Grimethorpe Colliery Band
Encyclopedia
The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band
, based in Grimethorpe
, South Yorkshire
, England
. It was formed in 1917, as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery, by members of the disbanded Cudworth Colliery Band. The band has 28 players.
George Thompson was musical director from the early 1950s until 1972 during which time the band won the British Open Contest for the first time. Thompson was followed by Elgar Howarth as Professional Conductor and Musical Director.
1974 saw the band, along with Black Dyke Mills Band, become the first to perform at The Proms
.
The band continued through the industrial troubles of the 1980s and the closure of Grimethorpe Colliery on 13 October 1992. However the Band gained first place with 99 out of 100 on 17 October 1992 in the National Brass Band Championship at the Royal Albert Hall
.
Since the closure of the Grimethorpe Colliery, the Band was initially sponsored by RJB Mining (later UK Coal plc) and then by Powerfuel.
's Grimethorpe Aria, written for the band, Hans Werner Henze
's Ragtimes and Habaneras as well as several pieces by Sir Malcolm Arnold
.
", on Roy Harper's 1975 HQ
album and the 1978 Peter Skellern hit "Love is the Sweetest Thing".
, the plot of which was based on Grimethorpe's struggles against pit closures, and whose soundtrack was recorded by the band. The band also performed Ron Goodwin
's film score
for the 1976 Disney film Escape from the Dark (also called the Littlest Horse Thieves), with the composer conducting. They also recorded some of the Beautiful South
's hits in the 1996 and the tracks were given as extra tracks on the cd single issues
at the European Brass Band Championship in Norway
in May 2008 and came second behind the Cory Band
, both on 194 points. In June 2008 Grimethorpe gained its second successive victory at the English National Brass Band Championships, thus qualifying to represent England once again at the European Championships in Ostende, Belgium, in 2009.
Brass band (British style)
A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century, with a vibrant tradition of competition based around local industry and communities...
, based in Grimethorpe
Grimethorpe
Grimethorpe is a large village which is part of the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 1,873....
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was formed in 1917, as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery, by members of the disbanded Cudworth Colliery Band. The band has 28 players.
History
The year after the band's formation saw it enter its first competition at Belle Vue in Manchester.Its first radio broadcast was in 1932 and from 1941 to 1951 was on UK national radio every month.George Thompson was musical director from the early 1950s until 1972 during which time the band won the British Open Contest for the first time. Thompson was followed by Elgar Howarth as Professional Conductor and Musical Director.
1974 saw the band, along with Black Dyke Mills Band, become the first to perform at The Proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
.
The band continued through the industrial troubles of the 1980s and the closure of Grimethorpe Colliery on 13 October 1992. However the Band gained first place with 99 out of 100 on 17 October 1992 in the National Brass Band Championship at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
.
Since the closure of the Grimethorpe Colliery, the Band was initially sponsored by RJB Mining (later UK Coal plc) and then by Powerfuel.
Premieres
The Grimethorpe Colliery Band has premiered some of the most important brass music of the twentieth century, including Sir Harrison BirtwistleHarrison Birtwistle
Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle CH is a British contemporary composer.-Life:Birtwistle was born in Accrington, a mill town in Lancashire some 20 miles north of Manchester. His interest in music was encouraged by his mother, who bought him a clarinet when he was seven, and arranged for him to have...
's Grimethorpe Aria, written for the band, Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze
Hans Werner Henze is a German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life"...
's Ragtimes and Habaneras as well as several pieces by Sir Malcolm Arnold
Malcolm Arnold
Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain...
.
Rock and pop
The band has appeared on rock and pop records, notably "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The CreaseWhen An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease
"When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease" is a track on the Roy Harper album HQ. Released as a single twice, in 1975 and 1978, it is possibly Roy's best-known song. The song captures the atmosphere of a village cricket match and is an elegy to a previous age...
", on Roy Harper's 1975 HQ
HQ (album)
HQ is the eighth studio album by English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Roy Harper. It was first released in 1975 by Harvest Records...
album and the 1978 Peter Skellern hit "Love is the Sweetest Thing".
In films
International fame came with the film Brassed OffBrassed Off
Brassed Off is a 1996 British film written and directed by Mark Herman. The film, a British-American co-production made between Channel Four Films, Miramax Films and Prominent Films, is about the troubles faced by a colliery brass band, following the closure of their pit...
, the plot of which was based on Grimethorpe's struggles against pit closures, and whose soundtrack was recorded by the band. The band also performed Ron Goodwin
Ron Goodwin
Ronald Alfred Goodwin was a British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years....
's film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
for the 1976 Disney film Escape from the Dark (also called the Littlest Horse Thieves), with the composer conducting. They also recorded some of the Beautiful South
The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
's hits in the 1996 and the tracks were given as extra tracks on the cd single issues
Honours
- National Brass Band Championships - Winners 1970, 1992, 2006 and 2007.
- English National Brass Band Championships - Winners 2007, 2008.
- Yorkshire Champions - 1963, 1967, 1973, 1983, 1991, 1995, 2005, 2006.
- Brass in Concert Champions - 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2001 to 2005 and 2010.
- Mineworkers' Champions - 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973 to 1980, 1983, 1985 to 2002.
- British Open Champions - 1969, 1984, 1991.
- Granada Band of the Year - 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1985.
Other events
The band represented EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the European Brass Band Championship in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in May 2008 and came second behind the Cory Band
Cory Band
The Cory Band, formerly the Buy As You View Band, is one of the oldest and best known brass bands in the world.-History and origins:The Cory Band hails from the Rhondda Valley in Wales. They were formed in 1884 and originally bore the name ‘Ton Temperance’ a reference to the Temperance movement in...
, both on 194 points. In June 2008 Grimethorpe gained its second successive victory at the English National Brass Band Championships, thus qualifying to represent England once again at the European Championships in Ostende, Belgium, in 2009.
Notable members
- Alan Morrison - former Principal Cornet
- Richard Marshall - former Principal Cornet
- Roger WebsterRoger WebsterRoger Webster is an English cornetist and psychologist. He has been acclaimed as one of the world's best ever cornetists. He also teaches performance at the Royal Northern College of Music as well as a weekly lecture on psychology...
- former Principal Cornet - Robert Childs - former Principal Euphonium
- Robin Taylor - former Principal Euphonium
- James Fountain - current Principal Cornet
- Michael Dodd - current Principal Euphonium
Partial discography
| Year | Album | Conductor |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Grimethorpe Special | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 1991 | A Night at the Opera | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 1992 | Paganini Variations | Frank Renton Frank Renton Frank Renton is a British musician, conductor and broadcaster, and current host of Listen to the Band on BBC Radio Two, now in his fifteenth year with the programme.... |
| 1993 | Wilby | Frank Renton Frank Renton Frank Renton is a British musician, conductor and broadcaster, and current host of Listen to the Band on BBC Radio Two, now in his fifteenth year with the programme.... & Garry Cutt |
| 1995 | Wagner | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 1999 | Grimethorpe Colliery Band - Australian Tour Edition | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 2001 | Eric Ball - The Undaunted | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 2002 | Grimethorpe in Concert | Garry Cutt |
| 2004 | Grimethorpe in Concert Volume II | Richard Evans |
| 2004 | The History of Brass Band Music - The Golden Era | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 2004 | The History of Brass Band Music - The Salvation Army Salvation Army The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries.... Connection |
Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 2005 | The History of Brass Band Music - The Early Years | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 2006 | The History of Brass Band Music - The Modern Era | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 2007 | Grimethorpe in Concert Volume III | Richard Evans & Philip Harper |
| 2007 | The History of Brass Band Music - Classical Arrangements | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 2008 | The History of Brass Band Music - New Adventures | Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth Elgar Howarth is an English conductor and composer.Howarth was educated in the 1950s at Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music , where his fellow students included the composers Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, and the... |
| 2008 | Hymns | Phillip McCann |
| 2010 | Grimethorpe in Concert Volume IV | James Gourlay James Gourlay James Gourlay is a British conductor and internationally renowned tuba soloist.He was born in Scotland and began to play in his local brass band at an early age. He took part in numerous solo competitions at that time and soon became Scottish Champion at junior and open levels... |
| 2010 | Hymns Volume II | James Gourlay James Gourlay James Gourlay is a British conductor and internationally renowned tuba soloist.He was born in Scotland and began to play in his local brass band at an early age. He took part in numerous solo competitions at that time and soon became Scottish Champion at junior and open levels... |
| 2011 | By Request | Brian Grant |
Video clips
- Death or Glory by Robert Browne Hall, played at Uppermill Civic Hall in SaddleworthSaddleworthSaddleworth is a civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It comprises several villages and hamlets amongst the west side of the Pennine hills: Uppermill, Greenfield, Dobcross, Delph, Diggle and others...
Audio clips
- Concierto de Aranjuez 2nd movt - famous pieceConcierto de AranjuezThe Concierto de Aranjuez is a composition for classical guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is probably Rodrigo's best-known work, and its success established his reputation as one of the most significant Spanish composers of the twentieth century. ...
by Joaquín RodrigoJoaquín RodrigoJoaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquis of the Gardens of Aranjuez , commonly known as Joaquín Rodrigo, was a composer of classical music and a virtuoso pianist. Despite being nearly blind from an early age, he achieved great success... - Sleigh Ride - famous pieceSleigh Ride"Sleigh Ride" is a popular light orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson. The composer had the original idea for the piece during a heat wave in July 1946; he finished the work in February 1948. Lyrics, about a person who would like to ride in a sleigh on a winter's day with another person,...
by Leroy AndersonLeroy AndersonLeroy Anderson was an American composer of short, light concert pieces, many of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler... - Girl with the Flaxen Hair - famous piecePreludes (Debussy)Claude Debussy's Préludes are two sets of pieces for solo piano. They are divided into two separate livres, or books, of twelve preludes each. Unlike previous collections of preludes, like those of JS Bach and Chopin, Debussy's do not follow a strict pattern of key signatures.Each book was written...
by Claude DebussyClaude DebussyClaude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...