News Archive - Spring Term 2007
 

SHOWBAND’S TRIUMPHANT RETURN FROM NEW YORK

Members of the Abraham Darby Showband (sponsored by Newport Chiropractic), Madeley, Telford returned home at the weekend following a highly successful trip to New York which saw them participate at the New York International Wind Band Festival, which saw them perform in the Isaac Stern Auditorium in the Carnegie Hall.

The Showband was the only non-American School band who had been invited to attend the Festival and their performance resulted in a standing ovation from the packed audience. The Showband played Persis by James Hosay and Impressions of Japan composed by James Barnes. This performance resulted in a Gold Award from the adjudicators who had individually given 91, 92 and 99 out of 100 – with the average mark of 94 transpiring to be one of the highest average marks that had ever been awarded at the Festival. In fact the individual mark of 99 given by the Chairman of the Panel was noted to be the highest individual mark that had ever been recorded in the history of the Festival. Following the Band’s return to their hotel and base in New York, the Band’s Musical Director Simon Platford announced to the Band and supporters in the foyer that the band’s excellent performance had resulted in an invitation for the Band to participate in the Australian International Music Festival, held in the Sydney Opera House in two year’s time.

Earlier in the week the Showband performed in the Bandshell in Central Park, which saw them play to a large audience during which they played the famous American march Stars and Stripes Forever, Gypsy and Riverdance, Elgar’s Enigma Variations and a selection of music from the film score of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Simon Platford, said “that he was extremely delighted with the performance in the Carnegie Hall and that he was pleased that the capacity audience all stood in unison to give the Showband a prolonged standing ovation at the conclusion of their performance. He further remarked that this performance was a pinnacle in not only his personal musical career but also the Showband members and represented a well earned reception for the long hours of dedication and hard work that had been invested by all past and present band members. I was also delighted by the large number of parents and supporters who made their way over to New York in order to support the Showband so well. I am also grateful for the unstinting fundraising work of the Supporters of Music at Abraham Darby School (SMADS) who had worked so hard in order to raise an amount approaching £40,000 which enabled the Showband’s participation at this Festival”.  

Please click on the link below to access the news report from 4barsrest.com.

http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?offset=25&id=5366

Please click on the link below to access the news report from the Telford Journal

http://www.telfordjournal.com/news/publish/article_16404.php

If you wish to view the Web Album of the Showband's trip to New York - please click the link below
New York Web Album
 

Senior Brass Band Blackpool

The Senior Brass Band (sponsored by Dalvie Storage Systems) has been mentioned in the British Bandsman Magazine (dated 16th February 2007) review of the Youth Entertainment Championship held last Sunday - I have reproduced the comment below:

"...Other notable performances came from Abraham Darby and, especially, its soprano cornet soloist (name with held), who performed On With the Motley with a style and sound that many of the country's top soprano players would admire".

A retrospective of the band's performance from 4barsrest.com is also now available - reproduced below is the individual comment from the writer of the article - you can also see the whole article by clicking on the hyper link that follows at the end of the extract

Abraham Darby Youth started with a rendition of James Curnow's ‘Ceremonial Fanfare' which had some tight playing from all sections, but a few too many splits to achieve the desired effect. ‘Bandology' also had some moments of unease, but the playing here was of a much higher standard, and featured some excellent dynamic work from the band. The band's soprano player then stepped up to play the popular ‘On With The Motley', and what a performance it was. The young lady in question can consider herself extremely unlucky not to have won both the Best Soprano and Outstanding Soloist awards on the day, as not many soprano cornetists in the UK championship section could have given a performance of such maturity and style, coupled with a sound that simply lifted above the band. If she continues playing to this standard and improving, this soprano player will be one of the best in the UK in the future.

‘Tiger Rag' and Elvis' ‘An American Trilogy' were the final two items in the band's programme, and both were played with that extra touch of entertainment features where needed. A good band who produced a solid performance, but one which lacked that little bit of sparkle to push it into the top six, eighth place being their reward on the day.

Click on the link below to read the whole article

http://www.4barsrest.com/articles/2007/art671.asp

       

Senior Brass Band in Action at Blackpool

The Senior Brass Band (sponsored by Dalvie Storage Systems) returned late on Sunday evening following their long trip up to Blackpool where they participated for the sixth consecutive year in the Action Medical Research Youth Entertainment Contest of Great Britain, which saw them perform in the famous Empress Ballroom in the Wintergardens. The Band were placed in eighth position overall with a total points return of 257 (Music 186 and Entertainment 71). Rochdale Youth (total points of 289) won the contest for the third consecutive year.

Please click on the link below to access the news report from 4barsrest.com.

http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?id=5011

Shropshire Stars - Letters Page

Wonderful Concert at Theatre

Another letter has been published in the Shropshire Star - Friday 9th February in connection with the Sellers Concert that was held on Saturday 20th January, the event was also the Inaugural Concert that launched the year long celebrations of the 250th Anniversary of the famous civil engineer, Thomas Telford. The letter is reproduced below:

"I just wanted to say what a wonderful concert was held on January 20th at the Abraham Darby School to mark the beginning of this year's celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Telford.

It was a tremendous evening and I enjoyed every minute of the performances. The Selwyn Theatre was packed with a most appreciative audience.

The young people in the Abraham Darby School Showband, conducted by Simon Platford, were excellent and the Sellers International Band from Huddersfield, conducted by Phillip McCann, is definitely one of the very best in the country.

Congratulations to every-one involved in this most memorable occasion"

Tom Biggins, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Telford

TELFORD BAND PREPARES FOR ACTION

Members of the Senior Brass Band (sponsored by Dalvie Storage Systems) at the Abraham Darby Specialist School for the Performing Arts, Madeley, Telford are busy getting ready for action to compete in this year’s Action Research Youth Brass Band Championships to be held on Sunday 11th February at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. The event is organised by the Northern Regional Committee of Action Research with the competing bands and the event itself raising money towards the work of the charity with the event last year raising over £100,000 towards this charity.

This will be the sixth year running that the brass band has been invited to enter the festival and members are hoping that this year they will return from this year’s event with more prizes. The Festival not only judges on playing ability but also on entertainment value. The standard is high as the section includes open youth bands from counties and areas and is not just restricted to single school bands and as a result of the growing reputation of the school is the only single school band that is competing this year.

At this year’s event the Band will be under the direction of Simon Platford, the School’s Director of Performing Arts who said that “the standard at the Festival is extremely high with the inclusion of youth and area and county bands from around the country. The band is extremely honoured and privileged to be invited to attend this event for the sixth consecutive year. It reflects the growing national reputation and continued success of the band that has occurred over many years and the hard work of the musicians and support given by staff and parents.”

To view an electronic version of the press release on 4Barsrest.com letter please click on the link that appears below:

http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?id=4955

A general news article has now appeared on 4Barest.com please click on the link that appears below:

http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?id=4999
 

Paying Tribute to Thomas Telford

Tickets have gone on sale for the first event to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of the pioneering and brilliant civil engineer Thomas Telford – the man after whom Telford is named.

The first event to be held this year will be a concert at the Abraham Darby School in Madeley, Telford on January 20.

The award winning Sellers International Band will be led by their musical director Phillip McCann, in a joint concert with the showband and the jazz band from the specialist school for the performing arts.

The Supporters of Music at Abraham Darby School have organised the concert, which will be held in the Selwyn Theatre from 7.30pm and tickets are priced at £8 and £6.

To book tickets contact the school on (01952) 386000 or the Supporters of Music at Abraham Darby School on 07798 843458.

Lord Bruce Grocott of Telford will be at the concert with Councillor Malcolm Smith, Mayor of Telford & Wrekin and leader of the council Councillor Keith Austin.

Michael Darby, the great, great, great, great grandson of Abraham Darby, has also been invited.

The event is the first in a series across Telford and Shropshire to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Telford’s birth.

On May 12, there will be a Telford & Shropshire Study Tour arranged by the West Midlands branch of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Later on in May, the council and their partners will be taking part in the RHS Chelsea Flower Show with a show garden themed around Telford’s Tollhouse garden.

Following the show the garden will be returned to Telford for residents and visitors to enjoy.

A Thomas Telford lecture will be given by David de Haan, deputy director of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust at St Michael’s Church, Madeley on July 21 and a Thomas Telford themed civic service will be held at St Michael’s Church, Madeley on July 22.

A commemorative plaque will be unveiled at Montford Bridge, near Shrewsbury, in August and a series of Telford walks are being organised by Wrekin Local Studies Forum during summer.

A Thomas Telford - Colossus of Roads exhibition will be staged at the Coalbrookdale Gallery from May to September and a conference and study day is to be held at Jubilee House, High St, Madeley on September 8.

Telford was the first county surveyor for Shropshire and his career as a civil engineer created a legacy of roads, canals, aqueducts, bridges and churches across the UK.

The borough council’s arts team are planning a summer of festivals and will be researching Telford’s life to create a learning resource about him and the Industrial Revolution including a Thomas Telford trail CD rom.

For details of the events planned, contact Richard Bifield on (01952) 384191.

In an introduction to a recent book on Thomas Telford, the former supremo at Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Neil Cossons, latterly chairman of English Heritage, described Telford as one of the giants of his age who helped define the 19th century as the heroic age of engineering.

The first president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Telford more than any other established engineering as a profession.

A stonemason, he secured a foreman’s job at Portsmouth dockyard and in 1787 moved to Shrewsbury where rebuilding Shrewsbury castle became his first task.

He improved Shrewsbury Jail and was responsible for churches at Madeley, Malinslee and Bridgnorth. His first bridge work was at Montford and after floods of 1795 he replaced bridges at Bewdley and Bridgnorth.

To view an electronic version of the letter please click on the link that appears below:

http://www.telfordjournal.com/news/publish/article_15293.php
 

Shropshire Star Letters Page Hit Again!!

The School's Showband has appeared in the Letters Column of the Shropshire Star. This letter was written by Simon Platford to thank all the people within Telford who contributed to the Band's funds during the Festive Period. Overall the sum of over £6000 was raised primarily going to the Showband's forthcoming trip in March where the band will participate in the New York Wind Band Festival which will culminate in a concert performance on the stage of the world famous Carnegie Hall. The text of the letter appears below.

Backing of the Public just great