Friday, November 5, 2010


Our Horn section waiting to go into the Concert Hall at The Royal Northern College of Music.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

BASBWE weekend


I think we all has a great time at this event. Great music making and time spent "bonding" together. We didn't spend the whole weekend playing, we had to eat too! Thanks to Fiona for organising the trip.

BASBWE weekend 30/31 October 2010

The band went to Manchester for the BASBWE weekend, and performed Ronde for Isolde, Jubilation and three from the Suite of Old American Dances. We also listened to other bands, attended workshops and master classes, and had group curries etc. For me the best bits were the sessions with John Miller and Hakan Hardenberger, but the whole weekend was very stimulating.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

2010 Annual Report

BEENHAM BAND Report of the Committee for the year ended 31 July 2010
Registered Charity – number 1087848

Committee
Simon Witcomb - Chairman, Ian Hulin – Secretary, Fiona Benjamin - Treasurer, Eleanor Brooks - Friends, Lynne Ellis, Jean Rollinson - Programmes

Other roles
Librarian – Ann Moore, Publicity – Alyse Ashton, PR – Eileen Caster, Grants – Julie Wright, Fixer – Jolanta Modelska, Webmaster – Tim Skinner

Conductor
We are still very fortunate to have Robert Roscoe as our conductor. The quality and technical ability of the band has continued to improve under his direction. We know, because we can now perform pieces that we could not even play a little while ago. On the occasions when Robert has been unable to be with us, we have been fortunate to be conducted by John Kane, Trevor Defferd, Andy Smets, and Richard Powell, as well as Tom Verrier (in the barn, on a flying visit from the US).

Constitution and object
The band is a registered charity, and its constitution is available to all members. The object of the band is to advance the education of the public by raising the aesthetic taste through the performance of music.

Membership and rehearsals
We have had 42 paying members during the year. We rehearse every Friday during term time from 7.30pm to 9.45pm in Beenham School Hall.

Finances
A copy of the accounts for the year to 31 July 2010 is attached. The band had an excess of income over expenditure for the year of £422, and the balance to carry forward to 2010/11 is £1,525. Subscriptions were £100 for the year or £40 per term. Being a charity, we are able to recover income tax on subscriptions.

Music
We are building a library of music pieces written specifically for wind band together with arrangements of popular tunes and marches, music from shows and films, and light classical music.

Performances and events
5 September 2009 Enborne Flower Show
27 September 2009 Cold Ash Play Day
14 November 2009 Concert in Ashford Hill church
18 December 2009 Christmas concert
19 December 2009 Christmas Dinner in the Victory Hall, Beenham
22 December 2008 Carols in Woolhampton
23 December 2009 Carols round the village
28 March 2010 Concert in the Falklands Memorial Chapel, Pangbourne
20 June 2010 Forbury Gardens, Reading
29 June 2010 Chamber music concert in the Old Bluecoat School, Thatcham
16 July 2010 Concert on the Rec
24 July 2010 Jonathan Hodgett’s wedding in Andover
24 July 2010 Englefield Flower Show

Main concerts
The November concert in St Paul’s Ashford Hill was a celebration of the life of Jose Marshall, and featured pieces that she loved or that had some significance in her life. Annharmonics, the clarinet group that Jose played in (led by Ann Moore) also performed at the concert.

The March concert in the Falklands Chapel was a joint event with Englefield Primary School, when the theme was animals.

In rained again for the Band on the Rec in July, but fortunately, we were able to use Fred Brown’s barn which turned out to be an excellent venue.

Other news
We started using the Old Bluecoat School in Thatcham for chamber music rehearsals and the concert. This ancient building is ideally suited to this, although it was a bit cold early in the year. A grant from the Greenham Common Trust helped us to get started with this.

During the year, we bought a conductor’s stand with a legacy from Janette MacPherson and donations from band members.

The committee is very grateful to band members who have helped with the administration of the band, by performing the “other roles” listed above.

Future
Our main aim is to ensure that members enjoy making good music, whilst meeting our charitable objective.

Simon Witcomb – Chairman 14 September 2010

Monday, August 16, 2010

Not on the Rec

Not on the Rec. Not on the Rec.
See how it rains. See how it rains.
They all ran off to a nearby farm,
Which thanks to the Allams, worked like a charm,
Did you ever hear such musical alarums,
As Band in the Barn?

Band and villagers - Friday 16th July


 Band in full swing


Louise on bass clarinet

 A beautiful barn for a concert


Lynn on euphonium

Play time

Burger King

Drin King

With thanks to Mike Weston for his photos of the band
(click on photos to enlarge)

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Video of Beenham playing before wedding

Beenham can be heard performing some show music before wedding blessing of the band's tuba player Jonathan to Mei.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Beenham play at Jonathan and Mei wedding

The band playing hymn during the wedding blessing

Group photo with the bride and groom after the ceremony

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Jonathan's Wedding

Yesterday morning, Saturday 24th July, the band played at St Mary's Church Andover for the wedding of our tuba player, Jonathan Hodgetts and his bride Mei.

Jonathan and Mei greet the band after the ceremony

It's a big church, and the band fitted fairly easily into the south transept, where we were joined by two of Jonathan's tuba friends.

We'd been uncertain just how long it would take for the couple to walk up the aisle, and had prepared for various contingencies when we played the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin.

No worries though: bride and groom made a perfect and beaming progress to our bright and sonorous accompaniment!

And doubtless they enjoyed the choice selections from Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and Fiddler on the Roof we played before they processed.

Jonathan with tuba, Enborne 2009

During the service the band accompanied the hymns, and to end we played Jonathan and Mei out of the church to Mendelssohn's famous Wedding March.

Welcome Mei, and congratulations and best wishes to you both from everyone in the band!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Bandstanding in Forbury Gardens

We've played in Forbury Gardens in Reading several times now, and each time the audience grows! Last Sunday was no exception.

This year our conductor, Robert Roscoe introduced Dave Brubeck: It's About Time to us and our listeners, together with a generous selection from Fiddler on the Roof.

We had something for everyone: with Holst's Second Suite in F; The Simpsons putting in an appearance from TV; a really exciting rendition of Pirates of the Caribbean; and the seductive tango, La Cumparsita.

We even attracted a few dancers!

Of course, there were many other pieces too, but what I don't understand is why, with the sun providing full support, no one took advantage of The Stripper: perhaps it needed even more brass than we could supply?

Photos by Helen Skinner (please click to enlarge).

Friday, May 7, 2010

Englefield School

I received this message from Englefield School following our concert with them in March

Dear Fiona

Many thanks for your letter dated 29 April. I confirm I have forwarded your very kind donation to the Falklands Chapel to Rev.Cunningham, and we would like to donate your other cheque to MacMillan Cancer Support, the charity we donated to when Janette died.

Our children thouroughly enjoyed the concert, as did their parents, it is a wonderful opportunity for our children to play in such a lovely venue. Please pass on our thanks and appreciation to your band members and we would welcome the opportunity of joining with you again next year.

Kind regards
Julia Kidd
School Administrator

Friday, April 23, 2010

Ann Zebedee MP?


I see from the Reading Chronicle that Ann Zebedee, who used to play euphonium with Beenham Band, is making a bid for a political career.

Beenham now falls within the Wokingham constituency, and Ann is standing as Wokingham's UKIP candidate in the general election.

GetWokingham says:

The 67-year-old mother-of-three, who lives in Reading, said she is incensed at the ineptitude, mismanagement and behaviour of the existing Members of Parliament and believes she has what it takes to make a change.

It is the first time Miss Zebedee, who is a keen musician and is associated with the Waltham St Lawrence Silver Band, has been put forward for the position of MP, but she is relishing the challenge.

She said: “I have always been politically minded – my father was a councillor in Bethnal Green for 34 years and I have always been interested and would spend many an hour as a youngster talking to him about politics.

“But this is all new to me and I have never done public speaking before, but I will just try to be pro-active.

“If I see something needs doing I will try to action for it to be done. But I think something needs to be done to improve the image of the politicians of today and without trying to sound big-headed I think I could actually do something.”

I wish her luck!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

BLOW WITH THE FLOW

from The Newbury Weekly News arts pages 8th April 2010

Beenham Band and Englefield Primary School Music Department
Childrens Concert at the Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel, Pangbourne
on Sunday 28th March 2010


Never work with children or animals! Robert Roscoe and his merry Beenham Band defied this advice. They teamed up with musicians from Englefield Primary School and played a lively programme with two pieces of music about animals: movements from Saint Saens Carnival of the Animals and a thoroughly enjoyable medley from The Lion King. In addition the band made good use of a large percussion line-up to perform Cry of the Celts , which began with a hectic drum solo and Paul Hart’s Cartoon, full of fun sounds and reminiscent of Looney Tunes.

Tiffany Ebrey from Englefield Primary School introduced an impressive team of young singers and instrumentalists. Under her direction and to her piano accompaniment, they performed with enthusiasm and enjoyment. The Junior Band opened with The Rivers of Babylon, Moon River and Down by the Riverside which all flowed well. The Junior Choir’s African Jigsaw was lively and ambitious, the solos well sung. The new Brass Ensemble put a good deal of puff into Once a Man Fell in a Well and Little John. The Englefield First Recorder Group played their traditional tunes with jollity.

A good time was had by all!

EILEEN CASTER

Friday, January 15, 2010

First rehearsal of 2010

Our first rehearsal for five weeks is tonight, 7.30pm in Beenham School.

December 18 - concert
December 25 - Christmas!
January 1 - New Year's Day
January 8 - Snow!