THE NEWSLETTER OF CRYSTAL PALACE BAND

Issue: 8 (Summer 2004)
Well folks, the outdoor jobs have started – which means that for Crystal Palace Band, summer is here! The contest season finished at the end of April, when we were placed fifth at the SCABA Spring contest in Hove, after a good performance of Philip Sparke’s ‘Celtic Suite’. But for now, its time to start packing pegs and picnics as we head all over the south east to parks and seaside bandstands. See overleaf for details of where you can hear us – and how the summer started on a high!
Band News
  • Everyone at the band wishes to say get well soon to Pat Youd, one of our cornet players who has been unable to come to band recently due to a back injury. Come back soon Pat, we miss you!

  • The band’s thoughts are also with Michael Burton (trombone) and his family following their recent bereavement.

  • We've got a new website address! Its not too dissimilar to the old one, but it's now easier to remember:
    www.crystalpalaceband.co.uk
    Don't forget to check it regularly for all the latest on what's happening with the band.

  • Congratulations are in order for Carol Maher (tenor horn) and Anne Taylor (trombone), who both recently graduated from Open University with a BA and a MEd respectively. Well done!
Crystal Palace Band's Summer Concert
- the alternative to Glastonbury! -

Saturday 26 June
Orpington Methodist Church,
Sevenoaks Road, Orpington, 8pm

If mud-filled summer festivals aren't your thing then why not give Glastonbury a miss and hear some proper music at our brass band concert instead?

Highlights of the programme include an arrangement of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, flugel solo ‘The way we were’ and the jazz standard ‘Skyliner’.

And to get everyone in the summer holiday mood we're asking our audience to bring along any unwanted and unusable foreign coins. These will then be passed onto St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham, who can convert them into much needed funds. We're not expecting to top the fantastic amount raised at our Christmas concert, but every little helps!

Tickets are available on the door, or in advance from Rachel Bleach on 020 8776 2520.


150th Anniversary of Crystal Palace Park

After arriving back in London from Manchester at 5am (see overleaf) Crystal Palace Band were joined by Brass Band Imperial to take part in the celebrations at Crystal Palace Park. The Victorian Weekend was held on the 5 and 6 June, and featured Morris dancers, an Edwardian funfair and, of course, performances from CPB. The building was opened by Queen Victoria 150 years ago on 10 June 1854, and until the end of the 19th century was the centre of London’s musical life. During the first thirty years it was visited by two million people a year, and two railway lines were built to serve it. However, on the evening of 30 November 1936 the Crystal Palace sadly burnt down, despite the efforts of 89 fire engines and 381 firemen. In 1979 a group of enthusiasts formed the Crystal Palace Foundation, dedicated to preserving the history of the 200 acre park – and it was this group who invited CPB to join in the 150th anniversary celebrations. For more information on the foundation’s work visit www.crystalpalacefoundation.org.uk or call the chairman, Melvyn Harrison, on 07956 587 257.

Fixtures 2004

Saturday June 12th Myatts Field Park Fair, Cormont Road, Camberwell. 1.00
Sunday June 13th Seafront Promenade Bandstand, Bognor Regis, 1.30 to 3.30 pm
Saturday June 26th 'Summer Pops'. Orpington Methodist Church, Sevenoaks Road, Orpington,
8.00 p.m. Junction of Sevenoaks Road (A223) and Hillcrest Road. Map.
Saturday 10th July Old Coulsdon Village Fair, Grange Park, 2.00 - 4.30 pm
Sunday 11th July Broadstairs Bandstand, Victoria Parade, 2.30 to 4.00 pm
Sunday 18th July Greenwich Park Bandstand, 2.00 - 3.30 pm & 4.00 to 5.30 pm
Sunday 1st August Kingswood Estate Annual Festival, Dulwich, 1.00 to 3.00 pm
Sunday 22nd August Horniman Gardens Bandstand, 3.00 - 5.00 pm
Sunday 12th September Dane John Bandstand, Canterbury
Sunday 10th October SCABA Autumn Contest, Leas Cliff Hall, Folkstone
Sunday 14th November Remembrance Parade, Belmont, 10.00 am
Saturday 4th December Charity Gala Concert, St Bartholomew's Church, Sydenham, 7-9pm
Saturday 11th December Carol Concert, Sydenmham Methodists 7.00 pm
Sunday 12th December Horniman Gardens Carols 4.30 - 6.00 pm



SLOB-bing it at the Whit Fridays

It started as an idea in the pub – could Crystal Palace Band and Brass Band Imperial Lenzburg from Switzerland join forces, form a scratch band and take part in the famous Whit Friday marching contest? Mid-afternoon on Friday 4 June it seemed that the answer was an overwhelming ‘yes’.

Although they were popularised in the film ‘Brassed Off’, the Saddleworth and District Whit Friday brass band contests have been taking place since 1884, in 12 towns in Saddleworth Moor near Manchester. This year 130 bands took part, and SLOB (South London Overseas Brass band) was one of them.

After leaving Sydenham at 9am and picking up the Swiss contingent in Greenwich we travelled north and met up with some players from Swinton and District Excelsior Band, who kindly agreed to help us out. At Birch services on the M62 we had our first run through, much to the amusement of passing coach parties! And we bumped into Shanklin Town band who had had the same idea and were also practising their marching beforehand.

Dressed in brightly coloured shirts and playing ‘True and Trusty’ we marched through Scouthead at approximately 4.30pm. Our ‘standing’ march was Derek Broadbent’s ‘Lenzburg’, written especially for Brass Band Imperial. Two towns later we arrived at Greenfield, where things began to get interesting…

With the fun of playing going to our heads (and possibly the beer as well!) we started playing ‘Lenzburg’ as it was originally written – with a Swiss folk song being sung in the middle section! It went down a storm with the crowd, and so we repeated the singing at Denshaw, our final village of the evening.

The day was an outstanding success. SLOB band was placed 45/68 at Scouthead, 29/74 at Delph, 17/49 at Dobcross, 38/64 at Greenfields and 17/56 at Denshaw, all fantastic results considering we were playing against Championship and First Section bands and our band members met for the first time that afternoon!

And there are already plans afoot to take part next year – so keep an eye out for us SLOBs!
If you wish to contact the editors, please do so via the following ways:
clarelipscombe@hotmail.com or Clare Lipscombe, 60 Firsby Avenue, Shirley, Croydon, CR0 8TN or ring on 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 crystalpalaceband@btinternet.com - or visit the website, www.crystalpalaceband.co.uk
The views expressed in this newsletter are the personal views of the Editor and are not necessarily that of Crystal Palace Band. © June 2004 No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the Editor