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City of Bristol Brass Band, with our Learner Band, and conducted by Ian Holmes, gave the world premiere performance of Laura Shipsey's Of Far Flung Skies at St George's, Bristol in October, 2021. This is Laura's first composition for brass band and we all thoroughly enjoyed the journey from its inception to the final performance. The piece is due to be broadcast on BBC Radio 3, on Wednesday, 19th January. Our recording will be broadcast after the Radio 3 in Concert programme, in which the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and conductor Kazuki Yamada are joined by soprano Fatma Said for a concert of music by Mozart, Mahler and Strauss.
We very much hope that you enjoy listening to this piece as much as we enjoyed performing and recording it.
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City of Bristol Brass Band are deeply saddened to announce the death of our long-serving Secretary and Flugel player Pete Boyles. Pete slipped away peacefully yesterday with his wife Margaret by his side after losing his fight with bone marrow cancer.
4BarsRest Article here:
https://www.4barsrest.com/news/42086/death-of-peter-boyles Who better to bring smiles during this difficult time than our favourite pals, Wallace & Gromit? Over the past few weeks there have been some animated goings on in the homes of our band members. If you live in the city you may have heard some strange noises as the band created something shiny and new, something never before done my its members and the end result was an invention that worked! "Hang in there Gromit, everything's under control!" Don't worry, Wallace and Gromit were there to lend a hand as each band member practised their part ready to give the performance of their lives... from their living room, kitchen or conservatory! They each recorded their part to create our very own version of the Wallace and Gromit Theme Tune. "Oh, brilliant team work lads!" In collaboration with The Grand Appeal we released the iconic theme tune on social media and, with support from BBC Radio Bristol (skip to 52 minutes in) and Bristol TV, we hope it will bring a smile to the faces of the children and their families who are being looked after by the hospital through these difficult times as well as helping to raise much needed funding through the charity. So, put the kettle on Gromit, let's have a nice cup of tea, sit back and enjoy ... Please be as generous as you can; if you are in a position to do so, donate now using the link below. Thank you.  We are thrilled that the City of Bristol Brass Band has been chosen to participate in Making Music's "Adopt A Composer" scheme for 2019-2020, and welcome Laura Shipsey as our Composer-in-Residence for the year. Since 1935, Making Music has supported and championed leisure-time music groups across the UK with practical services, artistic development opportunities and by providing a collective voice for its members. Representing over 3,600 groups of around 200,000 musicians of all types, genres and abilities, Making Music helps them with the practicalities of running their group so they can get on with making music. The Adopt A Composer project brings together music groups and composers to collaborate on creating a brand new piece of music. The project pairs leisure-time music groups with a composer for a year, culminating in a premiere performance, a recording and a possible radio broadcast. The composer has the opportunity to get to know a performing group and write a piece especially for them, while the group has the chance to contribute to the creation of a new work by some of the UK's most promising composers. Visit Making Music to find out more.  Laura Shipsey's music draws on ideas of movement, line, and juxtaposition. Originally a violinist, she first studied composition at Durham University with Eric Egan and Sam Hayden and later completed her masters with distinction under the supervision of Arlene Sierra at Cardiff University. Laura is currently a Britten Pears Young Artist and a featured composer of the Illuminate Concert Series. Recent projects include orchestral pieces Samara (for Aldworth Philharmonic) and Hatch (for Cambridge Heidelberg Montpellier Youth Orchestra), Juggernaut Island (for the Ligeti Quartet), and Speak, Rose (a mezzo soprano solo for NewCELF, Cardiff).
www.laurashipsey.com City of Bristol Brass Band will be working with Laura during the 2019-2020 season, and we look forward to premiering her new work on Saturday June 27th at Bristol’s prestigious concert hall, St Georges, just off Park Street. Adopt A Composer is run by Making Music in partnership with Sound and Music, and is funded by the PRS Foundation and the Philip & Dorothy Green Music Trust. https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/news/adopt-composer-adventure-begins The City of Bristol Brass Band were sad to learn that M.D. Ian Holmes, a popular conductor from the west country, was taken ill last week and will be unable to conduct them at the Area contest in Torquay. The band has kept in close contact with Ian and send him very best wishes for a speedy recovery. Bryn James came to the rescue taking the band to the Oxfordshire and District Brass Band Association contest on 23rd February, at just 48 hours notice, achieving a creditable 3rd place on only one rehearsal.
John Henry Iles, Bristol-born entrepreneur honoured in style City of Bristol Brass Band performed at the unveiling of a blue plaque to commemorate John Henry Iles. Lord Mayor Councillor Lesley Alexander did the honours at a ceremony in St Andrews Park  John Henry Iles was born in Bristol and the band played at the ceremony outside his matrimonial home on Sunday 29th April. A colourful and diverse entrepreneur, Iles was one time owner of the British Bandsman newspaper, R Smith & Co music publishers and the founder of the National Brass Band Championships. He was also highly successful in the Amusement Park business and became owner of Belle Vue, Manchester and also the British Open Brass Band Championships. It was whilst in Manchester that he fell in love with the sound of a brass band commenting "It is not too much to say that I was positively astounded... I came away from that contest a completely converted enthusiast for their cause". As a result he organised a massed band concert of 10 bands, conducted by Sir Arthur Sullivan, at the Royal Albert Hall in 1900 for veterans of the Boer War. These massed band concerts were to become a much-loved post contest feature of the National Brass Band Championships, which he instigated at Crystal Palace and then moved to the Royal Albert Hall.  Iles had promoted a world tour by the famous old band, Besses o' th' Barn, from Manchester and while with them at Coney Island, New York he bought the UK rights to a dream train which he had built at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. He went on to purchase a small pleasure garden in Margate in which he invested significant sums of money to make Dreamland which has just recently taken on a new lease of life after a successful council - community partnership. The amusement park empire was extensive including many in the UK and also Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Cairo and St Petersburg.
The ceremony, which was facilitated by the Worshipful Company of Musicians (who award the Iles Medal for services to brass bands), was attended by his grandson and great granddaughter as well as members of Bristol Civic Society who designed the plaque and arranged the installation.
A Blue Plaque in John Henry's memory is being installed in BristolThe City of Bristol Brass Band are to perform at the unveiling of a blue plaque in honour of one of the most significant figures in brass band history. John Henry Iles was born in Bristol and the band will be playing at the ceremony outside his matrimonial home on Sunday 29th April. A colourful and diverse entrepreneur, Iles was one time owner of the British Bandsman, R. Smith & Co. and the founder of the National Brass Band Championships. He was also highly successful in the Amusement Park business and became owner of Belle Vue Gardens and Zoo, Manchester and also the British Open Brass Band Championships.
The event takes place on Sun, 29th April at 3pm in St Andrews Park, Sommerville Road, Bishopston. More information about John Henry Iles can be found here: http://www.wcomarchive.org.uk/--jh-iles Jacket Amnesty
Please get in touch through the contact page on this website
or through either of the various social media sites. B flat Bass required!
07495 292667Please be aware that there is a new phone number, should you wish to contact the band for any reason. Please call Pete on 07495 292667.
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