"WORLD OF BRASS"

Articles from Band Members and issues of current interest

"Made it at Last!"

by

Roger Grose
(Website Manager)

I joined St Ives Town Band in Cornwall at the age of nine after spending some time learning the cornet. Not many of my contemporaries owned their own instruments, but mine was passed on to me by my great uncle who was then in his eighties. It was a proud moment, I recall, as I donned my uniform for the first engagement of a very busy summer – thick serge short trousers, an even thicker red coat and a peaked hat which, most of the time, covered my eyes!

As I recall, it was the Mayor’s procession to church and back. How on earth were you supposed to march AND play as well? Would the music stay still long enough to read it? How would I stop myself from melting under that uniform?

No matter! Several productive and enjoyable years followed with a schedule which included Sunday School tea treats around West Cornwall, carnivals, carolling, Band Weeks, flora dances and twice-weekly concerts on the bandstand over the sea, opposite the amusement arcade on St Ives’ seafront. I even remember the band giving a night-time concert from a boat in the harbour during Band Week!

At the grand old age of 13 I ‘retired’ to focus on learning the piano and organ and though I retained an interest in brass bands in the years that followed, it was not until my son began to learn the tenor horn with the Lyme Regis Band that my enthusiasm was re-awakened. My wife and I became his official chauffeur for lessons and, once he had joined the band proper, for all engagements.

It struck me after a while that as well as chauffeuring, I could also be playing. My casual enquiry about a spare instrument quickly resulted in being given a baritone to learn. It soon felt great to be back in the brass band world.

I was now only a few seats away from my secret ambition. All those years ago, I had watched and listened with awe and wonder at the skilled euphonium player opposite. What beautiful sounds came from that instrument – melodies, counter-melodies, marches and Mozart. How I would love to make sounds like that......

It was a full half-century later when one day our MD asked me how I would feel if I was moved from baritone to euphonium. The answer - like a Google search - took nanoseconds!

Do you have any banding memories or ambitions unfulfilled?

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