Open letter to Welsh brass band colleagues (No.2)

August 23, 2020 / welshtrumpeter / Leave a comment

Dear colleague,

I hope that you and your families are safe and well and are surviving these strange times. Please forgive the long post so you might want to get a coffee and settle down to read!

Owing to the pandemic, brass banding has, like many other activities taken a huge hit due to lock-down and the restrictions on playing brass/wind instruments indoors. It is now coming up to 5 months (March 22) since I tried to arrange a gathering of interested parties to meet in Cardiff, to discuss the formation of a unified Welsh brass band organisation. Sadly lock-down was implemented just before we were able to meet therefore we initiated Plan B and met online through a Zoom Meeting. This was admittedly with limited success owing to technical issues and was met with some scepticism and even derision from certain quarters.

A unified Welsh brass band organisation. Can we turn a dream into reality?

My reason for writing is that since then, absolutely nothing has happened in moving this proposal forward and I don’t think I’m over-egging the pudding by saying that the movement is in a significantly more precarious position, than we were 5 months ago, with the prospects of “normal” banding as we know it a distant dream as things stand. There is also the concern whether players (particularly the younger ones), conductors and officers will return to the fold, having now discovered other activities and interests to occupy their time and attention. Concert/Contest venues may not even be in existence for us to perform anywhere decent in the future and with further public spending cuts highly likely, to cover the huge costs of the pandemic; music in education will be non-existent. We are also approaching the Autumn months, meaning our potential activities will be curtailed even further, further affecting revenue and membership retention/recruitment.

I have been “encouraged” by a few colleagues (some who were a part of that initial meeting in March, as well as some new faces) to once again ask the question whether now is the time for action and get the ball finally rolling, before it gets too late to salvage what is already a serious situation for brass banding in Wales. The meeting on March 22 was the warning call that an “iceberg” was on the horizon and action was required. Covid-19 happened and I believe we have now truly hit that “iceberg” and if we don’t act now, then with no representative body the “ship” WILL eventually sink, with almost all hands on board.

The response following the last meeting was to wait until restrictions and lock-down etc. had ended and then to have a face-to-face meeting to discuss the matter. Great, who’s going to suggest an appropriate central venue in Wales and then jump in the car for a potential minimum 2-3+ hour drive, plus the drive back, plus to agree a convenient date to wipe off their schedule, so that we can discuss things? It was a minor miracle that I got 20+ people to agree to meet initially in Cardiff. Yes Cardiff, not central I grant you and I got it in the neck for that too, but the geographical spread of respondents able to attend meant that it was the BEST place for those to attend.

So, is there anything really wrong, now that people are so much more tech-aware and receptive to Zoom or Teams, that we can’t meet once again, being older and wiser with it all and get things moving finally?

OR DO WE INDEED LOOK AT PREFERRED PLAN A?

PLAN A

Are you truly happy to invest in the future of Welsh banding? To invest your time, money and energy by jumping in the car and driving to Newtown or somewhere similar in order that we can discuss these matters face to face? I believe the Welsh Regional Council met this week (observing social distancing of course); therefore it seems people are prepared to get out and about in the name of Welsh banding! Either way, the choice is yours.

The “encouragers” who have prodded me to write to you have also added that as nobody else has initiated any progress do we need to wait for the approval or blessing of others? Frankly, no we don’t and as long as we can gather a decent sized cross-section of the banding world in Wales to get things started in a democratically and constituted manner, then why not? The detractors will continue to detract, the whingers will whinge and the cynics and critics will be ever cynical and critical. In fact the cynics probably won’t bother turning up because “what’s the point, nobody else will?”!!!! We are no longer a brass band movement as the hand-brake is well and truly up. We need action and fast!

This is a massive undertaking; however change can only be implemented by drawing a line in the sand and making that first step, followed by one more step, followed …… I hope you see where I’m going with this? But, yes it is really as simple as that!

We may well be looking at the long term goals, where a Welsh Brass Band Organisation is able to; organise the 2025 Welsh Youth Brass Band Festival, to provide online resources for member bands covering a geographical area from Ynys Môn to Chepstow to Pembroke Dock, to secure funding streams from Arts Council Wales on behalf of member bands or to send a Welsh Representative to the next European Brass Band Association AGM however, if we have no central organisation with proper governance, these will be just “dreams”.

If there is a majority agreement from you to have another go and make a fist of things, great, then let’s crack on with it. If not, that’s fine too, as I’m not claiming to have all the answers or any magic spell to make things right, however to sit back and suck our thumbs whilst watching the ship go down, in my view is a dereliction of duty to the pastime that we so love. By the way, did anyone ring the coastguard to say we’re sinking? Perhaps we should have a vote as to who rings? No, let’s wait until we can meet face-to-face!

This is not intended to be a “join me or I’ll have a hissy fit, throw my toys out of the pram” letter, but it is to encourage you to do SOMETHING. If I’m not your cup of tea to do something, fine, just find someone who is and who will take that first step in making some progress and I will be happy to pitch in and help them if asked.

Canva - White tablet and cup of coffee (1)

So let’s do something and get things started!

So after all that sabre-rattling, I will close by inviting you to take action and join me and other willing participants for a meaningful and productive discussion:

When: Saturday 12^th of September 2020

Time: 11.00am – 4.00pm

Where: Plas Dolerw

Milford Road,

Newtown,

Powys,

SY16 2EH

Or Online where we hope to live-stream the meeting for those who can’t travel.

Yes, I bit the bullet in an effort to appease everyone and it’s provisionally booked!

The venue can safely accommodate a maximum of 12 people observing social-distancing. “But that’s limiting how many can attend!” I hear the whingers and nay-sayers immediately cry! I’ll counter that with “So what if I book the Royal Albert Hall and only 8 people turn up ….?”

I’d be delighted if we were over-subscribed, but on current track-records, people won’t be queuing round the block!

So if you’re ready, willing and able to commit, please respond ASAP to andrew@andrewjonesmusic.com or call 07973 869621 or easier still, fill in the contact form below.

The clock is ticking! Tick-tock, tick-tock ……..

Picture by geralt

Yours optimistically.

Andrew Jones

An Open Letter to the brass band movement in Wales

January 24, 2020 / welshtrumpeter / 4 Comments

The Blaina Band based near Brynmawr was formed in 1817 and it was claimed to be the first band in Britain to become ‘all brass’. In the intervening 203 years, the brass band movement in Wales has successfully produced some of the movement’s best and most successful players, conductors, ensembles, educators and teachers, composers and arrangers, administrators and commentators.

Welsh banding is firmly on the international contesting map

Ebbw Valley Brass – 2013 National Champions (Section 4)

Names such as; David, Nicholas and Robert Childs, the Cyfarthfa Band, the Cory Band led by Philip Harper, T.J. Powell, Bram Gay and Philip Morris, Iwan Fox and 4barsrest are just a handful of names recognised not only within the Principality, but across the world. These are luminaries who have successfully put Wales on the “musical map”, and through their work have ensured that the movement has grown and flourished.

In 2013 no less than 4 Welsh bands were crowned National Champions of Great Britain in all but the Third Section. This was a truly remarkable achievement for such a small nation; however these successes, along with significant contest successes by Tredegar and the No.1 World-ranked Cory Band before and since, have masked the underlying decline of fortunes for Welsh banding at grass-roots level.

Demise of brass banding in Wales

With the demise of music in education due to austerity and the reduction of funding for the Arts in general, and with music services having to introduce charging for instrumental tuition in schools, the number of young player either joining, or being retained in the movement has reached extremely worrying numbers. More than ever, bands are relying on a small group of (mainly unpaid) volunteers, who are struggling to keep some semblance of a production line going in terms of young players. Bands in all sections are struggling to fill seats, with the pool of players ever-diminishing.

The administration and governance of banding in Wales, has to date lain with the respective BB Associations in West Wales, South East Wales and North Wales, with additional tiers added for the Welsh Regional Contest and the National Eisteddfod. These however, (with isolated exceptions) have almost exclusively existed in order to organise and oversee competitive banding in the Principality, with no clear structure or pathway mapped out to develop and nurture new projects and initiatives to benefit the movement in general.

Lack of a single unified voice to benefit from Arts Council Funding

Thus far, funding for any new projects has always been as a result of the diligence and initiative of hard-working individuals who have secured money from a variety of sources, usually benefiting an individual band, or small cluster of bands. Arts Council Wales have not been receptive to approaches for such funding, as the contesting tag has always been inextricably linked with most of the ideas presented and more importantly, the movement does not have a single unified voice to make those representations in the first place.

One representative body for Welsh banding

Surely the time has now come, before it is too late, to introduce a model similar to the Brass Band England organisation and have one representative body, speaking on behalf of the interests of ALL brass bands in Wales. This organisation would oversee ALL Youth and Senior Bands, ALL Competitive and non-competitive Bands and its primary function would be to nurture and encourage some “joined up thinking” across a wide range of stakeholders, including;

All Bands
Conductors
Arts Bodies and Administrators i.e. Arts Council Wales, the 3 Welsh Brass Band Associations, Tŷ Cerdd
Music Services and Hubs
Schools and Colleges (including Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama)
Peripatetic teachers
Educators
Composers & arrangers
Industry suppliers – i.e. instrument manufacturers, repairers, insurance providers, publishers
Arts and Concert venues
Influencers i.e. 4barsrest, Brass Band World, British Bandsman & others
Arts Festivals
Other Arts organisations e.g. Choirs, Folk Music, Theatre, Dance

These stakeholders could all contribute their knowledge and expertise and assist in the following areas:

Administration – help with running a Band on a day-to-day basis, access to template documentation, running a library, contracts for engagements
Governance – e.g. ensuring bands had a proper Constitution, Safeguarding & GDPR policies in place, advice on DBS checks, returns to the Charities Commission, Health & Safety and Risk Assessments
Funding advice – where to access funding, assistance with completing applications
Finances – accessing the best deals for; insurances (such as Public Liability or instruments), utilities, travel and accommodation
Artistic and Creative Development – Encouraging collaborative work amongst bands, new commissions, workshops
Education – developing new conductors and teachers, sharing good practise, collaborative projects

The new organisation would NOT be involved with;

The organising or promoting of any competitions

Many of these suggestions are not new ideas and this concept has been attempted once before, when Brass Band Forum Wales was launched in 2012. Sadly it did not achieve the traction and impact that was hoped for, however nearly 8 years down the line, the banding movement is in a much more precarious position and things needs to be revisited – and fast!

The need to promote Welsh banding interests

This is also not an attempt to reinvent the wheel and for sure, Brass Bands England fulfils many of the above issues, indeed there is no good reason why Welsh bands shouldn’t be encouraged to join BBE, and make use of many of the resources already available. BBE however doesn’t promote Welsh banding interests specifically. We need an organisation to be run by Welsh banding for Welsh banding.

Until the Welsh banding movement has one unified voice to represent the interests and promote the movement for ALL participants, I fear that the very existence and future of our wonderful movement is in grave jeopardy.

I have no mandate from any banding organisation to initiate or promote this venture, just a deep love and passion for a form of music-making which has given me so many opportunities and experiences over the last 40+ years and sincerely wish to see it flourish and bring the same joy to others for many years to come.

If you agree or have thoughts to add to this letter, please feel free to e-mail me at andrew@andrewjonesmusic.com or call 07973 869621 and together, see if we can formulate a plan of action for the good of Welsh banding.

Returning to your roots and giving something back.

August 6, 2019 / welshtrumpeter / Leave a comment

Going back to your roots, whether it is researching your family tree (as I have recently started doing), visiting your old school or driving past a former home, I always find to be a rather surreal experience. It doesn’t matter whether some or all of the people have long gone, there still remain some sights, sounds and even smells that that can trigger a myriad of deep-seated memories, which have lain dormant for countless number of years, transporting you in an instant back to a bygone age.

My “blast from the past” has been a return to both my spiritual and musical roots. One might argue that they are one and the same, as they are inextricably linked.

I was brought up in the small village of Llangyndeyrn in the Gwendraeth Valley – a very rural part of Carmarthenshire, Wales. So rural in fact, that the last bus into Carmarthen (5 miles away) and any semblance of civilisation, left the village at 5.05pm. Even worse was the last bus back left at 5.45pm, thus curtailing any potential fun and nighttime revelry, before it had even started!

Bearing in mind that the local Primary School only had a total – yes total! of 14 pupils at the time I attended it, one had to be fairly creative as a result, when it came to childhood “recreation” and “entertainment”.

My good luck and salvation was music. Both my parents were extremely musical with my Mum having sung in the London Philharmonic Chorus, under the great maestros such as Beecham, Boult and Barbirolli. Dad meanwhile was a keen singer too, having sung on the Eisteddfod circuit, with a certain degree of success too. In addition to this, he also played in the local brass band – Crwbin Silver Band (The difference between Silver and Brass I hear you ask? Silver was deemed posher, as it was a more valuable commodity than brass, therefore gave the band a tad more credibility).

So at the age of 7 and with a limited number of friends in the village to fulfil any meaningful sporting activities – cricket or rugby played by 3 people has its limitations you know! – and with a suitable number of trees climbed (and fallen out of), one looked to new horizons and took the obvious choice of learning to play an instrument in the local band. I was given a cornet to play. Like Father, like Son.

Lessons commenced, with my first teacher being my Uncle Stan, who also conducted the Band. Although I viewed him more as a grandfather figure, he was certainly no soft-touch and ensured that all who attended behaved and put in some hard work each rehearsal. Hymn tunes were the first melodies attempted once we had “mastered” enough notes and my first public performance was on the hymn “Hursley”, quickly followed by “Whitburn”.

Opening new bandroom

Stan Jones (pictured left) who was my very first brass teacher. He is pictured at the opening ceremony of the new band room in Crwbin.

Much practising and hard work followed over the next couple of years and this was eventually rewarded with “promotion” to the full senior Band. Now things got serious as rehearsals were held 3 times a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday afternoons if memory serves me correctly. Hard to imagine a Championship Section Band attempting that sort of commitment nowadays, not to mention a Fourth Section Band, but it certainly beat 1-a-side cricket and falling out of trees, so this was my pathway to a lifelong musical journey. No chance of getting bored now!

Yours truly sat in front of the Bass drum. Stan and my Dad are either side of the Drum, with my Cousin Julian in the back row (6th from right).

So, back to the reason for the blog. Having started my musical journey some cough, splutter, ahem years ago – okay, okay it was 45 years ago, happy? It was a huge privilege, buzz and pleasure to be asked back to the Band as a guest conductor a couple of years ago, with the working relationship getting stronger especially over the last few months, as the previous Musical Director had moved on to pastures new.

The return to the old band room where it had all started did indeed reignite all those memories with a sensory overload to boot. Apart from many friends who are still members in the Band, my cousin Julian (Stan’s son) also still plays, so a stronger link from past to present you couldn’t wish for. Pictures of family and friends (and one or two of me) on the wall, as well as memorabilia from times past, the view of the Gwendraeth Valley down to my home village, not forgetting the “Welshness” of the surroundings, where Welsh is still the main language spoken most of the time. Something I rarely get a chance to do even though I still live in the Principality.

Crwbin Silver Band c. mid 1960’s. (Back row 4th from left is my cousin Julian, centre front row in the bow tie is my Uncle, Stan Jones (Bandmaster) and on the right hand end of the front row is my Father, Morley).

Imagine my delight then last weekend (03.08.19) when the Band were crowned 2nd Champions at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Llanrwst. This was a true return to my roots in every sense, allowing me the opportunity of giving back and thanking the organisation and some of the people who helped nurture me into the person that I am today.

Diolch Seindorf Arian Crwbin.

Thank you Crwbin Silver Band.

Crwbin Silver Band – 2019 National Eisteddfod 2nd Section Champions

For more information about Andrew Jones and Music for You, please visit http://www.andrewjonesmusic.com Contact andrew@andrewjonesmusic.com or 07973 869621.

Music for You – it’s just that!

What’s that funny looking thing sticking out of the end of your trumpet?

March 18, 2016March 18, 2016 / welshtrumpeter / 2 Comments

I was at Llys Prês, a Cardiff-based instrument repair workshop the other day, and found myself taking a keen interest in the wide variety of tools that Denis Wedgewood had at his disposal. He patiently answered all my innocent (perhaps naïve) questions as to why that was a certain size or this was a particular shape and why he needed 3 or 4 very similar looking tools to complete a certain job, however I left the premises with no more skill; these things come under the heading of D.I.Y. – Don’t Involve Yourself, but certainly far more informed and enlightened as a result.

This then made me think about my own job and the tools that I have to use and I remembered Mrs. Wife asking me similar questions about playing the trumpet. One such question was regarding the “funny things you stick in the end of your trumpet” and what was the point of it all, so this has prompted me to explain a little to those of you who don’t know either.

These “things” are actually called mutes and their function is to change the tone and sound of the instrument, so as to create a variety of effects, moods and timbres to the music.

There are a multitude of mutes available on the market nowadays, with manufacturers constantly striving to develop unique, newer or improved products, so in the Blog I will cover the main mutes used by most trumpet players, however there will be many that I have left out due to the myriad out there.

The Straight mute – This is the most commonly used by players, but there are variations even for this type, as they can be made of metal, wood, fibre and plastic and have distinctly different sounds.

Straight Mutes (Metal) – The mute on the left is for a PiccoloTrumpet and the one on the right is a standard sized one.

Straight Mute (Plastic)

Straight Mute (Fibre)

The Cup mute – This as its name suggests, has a cup shape and makes the sound much mellower and softer. Some cup mutes have a moveable cup that slides closer to, or away from the bell of the trumpet, in order to change the tone slightly.

Cup Mute

The Harmon mute – The Harmon mute is another mute where the tone can be altered, using a movable stem. The general tone is quite “nasal” and constricted and this is often used to portray a trumpet playing distantly. The further out you pull the stem, the darker the tone gets until you can actually remove it completely.

Harmon Mute (Stem in)

Harmon Mute (Stem removed)

The Bucket Mute – This clips on to the bell of the instrument and is lined with a soft padding. This absorbs most of the brightness of tone, making the music sound muffled.

Bucket Mute

There are many more mutes, as I have already mentioned; such as the Plunger mute, the Solo-tone and a Practise Mute (designed to keep your neighbours happy when you start ripping through the Haydn Trumpet Concerto at 2.30 in the morning!), but I hope that this gives you an insight to these “things”, commonly known as mutes.

For more information about Andrew Jones and Music for You, please visit www.andrewjonesmusic.com

All in a day’s work. The things we musicians sometimes take for granted, but shouldn’t!

February 23, 2016February 23, 2016 / welshtrumpeter / 2 Comments

On Friday night, I will once again join my colleagues from the Regimental Band of The Royal Welsh for an engagement that we undertake some 6 or 7 times each year . It’s a particular job that has been in the Band Diary for around 30 years or more and the players are now seasoned veterans – excuse the pun! – in carrying out their duties.

Within approximately an hour of the job finishing, I will join my friends in the local pub to become a part of the Welsh Nation’s passion and some might say, obsession, in watching our brave “Warriors” go head to head with other “warriors” from other countries.

The job I refer to of course, is the Welsh Rugby International fixtures at the Principality Stadium (formerly Millennium Stadium) and this Friday, Wales take on “Les Bleus” – France, in the latest round of the Six Nations Championships. In addition to this tournament, we also perform at the Autumn Internationals.

The Band is honoured and privileged to perform the pre-match music, accompanying the guest choirs in the old pot-boilers such as “Cwm Rhondda”, “Delilah” and “Hymns and Arias”, before leading the 72,000+ crowd in the singing of the National Anthems prior to the game kicking-off.

There is no prouder moment for a Welshman or Woman, than to sing “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau” at the Stadium, but to be able to perform it on the hallowed turf (well hybrid turf now) stood just feet away from sporting legends, like Leigh Halfpenny, Alun Wyn Jones, Shane Williams, Martin Williams, Scott Gibbs and many more over the years, it is hugely special.

Millennium Stadium 2

Most of the locals in my pub know me (mainly because I turn into a raving lunatic, shouting at the TV for the duration of a game) and that I play in the Regimental Band, however there is never a match day that goes by, without a visitor to the pub, interrogating me to the last detail to try and prove that I “couldn’t possibly have been standing on the pitch just under an hour ago”! The security wrist-band on my ummmm……. wrist, usually clinches the deal and for the next few minutes I am quizzed with great zeal about who I saw, who I was stood near, did I get to speak to the players, what was the atmosphere like etc. etc.

Like most members of the Band, I regard playing at the Stadium with a fairly casual “just another gig” approach, but when I see and hear other peoples’ enthusiasm for what I have just been a part of, I have to stop and take stock of how very lucky we are, to have experienced that thrill – not just once – but some half a dozen occasions each year.

We are truly blessed as musicians, to have jobs that bring opportunities, amazing experiences and memories that last for a lifetime. Just anther gig? Maybe not!

Millennium Stadium

The Regimental Band of The Royal Welsh performing the Welsh National Anthem – “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”/”Land of My Fathers” prior to the 6 Nations fixture versus Scotland (February 2016).

https://www.facebook.com/BBCWalesSport/videos/10153876944407114/

For further information about joining the Regimental Band of The Royal Welsh, please contact (07973) 869621 or (02920) 781293

Don’t shoot the messenger – the poor old Trumpet player always gets it “in the neck”!

April 15, 2015April 20, 2015 / welshtrumpeter / Leave a comment

Today’s blog gives a brief insight to the curious use of the Trumpet, both in conveying important messages to others and how it’s use has become iconic and symbolic for one particular European City.

In 2008, I was fortunate enough to be the Musical Director for the Greater Gwent Youth Brass Band’s Tour of Poland. This was a pretty ambitious project, involving not only the Brass Band, but also the County Symphony Orchestra and a Chamber Choir. This amounted to a travelling entourage of around 150 students and staff!

The Ensembles performed at a variety of locations in Poland including the Church in Zakopane, nestled in the beautiful Tatras mountain region, which was built as a gesture of thanks to God, for saving the life of Pope John Paul II after the assassination attempt in 1981.The Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Zakopane

In addition, our Tour took us to the beautiful City of Kraków and the amazing Church of St. Catherine’s, with its high ceilings and ornate decor, especially the breath-taking Altar and Rood Screen.

St. Catherine’s Church, Kraków

Whilst in Kraków one day, I was walking across the main square in the City, when I saw a group of tourists gathered and looking up in the air at something. Being of a somewhat nosey, sorry, curious disposition I also stopped to see what was causing so much interest. Everyone seemed to be looking at a Church Tower (which I later learned was Saint Mary’s Church. Nothing much seemed to be happening and people were regularly checking their watches, so having given up hope of anything exciting happening, I was about to walk off, when one of the group shouted out and pointed at one of the windows in the Tower.

In the Tower window high above, stood a figure who looked down at the ever-increasing throng and gave a quick wave. What happened next was totally unexpected however. He suddenly went out of sight only for a trumpet bell to suddenly appear out of the window and the sounds of a very lyrical but simple melody were heard wafting over the square. It was quite mesmerizing and continued for nearly a minute, only to stop abruptly mid-phrase! Most of the curious audience (including myself) were highly baffled by all this, but before we could even question what we had just witnessed, the whole process was repeated but this time, from another window from the Tower. In fact, this occurred on four separate occasions, in quick succession, each time with the melody ending abruptly at the same musical point (or non-musical place if you were looking for a logical ending to the tune, as I was!).

Had I done my homework prior to going to Kraków however, or consulted a tourist guide-book, I would have learned that this tradition has been in existence for centuries, with a variety of stories, legends and myths regarding it’s origin and meaning.

First of all though, let’s deal with hard facts. The melody or “call” is known as Hejnał Mariacki (pronounced “Hey-now Mahr-yahts-kee”), meaning “St. Mary’s Dawn”; also called the Kraków Anthem). This is a traditional, five-note Polish melody which is played every hour on the hour, 365 days a year. Such is it’s importance in Polish culture, the mid-day performance is broadcast via radio to all of Poland and the world. In fact, 71 years ago this week, the Hejnał was played by a bugler from the Polish Army to announce the Polish victory in the Battle of Monte Cassino on 18 May 1944. It is unclear who wrote it, but Civic records actually refer to it officially as far back as 1392 and was originally played by the town guard to warn of fires or signal the end of a guard watch. Since the 19th century however, the Hejnał has been performed by active members of the fire brigade, who currently provide at least four different buglers serving in shifts at the tower. Despite its apparent monotony, this duty is carried out with great pride and precision by each trumpeter and is regarded as a hugely prestigious task, with some players having given 30+ years continuous service performing it.

Now for the conjecture bit. I will let you do your own research and decide which you believe is the most credible version, however some state the tune is performed in four different directions in honour of the King of Poland, the Mayor and the Bishop, the citizens of Kraków and finally the peasants/visitors Kraków. My favourite version however, is that during the first Mongol invasion of Poland (yes they got around a bit those guys!) of 1241, troops led by one of Genghis Khan’s Generals – General Subutai – were attacking the City and a sentry on a tower of St Mary’s Church sounded the alarm by playing the Hejnał. Thanks to the sentry’s vigilance, the gates were closed before the invaders were able to ambush the city. The poor trumpeter, however, was shot in the throat and did not complete the anthem, hence the reason for the abrupt ending to each performance!

A more recent explanation for the sudden ending may stem from the sudden death of the performer, whilst on duty at midnight on 7 July 1901. Whichever story you might wish to believe, the Trumpet has shown its versatility once again, in not only bringing musical pleasure to so many, but also in being a method of communication, an early warning system and a very potent tourist attraction. Who says live music is for the elite? Hejnał mariacki played by a trumpeter from the tower of St. Mary’s Church (Kościół Mariacki) in Kraków.

P.S. – When the postman delivers the Gas bill next time, don’t shoot the messenger, he’s only doing his job!

St. Mary’s Church in Kraków. The Hejnał is performed 4 times on the hour every hour from the Tower on the left.

If you require a Bugler or Trumpeter for an event, please visit Andrew Jones (Music for You)

Corps of Army Music Tour to Uganda – March 2015 (Part 1)

March 18, 2015 / welshtrumpeter / Leave a comment

I have just returned from a 10-day Short Term Training Team (STTT) Tour of Uganda, with the Corps of Army Music (CAMUS) and would like to share my experiences with you.

Following a day’s briefing at the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall, the 7 man Team (consisting of musicians from the Bands The Prince of Wales’s Division, The King’s Division, Royal Welsh and The Royal Regiment of Scotland) flew out from Heathrow to the Capital, Kampala, where we were to be based for the duration of our stay.

The primary aim of the Tour was to provide support and training to the Ugandan Peoples’ Defence Force (UPDF) Band, assisting them in a wide range of disciplines, including music theory, performance technique as well as drill and deportment.

The UPDF Band is based in Bombo, which is an hour’s drive outside Kampala. Although it involved an early start each day, the journeys gave us a flavour of what the real Uganda looks like and was an eye-opener in terms of the local slant on driving “skills”. Thankfully my knuckles have returned to normal and aren’t white any more!!

Despite a pre-visit having taken place prior to our deployment, the UPDF Band were somewhat disorganised when we arrived on the first day, but some firm (but polite diplomacy) and flexibility from our lead Officer (Warrant Officer Class 1) Richard Burton, who is Bandmaster of the King’s Division Band, ensured that we got off to a good solid start that day.

The facilities at Bombo were basic to say the least, but the Band seemed reasonably well equipped with a variety of instruments of different quality. What was apparent however was that the vast number of the 42 musicians we were working with, had received little or no formal musical training, due to a lack of expertise and training resources, such as specialist tutors, sheet music and theory books.

The trumpets and cornets of the UPDF Band with L/Cpl. John Pearson and Cpl. Andrew Jones

Our timetable was extremely tight and our aim was to prepare the Band for an inspection 6 days later from the British Army’s Defence Attaché to Uganda, Lt. Col. Nicholls, where we would demonstrate what we had been working on.

What the Ugandans lacked in knowledge and skills, they made up for by the bucket load in terms of enthusiasm and desire to learn, this was evident by their constantly practising through their breaks and continuing long after we had gone each day! So, despite huge odds against success, the joint efforts of the Band and the STTT tutors saw the Band perform a piece called “Sunset” (significant to Military personnel and performed at the close of day), as well as the Ugandan and UK National Anthems to a large group of Senior Ugandan Officers, plus a suitably impressed Lt. Col. Nicholls, who was staggered at the achievements of the musicians, in such a short time-frame.

Working on drill technique with the UPDF Band

Following our demonstration to our guests, the members of the UPDF Band were eager to know when we intended to return and even asked if we could extend our visit somehow. This was the ultimate compliment that they could have paid the CAMUS Team our efforts and one that we appreciated very much indeed.

Lt. Col. Nicholls and W01 Burton with the UPDF Band members and CAMUS Team

The over-riding thought that all the members of the CAMUS Team brought away from our time in Bombo, was that with the right preparation, enthusiasm, drive and energy from all parties concerned, anything is achievable.

I very much hope that the legacy of our short time with the UPDF Band, will be that they are a stronger and more informed unit of musicians, who will go to bigger and better things over the coming months and years. One hopes we can revisit them in the not too distant future, to see and hear that progress and maybe help them develop even further.

W01 Richard Burton and S/Sgt. John McQuat putting the UPDF Band through its paces

In my next blog about my trip to Uganda, I’ll be writing about the amazing Charity, Brass for Africa. Hope you’ll come back and read it!