GRIMETHORPE LATEST NEWS
Poole & Dartford
Grimethorpe returned back from another weekend of music making on Saturday night.
The band travelled to Poole, Dorset on Saturday and played to an extremely appreciative audience. Sunday saw us travel up to Dartford for a matinee concert to a full house - as is always the case at the Orchard Theatre.
Highlights of the weekend were all the soloists - Roger Webster, James Fountain, Michael Dodd, Andy Holmes, Chris Gomersall and Andy Bannister. A special mention also to the Euphonium and Baritone section as they gave two outstanding renditions of Ave Verum.
Next up for us is the Yorkshire Regional Championships at St. Georges Hall, Bradford.
Anybody who is interested in coming to support us can find out about tickets here:
http://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/event/brass-band-championships-2012
Grimey lads record for Zingzillas!
A few of Grimethorpe travelled to the newly built 'Media City' at Salford Quays today to film for the CBBC show 'Zingzillas'
Gareth Crane, Andy Bannister, Jim Fletcher, Andy Holmes, Jamie Cooper, Shaun Crowther, Michael Dodd, Murray Borthwick, Gaz Beckwith, Chris Gomersall and Sandy Smith recorded the show to be broadcast in the next few months.
Falling in the half term break, some of the lad's children were given the opportunity to go along with their Dads to the studios to meet some of their favourite TV stars.
Thank you to all who helped to arrange this at the BBC and we look forward to seeing the show later in 2012.
A trip to Liverpool with the TV cameras!
Grimey took to the stage in New Brighton on Sunday night to a healthy audience of around 500 people.
Under the direction of Sandy Smith the band carried on its 2012 UK tour with more hits from Brassed Off and other concert items. Highlights included Roger Webster, Andy Bannister, Michael Dodd and Andy Holmes for their solo contributions and the blockbuster finisher '1712 Overture'.
Next weekend sees the band travel to Poole and Dartford which will move the band's milage counter for 2012 well over 2000 miles travelling to and from gigs - and it isn't even March yet!
The band are also being followed by a camera crew at the moment. SKY TV have sent a team to document just what life is like on the road with Grimethorpe. The cameras followed the lads on the bus, setting up, during and after the Wallasey gig and also interviewed many of the audience both at half and full time. The crew are with the band up until the Yorkshire Area Championships in March and the programme will be broadcast later on in 2012.
For ticket information regarding the Poole and Dartford concerts please follow the links below:
POOLE:
http://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/page/144/299/1165
DARTFORD:
Hope to see some of our friends and fans there!
Grimey entertain in Torquay & Woking
Grimethorpe returned from their weekend away in Torquay and Woking last night.
With fears of heavy snow ruining the weekend, the weather just about held off enough south of London to enable both concerts to go ahead as planned.
Conducted by Sandy Smith the band played a mixed programme of traditional band music, orchestral arrangements and of course all of the best music from Brassed Off!
Highlights of the weekend were undoubtedly Philippe Scwhartz who stepped in on Solo Euphonium for Michael Dodd, playing the Peter Graham solo 'Bravura'. Other highlights included James Fountain playing 'My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose' and of course the blockbuster finisher '1712 Overture' arranged by Sandy Smith for the band.
Next weekend we are in Liverpool on Sunday evening at the Floral Pavillion in New Brighton. Ticket information is available here:
Thank you to everybody who came to see us this weekend. We hope that you enjoyed the two shows and look forward to seeing you in the future!
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Follow Grimethorpe on Twitter & Facebook
Don't forget that you can also follow the movements of the band via Facebook and Twitter.
Links to our two pages can be found in the top right hand corner of our homepage, or alternatively follow these links:
https://www.facebook.com/GrimethorpeBand
https://twitter.com/#!/GrimethorpeBand
Tickets for Torquay & Woking
Tickets for this weekends Concerts in Torquay and Woking are still available online.
For Torquay follow:
http://www.atgtickets.com/Grimethorpe-Colliery-Band-Tickets/246/1022/
For Woking follow:
http://www.atgtickets.com/Grimethorpe-Colliery-Band-Tickets/54/465/
Hope to see you there!
Darlington & Scarborough
Two great concerts done in Darlington & Scarborough last weekend.
Thanks to Paul Duffy of the Black Dyke Band for stepping in on Soprano Cornet for the two jobs.
Highlights of the two concerts were the ever present Michael Dodd playing Napoli, Roger Webster playing his new solo, Chris Gomersall playing Feelings and Andy Holmes with Feels So Good.
Next weekend sees the band travel to Torquay and Woking and we look forward to seeing some of our friends and fans there!
Kevin Crockford leaves Grimethorpe
Grimethorpe Colliery Band has announced that star soprano player Kevin Crockford has left the band.
Contribution
A spokesperson said: "We can confirm Kevin’s departure with immediate effect. We thank him for his excellent contribution to the band’s many successes over the past seven years and wish him the very best for the future. No decision has yet been made as to a replacement, but an announcement will hopefully be made in the near future."
Given so much
Kevin confirmed the news. "Unfortunately, I couldn’t continue playing with the band. Sometimes these things do happen, but having given so much to Grimethorpe over the past seven years or more I am sad to leave."
During the past year Kevin missed just one concert out of an incredible 63 given by the band, and leaves with many happy memories.
Highlights
"The tour to Australia, the back to back National wins, the Proms performance in 2008 and the English National victories are some of the incredible highlights I enjoyed with Grimethorpe in my second stay with the band – so you can see why it was such a hard decision. I wish them all the best – they are an incredible band to play for."
Kevin has no intention of hanging up his soprano though – and he revealed that his phone has been busier than ever since the news leaked out.
Wanted man
A performer who has an incredible 8 National, 5 British Open, 4 European, 2 English National, a brace of Brass in Concert titles and countless other contests wins to his name, is a wanted man.
"I’ve already had some very interesting offers – and I want to carry on playing at the very highest level. I’ve been blessed to enjoy such a playing career over the past 35 years. I’m still very ambitious, so I think I can squeeze in a few more years at the top."
Roger Webster returns to Grimethorpe
Grimethorpe Colliery Band have announced that they have re-signed Dr Roger Webster in a bid to regain the form and contest success enjoyed in their recent past.
Innovative
The band management, along with James Fountain, who has been principal cornet since May 2011 and Roger Webster, have discussed the situation and have jointly taken the innovative initiative of retaining James as co-principal.
Commenting on the situation, Nigel Dixon, Grimethorpe's Band Manager said: "With James starting music college this year, coupled with the commitments of a busy band such as Grimethorpe, this new role with slightly less pressure under the guidance of Roger will enable him to develop further."
Nurture
Roger was fulsome in his praise for James as the band looks to the future.
"James is probably the most exciting signing Grimethorpe has made for a long time, and it is important to protect and nurture such a young talent," he told 4BR.
"He will have a busy schedule at college in his first couple of terms, so will need time to settle in. Bands like Grimethorpe can be quite brutal at times, but this way, he will have all the space he needs to grow and mature."
Watch this space
Roger added: "All I can say is watch this space. The new management at Grimethorpe have had a long hard look at the band’s history and realise that while some traditions are worthy of preserving, other traditions are yet to be made - this being one."
A spokesperson added that Roger Webster's departure from the band a few years ago was well documented, but now with a new management team in place, the band’s future looks both healthy and interesting.
Gareth Crane wins 'Bandsman of the Year' Accolade
The coveted Grimethorpe 'Bandsman of the Year' award was presented in our last concert of 2010 to 2nd Cornet, Press Manager and Public Relations Officer, Gareth Crane.
The award is given to someone in Grimethorpe who has given outstanding service to the band in the last year both as a musician and member of the organisation.
Gareth has taken his new roles as Press Manager and Public Relations Officer all in his stride and has already strengthened links with the wider Brass Band community in the UK and abroad.
He religiously travells the 150 mile 'round-trip' from his house in Leyland, Lancashire, often stopping at various points along the way to pick some of the other lads up.
Speaking shortly after the award was given out, Gareth added: "I'm still in shock that a Lancashire lad has been awarded this in a Yorkshire organisation! I would like to thank the lads for all voting for me - they are a great set of lads and i'm looking forward to another busy year ahead with the band"