Cool banding claims to fame

[RatbyPhil]

Hi,
This is my first ever post to tMP. Hope people don't find it too boring.

My brother in law has the dubious claim to fame of being the first person ever to split a note at the Masters. I won't say who it was but he played with the first band on stage on Cloudcatcher Fells.

I think it's a cool claim to fame even if he doesn't.

Anyone got any good ones?

RatbyPhil

 

[2nd man down]

that guy who played vic in emmerdale (and was also in Birds of a Feather but I can't remember his characters name) brought his kids to play with our band once cos our conductor at the time was their perapatetic music teacher.
That's about as close to a claim to fame I can get (lame I know, but there you have it!)

 

[Digger]

Isn't being the first person to win BOC Brother a banding claim to fame 2md?

 

[drummergurl]

my claim to fame...(see british bandsman, issue no. 5312, out on saturday 7 august) hehe, and the next issue of brass band world (i think)

 

[drummerboy]

My banding 'claim to fame' as it were was that I started the music to Songs of Praise when I did it with (what was then) the Rolls Royce (Coventry) Band a few years ago. Never been so nervous doing a suspended cymbal roll!

 

[bigmamabadger]

About *cough* years ago I played some baroque brass music in Hereford Cathedral which was televised on Central.
As 2nd trumpet I had to pretend to be a drone (like on a bagpipe) and had to start the first piece on a lone bottom C.
Probably the flattest, raspberryest and wobblyest bottom C in the world.
That peice didn't make the final cut...
BMB
xx

 

[Well Worth It]

About *cough* years ago I played some baroque brass music in Hereford Cathedral which was televised on Central.
As 2nd trumpet I had to pretend to be a drone (like on a bagpipe) and had to start the first piece on a lone bottom C.
Probably the flattest, raspberryest and wobblyest bottom C in the world.
That peice didn't make the final cut...
BMB
xx

You must not have sounded bad enough to pass as bagpipes.
Take it as a compliment!

 

[Dave Euph]

I suppose there's not a lot on me ... other than the fact that for six years I was taught by two teachers who were taught by Steven Mead and Denis Wick respectively before I finally ended up being taught by one of the big names myself.

Oh, and when Mike Howley had left YBS for the first time he visited the band room during a rehearsal with Emley. He needed an instrument and was borrowing one off the band!

Oh, and I've played on regional news TV before (in fact it was only a year and a half ago) - playing a Christmas carol ... :roll:


But as I said ... not a lot on me

 

[fitzy]

My big one would be that I am the first Sop player to win the Australian Solo Champion title and I'm also the first Sop player to win both the Oz an New Zealand Soprano Solo Section in the same year.

Ive had a pretty good year! :wink:

 

[John Brooks]

Our band was playing a cornet duet composed by Dean Goffin, who was also conducting the band for a special concert. I was third man down and, during the rehearsal Major Goffin said that he'd intended to write in a Sop. cue for solo cornet and would I mind if he wrote it on my copy! Would I mind :!:

It was only a couple of bars but he was so appreciative and made me feel like something special. That must have been about 40 years ago but it remains a special memory.

 

[Andy_Euph]

Playing under Jim Shepherd and Peter Parkes...thought the "Major" was gonna collapse and die the tempo we were playing Nimrod! :twisted:

Have played for the Queen and other Royal's a few times.

Hitting the loudest and hardest top B at a national finals...it was marked legato and mf

Watching in awe as Jim Shepherd re-recorded an entire solo because he clipped ONE note :shock:

 

[Brassbones]

I think I might be the first person to check my text messages on the contest stage. 2002 area, Whitsun Feckin Wakes. 95 bars rest which lasts about 5 minutes. Whats a poor bored bass bone player supposed to do?

 

[groovy]

My teacher taught Ewan McGregor!!

 

[Accidental]

A few years ago Uckfield played on the Christmas eve national lottery show, and we shared the bill with Enya. Needless to say she didn't come anywhere near us!

 

[ju33les]

Nosying around BBC Manchester studios whilst Besses were recording a broadcast.(low attention span). Also doing my homework whilst listening to their rehearsals(was a long time ago!)

Being in most of the shots on the telly BEHIND the bands in the audience of one of the Granada Band of the Year contests(1980's)

Playing a solo in Stuttgart whilst the European Athletic Championships were taking place in 1986 to a packed city centre.

Despite never playing a band higher than 2nd/1st section - being conducted by Dave King(g'day) Dickie Evans and my favourite, "Uncle" Roy (Newsome)

Playing before a Sale Sharks Rugby team match in the middle of the pitch being filmed by Sky Sports and having rugby balls flying over our heads( my head covered by fetching kagool so nobody recognised me on the telly!)

Being the talk of the town when me and Timbone went on honeymoon to play with the City of Lincoln band(pictures in Manchester Evening News and the Lincoln Echo!)...orderly queue for autographs perr-lease1

And finally...being married to Timbone, conductor and arranger extrodinare!!!

That'll do for now!

 

[aimee_euph]

i share a birthday with david geoghegan (top cornet player, used to play for dyke and won all the NW solo contests for a few years)

i also have been on blue peter!

 

[TIMBONE]

what can I say?

Nosying around BBC Manchester studios whilst Besses were recording a broadcast.(low attention span). Also doing my homework whilst listening to their rehearsals(was a long time ago!)

Being in most of the shots on the telly BEHIND the bands in the audience of one of the Granada Band of the Year contests(1980's)

Playing a solo in Stuttgart whilst the European Athletic Championships were taking place in 1986 to a packed city centre.

Despite never playing a band higher than 2nd/1st section - being conducted by Dave King(g'day) Dickie Evans and my favourite, "Uncle" Roy (Newsome)

Playing before a Sale Sharks Rugby team match in the middle of the pitch being filmed by Sky Sports and having rugby balls flying over our heads( my head covered by fetching kagool so nobody recognised me on the telly!)

Being the talk of the town when me and Timbone went on honeymoon to play with the City of Lincoln band(pictures in Manchester Evening News and the Lincoln Echo!)...orderly queue for autographs perr-lease1

And finally...being married to Timbone, conductor and arranger extrodinare!!!

That'll do for now!

I never realised that my wife was so famous! And my claim to fame? Conducting a concert in 1972 - when a young man came to me after the event to thank me - informing me that he had once been out with George Best's sister - (one of the pieces was my arrangement of "Match of the Day". As they say, "There's nowt as queer as folk".

 

[kate_the_horn]

an old *cough* wind band i used to play for played at the RHS garden show thingy, playing ground force, conducted by charlie Dimmock!!

I met Gordon Burns (a.k.a the news/ Krypton factor) and had my photo taken with him at Comberbatch fete. (along with my band at the time)

We (as in another ex band) saw Zak Dingle (Emmerdale) at the whit friday marches, and went and got his autograph!


k x

 

[bigmamabadger]

My Dad (and possibly Jessop-Smythe?) were members of the well-known Shropshire County Council Highways and Transport Division Brass Band :shock: which played in front of Phil the Greek at the opening of the new by-pass in Shrewsbury...
BMB
xx

 

[mikelyons]

When I was in the army, we played at Balmoral Castle one very rainy day at a Tea Party - only they were drinking something a little stronger than tea :shock:

As the basses were on the front row, I was close enough to see a very tipsy HMTQ grab the drum major's mace when he went to ask permission for us and the pipers to dismiss.

It took him nearly 10 mins to extricate his staff from the royal grasp by which time we were all wet through to the skin!