THE NEWSLETTER OF CRYSTAL PALACE BAND Issue: 3 (Spring 2003)

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Welcome to the third issue of Palatians – and what a packed issue it is! The Band has just finished the end of the 2002/3 Contest Season, and we’ve got all the results. There’s a feature on the Maher family, and overleaf you’ll find the latest details of all our summer jobs – and of course, we look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible! We hope you enjoy reading Palatians, and don’t forget, we’d love to hear your comments and suggestions regarding Palatians and Crystal Palace Band

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Band news…

* Since the last newsletter several new players have joined CPB, and we would like to welcome them to their first edition of Palatians. Some of these new faces have joined us temporarily, as they stop off in London in between travelling the world! The Band’s open-rehearsal policy means that everyone is welcome, and we can provide instruments for those whose luggage allowance doesn’t account for a Bb bass! CPB hopes that all of the recent additions enjoy their time with the Band – don’t forget to keep in touch!

* Crystal Palace Band is proud to have been one of hundreds of nationwide music ensembles that recently protested against the proposed “Arts Tax” Bill. Changes to licensing laws threatened to make amateur music performances in churches no longer financially viable. Under new laws churches would be required to obtain (at a large cost) a music licence. However, a campaign led by professional musician David Meacock resulted in a petition of 8,149 signatures, and Kim Howells MP was forced to declare that any changes to current licensing laws would not affect churches. Many amateur ensembles, including CPB, rely on churches for hosting rehearsals and concerts, and so the proposed changes could have spelt disaster for them.

* Good luck to all members of the main Band, and the B Band, who are preparing for exams this summer – and in particular, Nicci Maher will be taking her GCSEs, and Tom Whittaker will be taking his A Levels. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you!

* Contest Results… February’s SCABA Quartet/Ensemble Contest, held in Lewes, saw three ensembles take part, playing arrangements of Weber’s ‘Euryanthe’, Mozart’s ‘Cosi Fan Tutti’ and Handel’s ‘Hallelujah Chorus’. Fourteen bands and youth bands took part overall, and our ensembles were rewarded with two Second places and one Fourth. Next, in March, came the regional qualifiers for the Boosey & Hawkes National Brass Band Championships (London & Southern Counties Region). The Band secured its place in the Second Section with a superb rendition of Wilfred Heaton’s ‘Celestial Prospect’, coming seventh out of eighteen bands. For a full review of the Regionals, visit www.4barsrest.com or contact the Editors. The final Contest of the year was the SCABA Spring Contest, held in Hove, and saw the Band perform ‘Epic Symphony’, a three-movement piece by Percy Fletcher. No prizes were won this time, but CPB thoroughly enjoyed the 2002/3 contest season, and hope to do even better next time.

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"The family that plays together, stays together!"

So says Chris Maher, Crystal Palace Band's Second Euphonium player and Property Master. He’s talking about his family of course - wife Carol (First Tenor Horn), and his two children, Nicci (Second Tenor Horn) and David (Bass Trombone). When Carol and Chris married, Carol decided to take up the French horn again, as she had stopped when she left school. Chris, not wanting to be left out, went along to the concert band where she was playing and asked the conductor what instrument he should play - to which the reply was 'the euphonium'. One of the other players there was the Chairman of Crystal Palace Band at the time – Denis Madgick - and he invited them along to play. So Chris and Carol's time in CPB began on Second Baritone and Second Horn respectively. This was only the beginning….

In March 1987 CPB were playing at the regional qualifying contest at Watford Town Hall. Carol, expecting her first child anyday, was playing First Horn. She was slowly waddling her way back to the contest venue after a last-minute rehearsal, when the Band Secretary suddenly appeared on the Town Hall's steps - the Band were being called in! “Run!”, he yelled at Carol - “RUN!”. Luckily she didn’t and Nicci was born safely two weeks later.

Nicci's birth put Carol’s playing career on the back-burner for a while, but she became a dedicated band “groupie”. In fact, Nicci’s first ever afternoon trip out to the park in her buggy and mop hat was to hear CPB play on the South Bank, outside what was then County Hall. David joined the group when he was born three years later. Nicci and Dave have always considered themselves members of the band, and have been treated as such by everybody else, from being allowed to sit in the band at park concerts to wearing band uniform since they were old enough to toddle off and get lost.

Aged eight Nicci followed in her mother’s footsteps and took up the Tenor horn, whilst David decided at the tender age of two that he wanted to play the trombone (they have photos to prove it!). However, as he was quite small his plans were put on hold for another three years. He was lucky that Mike Burton, CPB's Principle Trombonist, had an alto trombone that he was willing to lend him. This enabled David to join the 'B Band', along with his sister, when it was founded in 1995. David is still, to this day, the only band member to have ever been paid on tour - having earnt the round sum of 10 marks (about £3) on a bandstand in Koblenz a couple of years ago. Nicci and David have now progressed onto the main band, playing Second Tenor Horn and Bass Trombone respectively. Fortunately David has now developed long enough arms to play a full size trombone - and his lung capacity is now increasing to match the volume at which he belts out the notes!

It's lucky that the entire Maher family is musical , as it makes life much easier for them! Rehearsals, contests and concerts are attended together, along with the spare instruments and jackets which Chris is responsible for. Lucky the Maher family have a big car! And rehearsing at home is no problem either - although they're not so sure that the neighbours would agree!

If you wish to contact the editors, please do so via the following ways:
clarelipscombe@hotmail.com or Clare Lipscombe, tel. 020 8655 2511
If you have a general band enquiry (e.g. you would like to join the band, or would like to book the band) please contact the Secretary, Rachel Bleach, on 020 8776 2520, or riz.bleach@btinternet.com - or visit the website, www.crystalpalaceband.fsnet.co.uk
The views expressed in this newsletter are the personal views of the Editor and are not necessarily that of Crystal Palace Band. © April 2003