A Retrospective view of 2003

It doesn’t seem a year since I was writing 2002's retrospective, but here we are, and its been another bumper year with tours, recordings and one or two high profile concerts.

In 2003 the band has had a very light year on the contesting ground, starting with a disappointing fifth place conducted by James Gourlay at the Yorkshire Areas held in Bradford and therefore not qualifying for the National finals at the Royal Albert Hall. It was announced that last years Mineworkers competition at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool was to be the last one so no contest this year. Also Grimethorpe would not be competing at the British Open due to carrying out a prestigious concert at the BBC’s Proms in the Park in London. So the bands second competition of the year was in November at the Brass In Concert Championship held at Spennymoor Leisure Centre. Although the band didn’t pick up any additional awards, as in the previous year, where it was a near clean sweep, the band did in fact become the Spennymoor Brass in Concert champions for the third successive year completing its hat trick. Yet again this was helped on its way in no small part by Sandy Smith with his superb arranging skills to present five brand new arrangements of the bands seven pieces performed.

There have only been a couple of player changes this year with Mark Frost taking on the Bass Trombone seat from Toby Bannan who moved to YBS and Jeff Lewis filling the Solo Baritone position after Robert Archer resigned his seat after 29 very successful years. Martin Grimes joined the band to fill the second cornet seat, which had been vacant for some time. Finally Garry Cutt resigned his position as the bands resident conductor which he had held for some eleven years, finishing his tenure with the success at Spennymoor Brass In Concert. His final engagement was at the bands own promoted concert at Sheffield City Hall where a presentation was made in recognition of his long service with the band.

The band were off Globe Trotting again, spreading the Gospel of Brass Bands and the Name of Grimethorpe to our international friends. This started with a two week tour to America, carrying out two concerts for the North American Brass Band Association in Little Rock, Arkansas and culminating in a superb concert in the magnificent Carnegie Hall in New York. The band were only back home a couple of months before they were jetting off again for a short break in Sweden to perform the final night Gala Concert at the Svensk Blasmusikfestival.

Grimethorpe have expanded the CD collections of many a fan with 3 superb new recordings this year. Starting with “Promenade – Music for a Royal Jubilee” conducted by Elgar Howarth and including his excellent arrangements of tunes used as part of the Queens Golden Jubilee celebrations in London. Next came the third recording carried out by BMG entitled “British Brass” after the successful recordings “Classic Brass” and “Movie Brass”, yet again conducted by Garry Cutt including very British tunes from around our fair nation. Finally a massive project to record the “History of Brass Music”, Elgar Howarth conducted the first in a series of six CD’s to be released over the next two years. This is an exciting project for the band in documenting historical music from composers and arrangers that have influenced the banding movement over the last one hundred and fifty years.

Yet again the band have travelled the length and breath of the UK to perform to tens of thousands of people that come to be entertained from as far a field as Glenrothes in Scotland to Plymouth on the South Coast. As well as our regular haunts, the band have gained more regular concerts, namely Selby Abbey, early in the year and Thurrock Civic Hall in Grays as well as another massive audience for our own promoted concert in the City Hall at Sheffield.

Two very prestigious concerts came the bands way this year. In September the band performed as part of the pre-show to BBC’s Proms in the Park in Hyde Park in London to forty thousand people.

In November Grimethorpe took part in the Lord Mayor’s show in London and then performing in the magnificent acoustic of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Yet again the band would like to thank you the audience for making our concerts so special and for its continued support in enabling the band to travel the world and do what it does best --- Entertain.

Written by Mark Arnold

This poem was presented to the band by Upton Primary School at a concert the band carried out for them at Minsthorpe High School.

Yorkshire

When you've seen the rain and sun-drenched hills of the Pennines
And the rolling Dales with bubbling stream
When you’ve seen the magnificent construction of the Humber Bridge
Or the dark, derelict mills of a bygone, but ne’er forgotten age
Transformed into modern splendour
Then you’ve a heart as big as
When you’ve seen the magnificent construction of the Humber Bridge
Or the dark, derelict mills of a bygone, but ne’er forgotten age
Transformed into modern splendour
Then you’ve a heart as big as Yorkshire
When you’ve heard the crashing cages of descending miners
The pride, pain and passion of their struggle
And the echoes of the clattering tools on black gold
When you’ve heard the blessed sounds of Grimethorpe Brass
And the triumphful cries of musical and sporting heroes
Then you’ve a heart as big as Yorkshire
When you’ve smelt the white rose or pudding rise
When you’ve felt the joy and celebration of winning
Or the golden sands of Bridlington between your toes
When you’ve felt the sense of belonging
Or the warmth of a friendly Northern welcome
Then you’ve a heart as big as Yorkshire

Upton Primary School Juniors
15 December 2003