bandmaster Bob Bamboozles Band By Blowing Bugle </I></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Percussion"><U><IMG SRC="86182820.jpg" border=0 width="130" height="130" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></U></A>Ok, it may not be a bugle, but it <I><U>is</U></I> a cornet! Yes, the band is tremendously privileged to have such a hard working, multi-talented player within their ranks. Bob Goodwin has recognised the problem facing the band following the unexpected departure of one of the front row cornet players before Christmas, and being the true spirited bandsman that he is, has offered to fill the roll and make the move from euphonium to the tiny world of the cornet. Commenting on the move Bob says, <I>“I realise that cornet players are hard to find these days, and many bands are trying to capture those few that are in the market, so I sensed the opportunity for a challenge and took a cornet home with me for Christmas to frighten the family. I've played in the band for many years, and would like to think that it would be the best for the band to make this move now. The euphonium and baritone sections will remain in good hands with Rob Dale filling my role on second euphonium and Kathryn Livsey taking on the second baritone position. We have an important year ahead, with the area championships coming up and I think it's wise to settle these moves now, so that we can mount a serious challenge in the second section with the ultimate goal of re-promotion back to the first”.</I> </div> <div> Bob's no stranger to playing alternative instruments in the band, and has previously attacked the instruments of the percussion section, not only with Silk Brass, but in the past with the BT band from Stockport. The band now look forward to Bobs' contribution to the sonorous sounds of the cornet section as they move into the New Year, with a busy contesting season and the prospect of a European tour ahead.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="301208_the_christmas_concert_season"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>30/12/08 The Christmas Concert season closes</I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="86d2ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></FONT>Silk Brass ended another successful Christmas Concert season on Saturday 20th December with a magnificent evening at St Michael's Church, Macclesfield.</div> <div> December is an incredibly busy time for the members of Silk Brass, with four concerts and numerous carolling engagements between the 1st December and Christmas Eve.</div> <div> Sell out audiences at Bosley, New Mills, Congleton and Macclesfield have been thrilled by the Band's unique blend of festive music and carols, plus jolly banter from their Conductor, Jim Cant. Sue Howell, Silks' Secretary said: <I>“After last year we didn't think that the season could be any more successful, but we've been proved wrong - the audiences have been amazing and the Band has excelled itself with some brilliant performances. For us the festive highlight is always our own concert at St Michael's and this year was no exception, the church was packed, the candles were lit and we're sure that everyone went home feeling that little bit more Christmassy. It was the perfect end to the best set of Christmas concerts yet!”</I></div> <div> During the concert the Band presented Mr Mike Frost, the Chief Executive of the Rossendale Trust with a cheque for £850. Mr Frost said: <I>“We are delighted by this incredibly generous gesture. In the summer Silk Brass approached us and said that they would like to donate half of the proceeds from their Autumn Concert to the Trust. To have a tie up like this between two Macclesfield organisations is brilliant and is a great indication of a wonderful community spirit. This donation will go towards enhancing the lives of all the residents of The Rossendale Trust through funding outings, social events and activities as organised by their new activities co-ordinator”. </I>He continued: <I>“I've seen how hard the Band members work to put on these amazing performances and I'm proud that the Rossendale Trust is associated with such a great bunch of people.”</I></div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="191208_sponsorship_announcement_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>19/12/08 Sponsorship announcement </I></div> <div> It is with much regret that Silk Brass announces that from 2009 they will no longer be supported by their main sponsor, AstraZeneca.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="830965d0.gif" border=0 width="150" height="93" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">Silk has enjoyed support from the multinational pharmaceutical company since its early days, but in the present economic climate AstraZeneca has rethought its global community support policy and as a consequence has decided to concentrate on supporting medical and scientific projects only - this means that funding for all arts groups has unfortunately been stopped.</div> <div> Barry Worth, Silk's Chairman said <I>“we're extremely grateful for all the support AstraZeneca has given us and we're very proud to have been associated with such a prestigious company. Their support has helped us to become the band we are today and has allowed us to do so much work to help other local and national charities and voluntary groups. We were aware that lots of other local groups had had their AstraZeneca support withdrawn so it wasn't really a surprise when we got the news.”</I><I><IMG SRC="831da760.jpg" border=0 width="218" height="118" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"></I></div> <div> The Silk players are far from despondent though, as Barry went on to explain, <I>“The Davenport Arms at Marton is continuing as our music sponsor for a second year, which is fantastic, plus we're still really busy, and because of our great local following our concerts are always full. At the end of the day we all love what we're doing and losing this support won't change that.”</I></div> <div> Silk Brass are now on the look out for a new main sponsor, whose name will feature alongside the Band's at regular local, national and potentially international concerts and contests - so if you're interested in finding out more about the band then please feel free to contact the bands chairman on 07976 251 466.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="071108_silk_brass_prepare_for"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>07/11/08 Silk Brass prepare for Christmas</I></div> <div> With the nights drawing in and festive displays appearing in shop windows, Silk Brass (AstraZeneca) are getting ready for yet another busy Christmas concert season. <IMG SRC="7d4ca0d0.jpg" border=0 width="202" height="269" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Festivities start early in the Marton band room with new Christmas music arriving on the stands in early November, but by the time the first concert kicks off on 5th December at Bosley Church, new pieces and old favourites will have been polished to perfection for the packed audiences to enjoy. Sue Howell, Silk's Secretary says,<I> “every year all of our concerts seem to be getting more popular - last year every concert was packed and we're hoping that we have the same fantastic audiences this year. So many people tell us that Christmas starts when they've heard Silk Brass - I think it's because our concerts really are wonderfully festive, with sing-a-long carols, Christmas songs and seasonal tunes that would get even Ebenezer Scrooge digging out the holly and tinsel”.</I></div> <div> After Bosley, the Band next appears on 6th December at the United Reform Church, New Mills and then at the Daneside Theatre, Congleton on 13th December.The final concert and the highlight for the Band is their own Christmas concert at St Michael's Church in Macclesfield on 20th December. Sue continued <I>“the Macclesfield concert is always a sell out. Last year we had all the church candles lit and it made everything so pretty we're doing the same again this year, but one change we've made is that we're not going to able to serve refreshments - last year there were so many people in the audience it took ages to get through everybody and so this year we took the decision to just use that time to pack even more great music into the concert.”</I></div> <div> In between the concerts, Silk's players are also in great demand for “busking” around the area and they've already got dates arranged at Gawsworth Hall, The Coach and Horses at Timbersbrook, The Royal Oak at Rushton Spencer and The Windmill at Whiteley Green, plus many others. Sue added<I> “it is an incredibly busy time of year for the Band - but we love it! The concerts are great, but we all love the busking as well - when you get a whole load of people singing along and shouting out for more it's a lovely feeling and we never have a shortage of volunteers to turn out on a cold winter's night.” </I>Tickets for the Macclesfield concert on 20th December are available from any band member, from Sue on 07710 406002 or from Macclesfield Tourist Information Centre.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="081008_contesting_success_for_silk_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>08/10/08 Contesting success for Silk Brass</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="7c1f8ba0.jpg" border=0 width="248" height="186" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="15" VSPACE="0">Silk Brass enjoyed success at the recent Bolsover entertainments contest with second prize, and the prize for “most entertaining programme”.</div> <div> Sunday 5th of October saw the band competing in the Bolsover entertainments contest in Derbyshire. The programme opened, not in traditional brass band style (with a march), but with music from the big screen. “Pirates of the Caribbean” by Klaus Badlet, arranged for Brass Band by Bruce Fraser, has always been a popular item on the concert programmes of the band, and therefore a good choice to set the scene in Bolsover. This was followed up with original music written for Brass, by Alan Fernie, “Stál Himmel” (“Steel Skies”), a favourite of the band and recently recorded on the CD <A HREF="id21_a_decade_of_silk.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recordings Shop"><U>`A Decade of Silk'</U></A>. Andrew Snelson, the bands' principle trombone player, played Adrian Drovers' arrangement of  “Annie Laurie” with particular panache to the delight of the enthusiastic audience. The band continued with the Rolling Stones hit “Ruby Tuesday”, and then slowed things down with Kenneth Downes' wonderful chorus setting, “In Perfect Peace” which showed off the bands capabilities of pianissimo playing. The band finished off their programme with the rousing finale from Suite L'Arlésienne, “Farandole” by Bizet.</div> <div> After the first Entertainments contest for more than three years, the band have now decided to participate in more similar competitions in the future. No doubt a selection of these pieces will be featured in the upcoming concerts in the busy Christmas period ahead, along with the traditional Christmas favourites.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="150908_silk_in_joint_concert_with_the"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>15/09/08 Silk in joint concert with the Rossendale Trust</I><I><IMG SRC="7ce36e90.jpg" border=0 width="310" height="233" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> Saturday the 6th September saw Silk Brass perform their autumn concert at St Michaels church in Macclesfield, in conjunction with the <A HREF="http://www.rossendaletrust.org/newsandevents.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.rossendaletrust.org/newsandev"><U>Rossendale Trust</U></A>. </div> <div> The band opened their performance with a whit Friday contest march Bramwyn. Music from the hit movie, “Pirates of the Caribbean” was a special request and proved very popular with the younger members of the audience. The Bands principal cornet player Mark Davis, played the solo “People” which he recorded earlier this year for the BBC.  Other soloists of the evening were Claire Gooder (Flugal Horn), Andy Snelson (Trombone), & Andy Ingleby (Euphonium). </div> <div> Other highlights were the piece “Stal Himnel”, one of the bands favourite numbers. The bands tone and clarity depicts the grey stormy skies, and it's mellow tune left the audience with a sense of awe. </div> <div> Being the night of the percussion sections' `Swan Song', they requested “StingRay”, and after Saturday night the audience knew why! It's all percussion; with the three percussion players dashing from one side of the stage to the other, grinning like Cheshire cats!!!!</div> <div> The band concluded the first half with Ruby Tuesday an old Beatles hit arranged for Brass Band. </div> <div> The second half of the concert was opened with the piece “Be a Clown”, a light jokey piece which heavily featured the trombone section, followed by various entertaining items, culminating in the ever popular Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar.</div> <div> After a very successful evening for both Silk Brass and the Rossendale Trust, the audience left on a high looking forward to the forthcoming Christmas Concert in this fabulous auditorium on the 20th December 2008. </div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="310808_changes_to_the_percussion"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>31/08/08 Changes to the percussion section personnel</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="7b2bba20.jpg" border=0 width="187" height="162" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">Changes to the percussion section at Silk Brass are nearing completion with the departure of two players, and the arrival of three. The band is sorry to see the departure of Tim Newbould who is due to leave the band after the Autumn Concert at St Michaels Church on 6th September. Tim joined Silk in October 2005 and settled in straight away as the Band's main tuned percussion player. However, Tim is a primary school Headmaster and he will shortly be moving to Wrexham to take up a new position. The band has been very privileged to have Tim with them, and will miss his company as well as his playing. All at Silk Brass wish Tim and his family well for the future and hope he won't be a stranger through the doors of Resurgum House. The band are to lose another face from the percussion section after the Autumn Concert as Rob Livsey leaves for an academic year when he moves to London to study to be a teacher. His wife Kathryn will still be a regular visitor to the euphonium section, and once Rob has completed his training he'll be back with his percussion team mates.</div> <div> These changes were planned for some time and therefore the band is delighted to announce that it has managed to secure replacement players in the form of Sue Madden, Matt Spall, and a new young percussionist, Adam Carter.</div> <div> Sue, as a previous member of the band, returned before the BBC recording in May, Matt first joined Silk Brass when he was a mere youngster and has subsequently returned to the fold as multi-skilled percussionist, and Adam Carter is only 15, but he is already a talented instrumentalist, working equally well on drum kit and tuned percussion.</div> <div> Silk Brass are also pleased to announce that Rob Churchill has joined the band on the front row cornet section. Rob previously spent time with Biddulph based brass band, Greenway Selectus and Congleton's Berisford's Band, so he's already a well known face to many of the Silk players. Following his attendance at the last Silk concert, he was so impressed with the Band's performance that he signed up as a new member that night and has thrown himself back into banding scene with great enthusiasm.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="150808_brass_on_the_grass_at_crewe"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>15/08/08 "Brass on the Grass" at Crewe Golf Club</I></div> <div> Amazingly the clouds rolled away and sun shone brightly for a wonderful evening concert at Crewe Golf Club last month. In true “Brass on the Grass” style - Silk set up outside the Club House in a beautiful setting as the audience enjoyed a picnic supper.</div> <div> Luckily the sun kept on shining through one of the Band's earlier pieces “Steel Skies” and the Soprano Cornet player, Tim Brocklehurst, certainly got into the seasonal spirit with his solo performance of the George Gershwin piece “Summertime”.</div> <div> The audience really enjoyed the first half, which consisted of many of the Band's favourite pieces - but they had their flags ready and vocal chords warmed up ready for the second half when Silk unleashed a rousing selection of sing-a-long favourites, culminating in a typical “Last Night of the Proms” finale of Jerusalem, Rule Britannia and Pomp and Circumstance.</div> <div> The audience at the Golf Club did the Band proud and sang at the top of their voices and the comments from them certainly showed that they'd had a fantastic evening - so much so that they are hoping that the band will return next year, to participate in a Bavarian evening concert. </div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="080808_daily_mail_comments_on"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>08/08/08 Daily Mail comments on "Polished Debut" for the band on BBC Radio 2</I></div> <div> Members of Silk Brass (AstraZeneca) and their families, friends and supporters settled down to listen to the BBC Radio 2 programme “Listen to the Band” in late July with added interest and anticipation. Earlier in the year the Band had recorded a session for this popular half hour programme and the time of their debut broadcast had arrived.</div> <div> Mark Davies, the Band's Principal Corner player, who performed the Barbra Streisand hit “People” during the show, said <I>“making the recording was really exciting, but listening to yourself on the radio is something quite special. The Band sounded very impressive and I'm really proud of every member of Silk Brass”. He continued “we've had some great feedback from people that heard us and it would be lovely to think that we could do it again in the future”.</I></div> <div> Fans and supporters of the Band weren't the only ones impressed with the show - even a national newspaper thought it was first class.  The Daily Mail's weekend TV and Radio supplement said that Silk had made a “polished debut” and listed it as the pick of the day's radio listening - a huge compliment for this group of dedicated and very talented amateurs.</div> <div> If you weren't lucky enough to catch Silk's broadcast you will be able to see the Band at one of their biggest concerts of the year, at St Michael's Church Macclesfield on September 6th starting at 7.30pm. The concert is in aid of the Rossendale Trust, a Macclesfield based charity that provides care and support for people with learning disabilities. Tickets are priced at £7 and are available from Congleton and Macclesfield Tourist Information Centres, from Sue Howell on 07710 406002 or from The Rossendale Trust on 01260 252500.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="230708_the_davenport_arms_at_marton"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>23/07/08 The Davenport Arms at Marton continue their music sponsorship of the band</I></div> <div> Silk Brass (AstraZeneca) are delighted that, at a recent photo shoot, Ron Dalton and Sara Griffith, the Landlord and Landlady of the Davenport Arms at Marton, announced that the popular local pub and restaurant would be continuing as the Band's music sponsor for another year.</div> <div> Jim Cant, the Band's Musical Director, said: <I>“This is excellent news and is really important for the development of the band.  This sponsorship has allowed us to purchase some excellent pieces of music, which are improving the band's abilities, overall sound and sight reading skills.  It's great to have local people involved in what Silk Brass is doing and we'd like to thank Ron and Sara for their continued support.”</I></div> <div> After their announcement, Ron and Sara joined the band for an official portrait which will hang in pride of place at the Davenport Arms.</div> <div> The band are also delighted that another local company helped out with a superb location for their photo shoot. David and Veronica Worth of Sandhole Farm on the A34, just outside Congleton, heard that Silk Brass was looking for a venue to have some photographs taken and they gladly agreed that the band could use their Wedding Barn.</div> <div> Bob Goodwin, Silk's Bandmaster, said:<I> “It's been ages since we had some formal photographs taken and so we took advantage of a break between engagements and set a date.  The Wedding Barn is a stunning location, both inside and out, it's just a shame that the weather meant that we couldn't use the lake and the exterior of the building as backdrops, but the pictures we've taken have the exposed oak beams framing the band beautifully.  We'd like to thank David for allowing us to take over the Wedding Barn for an evening and even helping out by taking photos with band members' own cameras!” </I></div> <div> He continued:<I> “We are very lucky to have two local businesses that are keen to help the band out. Without the support of people like Ron, Sara, David and Veronica, and of course the main sponsor AstraZeneca, local organisations like ours would struggle to survive.”</I></div> <div> Silk Brass will be performing at the Davenport Arms on Saturday 2nd August at their annual gooseberry show concert. Tickets are priced at £10 (including buffet) and are available from the Davenport Arms at Marton. So come along and support your local band and a great rural pub at the same time.</div> <div> If you'd like more information on the band and its engagements either contact Sue Howell on 07710 406002.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="silk_brass_says_goodbye_to_a_popular"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>06/07/08 </I><I>Silk Brass says goodbye to a popular trombonist, and a talented young cornet player</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="78690800.jpg" border=0 width="144" height="128" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="15" VSPACE="5">Regrettably, Silk Brass announces the departure of their second trombone player, Deborah Miles from the band. Deborah joined Silk Brass in 2002 on second trombone accompanying  the trombone section with Andrew Snelson and “Scooby.” Deborah has been a very influential player and  member of Silk Brass, and for a while her husband Jonathan took on the position as treasurer.  Unfortunately, as with many players who have young children, (twins Alexandra and Emily) <IMG SRC="78873720.jpg" border=0 width="115" height="114" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="15" VSPACE="5">Deborah finds there is never enough time for both banding and spending quality time as a family, so she made the difficult decision to take a break from the band. The band is sad to see her leave but wish Deborah and her family the very best wishes, and hope to see her return sometime in the future. </div> <div> The band is also sorry to lose a promising young repiano player, Gemma Rose. Gemma followed her father into the band (Steve Rose) three years ago, but with school exams and preparation for 'A' levels and subsequently university, she has taken a back seat for a while to concentrate on her studies. The bands best wishes go to Gemma and hopefully she will make a return the Brass Banding scene in the near future. (Preferably with Silk Brass of course!)</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="180608_the_date_for_the_bbc"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>18/06/08 The date for the BBC broadcast,"Listen to the Band" is announced</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="75e6b100.jpg" border=0 width="363" height="272" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">The date of Silk's broadcast for BBC Radio 2's programme “Listen to the Band” has now been announced. All the band members, plus family, friends and supporters will be glued to the radio at 9.30pm on Friday 25th July to hear Frank Renton, the show's presenter, play a session especially recorded by the band earlier this year at the BBC's studios in Manchester.</div> <div> The half hour programme is packed with music to suit all tastes and will hopefully impress first time listeners as well as brass band aficionados. On the night, listeners will be able to enjoy the popular Whit Friday march “O.R.B.”, film music from "The Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Backdraft”, the hymn tune “Nicaea” and two wonderful solos - the famous Scottish air “Annie Laurie”, played with great feeling by Silk's solo trombone player Andrew Snelson - and principal cornet, Mark Davies will impress with the Barbara Streisand hit “People”.</div> <div> Join in the “Big Listen” on Friday 25th July at 9.30pm on BBC Radio 2!</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="180608_forthcoming_engagements_for"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>18/06/08 Forthcoming engagements for Silk Brass (AstraZeneca)</I></div> <div> Silk Brass (AstraZeneca)'s summer is starting to hot up nicely with some great jobs and a radio treat to please their local supporters.</div> <div> On June 29th the Band will be performing at an afternoon concert at "The Coach and Horses" at Timbersbrook. Previous summers have seen the band playing in the cold, wind and rain, so the pub's Landlord, David Cropper, has finally taken pity, and has completely changed the format of the concert. This year he has hired a marquee for the concert (which is to start at 2pm), and there will also be a BBQ at the event.</div> <div> July will see the band taking part in Congleton's “Blooming Big Green” Carnival procession on 19th.</div> <div> Another annual local pub engagement takes place on Saturday August 2nd, when Silk helps its local community of Marton celebrate the annual Gooseberry Show at The Davenport Arms. This is definitely as close as the Band gets to performing on its own doorstep, as all it has to do is cross the road to set up for a very enjoyable evening concert. The Davenport Arms has always been a great supporter of the band and last year became Silk's music sponsor. The concert starts at 8pm and a buffet supper is served in the interval. Tickets are priced at £10 (including buffet) and are available from the Davenport Arms, Marton (01260 224269).</div> <div> Finally, Silk will be closing its summer season with a concert in aid of The Rossendale Trust on Saturday September 6th at St Michael's Church, Macclesfield. Tickets are priced at £7 and are available from Congleton and Macclesfield Tourist Information Centres, from Sue Howell on 07710 406002 or from The Rossendale Trust on 01260 252500. Please note that refreshments will not be available at this concert.</div> <div> Sue Howell, Silk's Secretary said <I>“We've got a great summer season lined up, with some really exciting, new music for our audiences. We travel all over the place, but it's always nice to be back on home soil, playing to our local supporters. Both the Coach and Horses and the Davenport Arms have made sure that they've prepared for the worst of the summer weather by arranging for marquees and they'll both be laying on some great food as well - so come along and support the band and some great rural pubs at the same time.” She continued, “We are also delighted to be working with the Rossendale Trust for the final big concert of the summer. It is an incredibly worthwhile local organisation and we hope to have a sell out audience so that they can benefit as much as possible from this concert.”</I></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >If you'd like to know more about Silk's engagements please contact Sue on 07710 406002 or email her at:- </FONT><A HREF="mailto:" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:"><U><U>music@susanhowell.net</U></U></A><U> </U> .  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >If you would like more information on the Rossendale Trust visit www.rossendaletrust.org" </FONT><A HREF="http://" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://"><U><U>www.rossendaletrust.org</U></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="010508_silk_brass__astrazeneca__make"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>01/05/08 Silk Brass (AstraZeneca) make a recording for the BBC - "Listen to the Band"</I></div> <div> Silk Brass (AstraZeneca) are to hit the radio airwaves later this year after they recorded a session last weekend for the BBC Radio 2 programme <I><B>Listen to the Band</B></I>.</div> <div> Regular listeners of the popular Friday evening show will have already heard the presenter, Frank Renton, playing tracks from the Band's new CD - “A<I> Decade of Silk”</I>, but they were thrilled to receive an invitation to be guests on the show and have a programme devoted to their music.<IMG SRC="52e7d1e0.jpg" border=0 width="381" height="286" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Jim Cant, Silk's Conductor said “this is probably one of the biggest events in the Band's history. It's a great honour to be asked to record a programme for the BBC, as the majority of bands never get that opportunity.”</div> <div> The recording took place in studio 7 at the BBC's Oxford Road studios in Manchester, which is believed to have one of the best acoustics in the country and regularly accommodates the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, but Jim is no stranger to these impressive surroundings as he recorded many sessions here during his playing days with the Fairey Band. Jim went on to say “it can be quite an awe inspiring experience, the acoustics are excellent and all the recording equipment can be a little intimidating, but the Band performed extremely well - I'm very proud of them. We're all really looking forward to hearing the finished article on the broadcast”. </div> <div> After two and a half hours of hard work, interspersed with a few breaks, the Band had recorded the seven tracks for the programme and retired en masse for some well earned refreshment at a local watering hole, followed by a visit to Manchester's famous “Curry Mile”, where they virtually took over one restaurant as the waiters tried to accommodate a table for 35!!</div> <div> Silk's Listen to the Band programme will include some banding favourites, like the famous Whit Friday march O.R.B., as well as some new additions to Silk's repertoire, such as a beautiful rendition of the Barbra Streisand hit '<I>People'</I>, performed by the Band's new Principal Cornet player <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Principal Cornet"><U>Mark Davies</U></A>.</div> <div> The date of the broadcast will be confirmed in the near future and details will be posted on this site.</div> <div> Listen to the Band can be heard every Friday on BBC Radio 2 at 9.30pm</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="030408_silk_brass_welcome_their_new"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>03/04/08 Silk Brass welcome their new Principal Cornet player - Mark Davies</I></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Principal Cornet"><U><IMG SRC="31773880.jpg" border=0 width="115" height="136" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="15" VSPACE="5"></U></A>After a only a few short days without a principal, the band are pleased to announce they have managed to secure the services of a new face to the principal chair. As an ex Fodens player, and renowned soloist,  <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Principal Cornet"><U>Mark Davies</U></A> will be a great influence to the players in the band as leader of his section, and of the band. The last eighteen months have seen Mark playing with his local band 'United Co-Op 2000 Band', in his home town of Crewe. Previously he held the position of Principal Cornet for eight years at the Roberts Bakery Band, leading them to successful European tours and contest performances. After negotiations with Mark, Jim said he was delighted to welcome him to the band and looked forward to working with him as the band prepares for the challenges ahead. With Mark joining the ranks, the band is well placed with a strong arsenal of key soloists.  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="310308_silk_brass_says_goodbye_to"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>31/03/08 Silk Brass says goodbye to their Principal Cornet Player</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="31b73880.jpg" border=0 width="115" height="136" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="15" VSPACE="5">It is with regret that Silk Brass (Astra Zeneca) have to announce the decision of their Principal cornet player, Carl Gratty to leave the band. Carl joined the band in June 2002 on the front row. He took the principal chair in 2004 and helped to progress the band through to the First Section. In the six years he's spent with the band, he's seen many progressive changes, and leaves the band on a very stable footing under the directorship of Jim Cant. Whilst at Silks, he's participated in two CD recordings, (recording his first Solo, Buster Strikes Back on  the album "A Decade of Silk"), European tours and numerous contests. Upon his decision to depart, Jim said that he was disappointed to see him go, but thanked him for his contribution to the bands success over the recent years, and acknowledged the progress he had made as a soloist. Carl hasn't disappeared from the scene completely and hopefully will, from time to time be playing within the ranks of the band. He acknowledges  the time and commitment required to make a successful ensemble work, and therefore due to work, home commitments, he is currently unable to offer the same commitment that he has done so relentlessly in the past. All of us at Silk Brass wish him the very best for the future and hope to see him soon.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="261107_the_new_cd_a_decade_of_silk"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>26/11/07 The new CD, "A Decade Of Silk" is released</I></div> <div> The band have now released their new CD <I><B>"A Decade Of Silk"</B></I>, recorded last month at the Sir James Black Conference Centre in Alderley Edge. Amongst other tracks, a few examples are:</div> <div> <I><B>Harlequin. </B></I>Harlequin was probably the most popular comic character from the historic Italian comedian dell'arte. Although renowned as a slow thinker, he was acrobatic and nimble and would add a cartwheel or backflip to even the simplest task. These characteristics are perfectly portrayed in this arrangement of Bruce Broughton's mini overture. </div> <div> <I><B>Buster Strikes Back</B></I>. You can't help but smile when you listen to Carl Gratty's jaunty rendition of Alan Morrison's cornet rag. Morrison dedicated this composition to his young nephew who was fighting against a serious illness at the time. <IMG SRC="3fc00f70.jpg" border=0 width="256" height="247" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="15" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I><B>Stal Himmel  (Steel Skies). </B></I>Written by the Scottish composer and musician Alan Fernie<I><B> </B></I>for the Norwegian Band, Musikkorpset Gjallarhorn. </div> <div> <I><B>A Time For Peace.</B></I> This Horn solo played by Les Manning, is taken from the original brass band composition “The Essence of Time”, written by Peter Graham. </div> <div> <I><B>Four French Renaissance Dances </B></I>are taken from his collection Terpsichore, (named after the Greek Muse of Dancing), which is an arrangement of 312 dances gathered from French dance masters and musicians. </div> <div> <I><B>For The Love Of A Princess </B></I>is taken from the 1995 Oscar winning film Braveheart, which was produced, directed and starred Mel Gibson as legendary Scot, William Wallace. The Braveheart score was composed by James Horner, who later wrote the music for the blockbuster film Titanic. </div> <div> <I><B>Swing When You're Winning </B></I>brings together many of the songs from Robbie Williams' hit album of the same name,  which was largely influenced by his life-long love of Frank Sinatra. This arrangement combines many “swing-a-long” favourites made famous by the original “Rat Pack” </div> <div> <I><B>I Will Follow Him </B></I>was originally a US number 1 hit for Little Peggy March in 1963, but it came to worldwide prominence after it was featured in the finale of the 1992 comedy film Sister Act, staring Whoopi Goldberg. The trombone section clearly enjoy themselves in this gospel choir arrangement.</div> <div> <I><B>The Children of Sanchez.</B></I> Chuck Mangione is a jazz flugelhorn player and composer, whose successful career has spanned more than 50 years. His powerful, award winning soundtrack to the 1978 film <I><B> </B></I>later became an unofficial anthem to the<I><B> </B></I>people of Poland during their struggle for<I><B> </B></I>democracy. Claire Gooder plays the beautiful<I><B> </B></I>main theme from the film, which develops into a<I><B> </B></I>wonderful jazz finale.<I><B> </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Backdraft. </B></I>Written by Hans Zimmer, this<I><B> </B></I>piece is the theme for the 1991 film about Chicago firefighters. Backdraft has an echo of the Irish community in Chicago and strongly features the percussion section.</div> <div> <I><B>Benedictus. </B></I>Benedicts<I><B> </B></I>is taken from Karl Jenkins' choral suite <I>“The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace”</I>, which powerfully interprets the terrible consequences of war. The suite was commissioned by Britain's Royal Armouries to mark the millennium, and was dedicated to the victims of the Kosovo crisis. Andrew Ingleby and Robert Goodwin play this moving piece with great emotion and passion. </div> <div> <I><B>The Wind Beneath My Wings </B></I>is from the film Beaches, and became a number one hit for Bette Midler, winning Record of the Year and Song of the Year Grammys in 1990. Andrew Snelson's lyricism as he plays this beautiful melody is truly outstanding.  </div> <div> <I><B>Horizons </B></I>As well as being a talented percussionist, Paul Lovatt-Cooper is one of the rising stars in brass band composition. , with its strong rhythms and melodic interlude, was commissioned by the Ratby Co-operative Band for their Centenary in 2006.</div> <bR> <div> <I> <A NAME="260607_the_davenport_arms_becomes_the"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></I></div> <div> <I>26/06/07 The Davenport Arms becomes the bands music sponsor</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0e9902c0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="300" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10"><A HREF="http://www.thedavenportarms.co.uk/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thedavenportarms.co.uk/"><U>The Davenport Arms</U></A> at Marton has always been a firm favourite with the players of Silk Brass (AstraZeneca), but now they've got one more reason to love the pub that's just across the road from their rehearsal room, as it has become the band's new music sponsor.</div> <div>  As Barry Worth the Band Chairman explained: “Ron and Sara, the Davenport's landlord and landlady have always been great supporters of Silk Brass but they really wanted to show just how much the band meant to them and how much they appreciated and enjoyed our company - so when they approached us, we came up with the idea of a music sponsor. So now all the music that we buy and perform will be courtesy of <I>The Davenport Arms</I>. It's great that we've got this kind of local support, and this wonderful gesture will help to ensure that our programs will remain fresh and interesting. We're also very pleased that our main sponsor AstraZenenca is happy for other local companies to get involved in supporting community organisations and they've given their full support for this arrangement”</div> <div> Since Silk Brass moved to their Marton bandroom the band members have always ended their Sunday and Wednesday rehearsal nights with a relaxing drink in the bar at The Davenport, but with such a great restaurant, it's also become one of their favourite places to eat out as well. Although some of the band members live as far a field as Manchester and Crewe, they still travel back to Marton for a knock out meal, even when they haven't got a rehearsal. </div> <div> Ron Doulton from the Davenport Arms said: “We feel very proud to have such a talented band frequenting our establishment and felt we wanted to support them in some way. By becoming their music sponsors, we hope to enable them to expand and improve their repertoire for the enjoyment of their audiences in the future. We certainly always enjoy their performances here during the summer and at Christmas time.” </div> <div> You will be able to see Silk Brass performing at The Davenport Arms on 4th August at a special Marton Gooseberry Show concert.</div> <div>  If you're interested in finding out more about the band and its engagements please contact Sue Howell on 07710 406002.</div> <bR> <div> <I>18/06/07 New and Refurbished Instruments for the band</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0ed902c0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="300" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="10">After a period of serious fund raising Silk Brass (Astra Zeneca) proudly unveiled almost a complete set of new and refurbished instruments at the Whit Friday March Contests in early June. After promotion to the first section and with many of their instruments showing their age, they decided that they really needed to do something to make sure that they could continue to give the superb performances their audiences have come to expect.</div> <div>  </div> <div> The main thrust of the instrument upgrade program was the purchase of eleven brand new York cornets. The Principal Cornet player Carl Gratty said “these new instruments are great and make a huge difference to the sound of the cornet section. Previously we had a mixture of makes and quality of instruments, which definitely had an effect on our overall performance, but now it's a real treat every time we play together as a section. All of our cornet players realise how lucky they are, as many bands aren't able to invest in a complete set of instruments at one time, but we've worked hard to raise the funds needed and we are happy that the investment has been worth it.”</div> <div> The parade of shiny instruments doesn't end with the cornets though, as the band has also had five basses, two euphoniums and two baritones refurbished. These instruments are a lot more expensive to buy than a cornet, with the cost of one bass running to over £4,000, and so the Band felt that the best use of their funds was to refurbish the larger instruments rather than replace them. Barry Worth the Band Chairman (and bass player) explained that they had found a company that took the instruments away, pulled them apart, thoroughly cleaned them, removed any little dents, replated them, put them back together and returned them to the band looking and playing as good as new. He went on to say “these instruments really are a joy to play. For a long time the larger instruments had been suffering with sticky valves, leaky pipes and seized slides, but now you can't tell the difference between the refurbished instruments we're playing and a brand new one.”</div> <div>  </div> <div> Helped by the swathe of shiny new brass, the Band had a great time at the Whit Friday March Contests, competing in 13 contests around the Tameside and Saddleworth areas in just one evening against some of the best bands in the country, including Fodens and Black Dyke. Their great performances on the night saw them walk away with two 4th prizes and another six top ten finishes, as well as the prize for Best Bass Section at one venue. After all the scores, from all the bands, at all the contests were added together, Silk Brass were thrilled to find that their hard work and new instruments had paid off when they were placed 11th out of almost 100 bands. </div> <div>  </div> <div> Silk is now looking to replace the trombone section's instruments, although they may also have to invest in some more cornets and other instruments, as they have received a number of enquiries from players keen to join them. Bob Goodwin, Silk's Bandmaster said “having these new instruments has given the band a real boost. We played really well on Whit Friday and we came away with some great results, beating band's like Black Dyke always gives you a buzz and it seems as though word is getting round that we are a great band to be a part of. Although we work hard, we enjoy ourselves at the same time and we're a very friendly bunch - it's a great atmosphere! We're always keen to welcome new players so if anyone would like to get in touch they can give me a call on 07770 366511”</div> <div>  </div> <div> The next time the band is performing locally is at Congleton Park on 22nd July. If you would like to know more about the Band or its engagements please contact Sue Howell on 07710 406002</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>