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Training Band -

The Training Band meets Mondays 6.30 - 7.30pm in the Band room, in

Swan Lane, Lydney. (see how to find us map on 'contact us' page)

Note ;- Training Is available for everyone irrespective of age!

Call Kerry on 01594 530886 or 07914014281 if you would like to know more, or else email training band (click)

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Forest Of Dean Festival - 2009

by Samantha Ford

contestants 2009

The Training Band competitors - resplendent in their new tee shirts, with new logo.

It was an early start, and a late finish, at the 'Forest of Dean Festival' on 5th of July, held at Lakers’ School in Coleford. The Lydney Training Band entered the solos, duets and quartet categories.

Ciaran, Lauren, Natasha, Nicole, Timothy, Rory, Bethan and Samantha Ford all took part.

Lauren played her first ever solo, and Nicole performed for her first time in the competition - Rory and Bethan played challenging solos and made us so proud of them. Everyone played beautifully.

It was a long wait till the results, but we won 2nd, with an adult/child duet (Kerry and Samantha), and received many merits and distinctions, with everyone receiving very positive adjudicators remarks.

Well done to everyone, including the supporting tutors and the mums and dads who came along to cheer them on!!

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Exam Success - June 2009

David Crowe passed his grade 5 on the Euphonium and we are exceedingly proud of him in the Lydney Training Band.

Here shown in the photograph
with his Associated Board of Royal School of Music certificate, standing
alongside the conductor of

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the Lydney Training Band, Kevin Ford.

Kevin said "I was very impressed with the amount of work David put in in
order to achieve this level of grade at his age, well done indeed."

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May 2009 - Newsletter

Playing in public

Thanks to all of you who attended the Awre Village Fete on bank holiday Monday, the organisers were thrilled with the performance. We played outside to a very appreciative crowd, despite the blustery and damp weather..

Player profiles

We are still looking for player profiles for the website so please give them to Kerry to get you online. www.lydneyband.co.uk

Thanks…… Kerry (Band Tutor) 01594 530886 or 07914014281

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Lydney Park Estate Pre-Season Open day for charity (Woolaston with Alvington & Aylburton Churches), was the Spectacular setting to kick off a new Season of outdoor performances by the Training Band. Wonderful weather, marvellous garden displays of the Estate's famous collection of Rhododendrons, and the training band in fine form, all contributed to the success of this event.

Training Band at Lydney Park Estate

Solo Horn Duet

Cornets

Euphonium

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Bandroom Training -

Training Band Tutor Roger Powell

checks progress.

Delighting Others!

On Monday 23^rd February 2009 the audience at the Springs Old People’s complex were treated to a concert featuring Lydney Training Band.

The band played a wide variety of music, with 5 individual solos. A debut solo performance of 'The Grandfather’s Clock' was given by Natasha, who has been playing for less than a year.

Other soloists included Lauren (Mozart’s Aria), Bethan (Moon River), Rory (Speak Softly) and Samantha (Pink Panther). The very popular ‘Summertime’ was played splendidly by the bands’ principal Euphonium David, and the audience sang along to the hymn ‘Eventide’ played by Harry. This was Harry’s first solo with the band, and he played beautifully.

The youngsters in the band enjoyed playing their favourite pieces - ‘Dr Who’ and ‘Mamma Mia’, and were treated to squash and cakes as a 'thank you'

Class of 2009

Lydney Christmas Lights

– The Big Turn ON !!!

Saturday 6^th December 2008

Lydney Training Band took part in the switching on the Christmas lights in Lydney. It was bitterly cold, with everyone shivering in their chairs. The band played festive music such as Joy To The World. This helped to warm everybody up to get themselves in the mood for the Christmas season.

Father Christmas arrived on a big, red fire engine with its lights flashing as the band played the Jingle Bells, which is most peoples favourite in relation to Santa Claus. We even had some bells to help the tune along.

There was a large crowd around Father Christmas as he walked into the Town Hall, while waving at the children as he went by.

The Band continued to play carols such as Away In A Manger, The First Nowell, Holly And The Ivy and Once In Royal David’s’ City. It was a wonderful evening and started the Christmas spirit for many people in Lydney.

The Band has already been asked to play again next year, which will be added to the engagements for 2009.

Written by Timothy Ford (aged 10)

................no backstage nerves here!

Lydney Hospital 90^th year - Celebration Concert

Sunday 16^th November 2008

Lydney Town Hall was the venue for a concert celebrating Lydney Community Hospital’s 90th year. The Training Band was on stage performing along with other local artists.

The “sell out” hall was treated to a superb evening of entertainment - Dave Harvey, poet and comedian, The Dean Singers, singer Emma Burn and the Lydney Training Band, and Mr Melville Watts OBE, performed a comedy cameo in the old music-hall style.

There was a great relaxed atmosphere to this free concert held by the Friends of Lydney Hospital as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to all those who have helped raise funds for the local hospital.

28 band members were on stage and proved very popular with the crowd who were amazed at the standard the reached.

Several behind-the-scene pictures can be seen (above).

Samantha Ford, one of the Training Band representatives (aged 12), says, “we all enjoyed the excitement of going on stage and watching the other acts, and the band played well with David Crowe's solo - ‘Summer Time’ and myself playing ‘Après un Rêve,'"

Adding to the occasion – (some people may disagree!!) – were jokes by Kevin between each piece the Band played. They brought groans of laughter throughout the performance. Some were actually funny!

Lydney Training Band at Lydney Hospital Fete 2008

Written by Samantha Ford – Age 12

Training Band Representative.

On a hot, sunny and blustery afternoon of Saturday 19^thJuly, the Lydney Training Band sat down, ready to play, at the Lydney Hospital Fete. We played a number of well-known tunes and also some challenging ones too. ‘Slaidburn’ and ‘Hine e Hine’ were pieces that were thrown in at the last minute that the conductor, Kevin Ford, had so cunningly brought along. This was sight-reading for the whole band but we held the quality of the tunes right to the very end – well done!

The crowd was numerous, supporting the worthwhile cause of Lydney Hospital and, at its peak, the band had a very large audience. The conductor even had the audience clapping and bobbing up and down in time with the music. In the short break we were able to go off and buy sweets, candyfloss and squash from the stalls. But we soon had to come back and play yet again in the second half, which by then we were all quite hot and sticky!

It was a very successful band job for the Training Band but our efforts were not going unearned. We all got a chocolate ice cream each…yummy!

Winners - FOD Solo Contest

Competition Results:-

At the Forest of Dean Solo and Quartet Contest held on Sunday 6^th July 2008, David Crowe(10), received 3^rd prize in the 'Slow Melody for under 11’s' Section - an excellent result in an entry of 29 competitors.

Others competing in this section were Rory Gordon (9) and Ciaran Barcoe (10), achieving a joint 7^th place, and Bethan Rees (10), 9^th place respectively.

Samantha Ford (12) performed in the 12-14 year old Section, and was placed 6^th out of 20 competitors.

In the 'Duets Section' - Samantha played in the adult/child class along with Mum Kerry, and were awarded with first place, 2 points clear of their nearest rivals. Timothy Ford also took part playing with Kevin, his Dad, and receiving a big smile from the adjudicator, Brett Baker, and tears from his Nanny – amazing how music affects people in different ways!

The 'Youth Duet' Section resulted in Lauren Brain (her first contest) and David Crowe being awarded a Special Prize for the most promising Junior Player(s) under 15 years of age.

In the Youth Quartet Section, the Training Band was represented by Rory, Ciaran, Samantha and David. This was their first performance as a quartet, and was highly rated, achieving 5^th place. Their average age of only 10 years in a section for 16 years and under, demonstrates significant ability by all four young players, as well as the musicianship required to perform together as a team. ____________________________________________________________

28th APRIL 2008 - Delighting others!

The concert held at The Springs Residential homes Community Centre, evidently delighted the audience with a mixture of old and new melodies.

Concert at The Springs Centre

Some pieces of music were new to the ensemble. The horn feature ‘Aura Lee’ was performed by brother and sister duet Samantha and Timothy Ford and euphonium solo ‘Summertime’ was played by David Crowe. This had been specially arranged by Sarah Crowe and went down very well with the audience.

Other soloists included Rory Gordon, who played Daisy Bell, and also Bethan Rees who played Trombone. Well done to everyone who played!.

The Lydney Training Band will be performing at many local events over the Summer months, so keep an eye out for them.

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Youth Celebration Concert - held Saturday 15th March 2008

Youth Celebration Concert

The Town Hall was full, and the audience was treated to a variety of entertainment from three youth groups in a showcase of talent hosted by The Lydney Training Band.

Severnbanks Primary School ‘Cygnets’ dance group wowed the audience with their brightly coloured costumes and enthusiastic dance moves. Their ‘Freestylers’ debut performance received rapturous applause for a ‘Rock this Party’ street-dance set.

Next up, Lydney C of E Primary School Choir sang 'angelically', in a programme that included ‘With a little help from my friends’, and sing-a-long audience numbers.

Finally, the Lydney Training Band provided foot-tapping pieces, including 'Cool Cat Blues' and 'Looney Tunes'. Rory Gordon played ‘Daisy Bell’ (cornet solo), and Samantha Ford was joined by one of the tutors for a Horn Duet.

The Lydney Training Band would like to thank their sponsors for the evening:-

Malcolm J White (Independent Estate Agent & Financial Advisers),

A & P Engineering Services Ltd,

and also, Band Vice-President Mr Melville Watts OBE.

The success was such, that it is likely to be organised as an annual event.

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Awards Concert – Saturday 9^th February 2008

At this enjoyable concert, parents and supporters were treated to band items, as well as solos and duets from individual members

Awards Concert

The concert opened with ‘Peppermint Tango’, followed by Rory Gordon (8) playing ‘Daisy Bell’, a cornet solo, as his debut solo performance. Then another debut was performed by Bethan Rees (trombone), who has only been learning 9 months! - ‘Grandfather’s Clock’, and Samantha Ford was joined by her mum, Kerry (band tutor), in a tenor horn duet.

(photo Des Yeates)

‘Shaker Song’, ‘When the Saints’, ‘Match of the Day’ and finally, 'Looney Tunes', in an arrangement by Sarah Crowe had the the audience joining in the fun.

Following the performance, annual awards were presented. Conductor Kevin Ford said that all the children had done exceptionally well during the year.

Award Winners

The 2007 prize winners:-

Most promising girl – Bethan Rees (Medal)

Most promising boy – Rory Gordon (Medal)

Most improved girl – Felicia Hebbes (Challenge Cup)

Most improved boy – Timothy Ford (Adrian Ruck Memorial Cup)

Musician of the Year – Lauren Brain (Brian White Memorial Cup)

The ‘Conductors Cup’, awarded in recognition of special achievements, was presented to Stuart Wye.

External Board Grade certificates were presented to:

Matilda Hebbes (age 12) – Grade 1 Cornet (Merit)

Lauren Brain (age 9) – Grade 1 Cornet (Distinction)

Rory Gordon (age 8) – Grade 1 Cornet (Distinction)

After the ceremony, everybody enjoyed a buffet social evening which included a skittles competition. ____________________________________________________________________

If you are already learning an a brass instrument at school, or perhaps always fancied having a blow and would just like to try one out for the first time - the Lydney Training Band is the place to come!

Tutors Roger & Ken Powell, have over a long number of years devoted their time and energies to encourage youngsters to develop musical talent in the exhilarating world of brass.

Kerry Ford BMus.,IPD (Qualified Music Teacher), is now a regular tutor offering progression through the recognised Associated Music Board Grades of proficiency exam standards.

Come along and join in! -