Maltby Miners' Welfare Band

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At last the review of 2006

2006 turn out to be yet again another busy year for the Maltby band. Our aim at the beginning of the year was to increase our contesting involvement while at the same time maintaining our high standard of entertainment and music making in a busy concert schedule.

The year therefore started with two contest ventures, one at Derby and the other at Bradford. Entertainments, the test piece for both, however, prove to be a difficult piece to master and our performances, sound though they were did not impress the adjudicator’s ear. Our concert commitments in the spring were quite light.

The summer season on the other hand proved to be very successful with several engagements providing highlight of the season;

Durham miners Gala had great weather and a very large crowd and the pub was a very welcome sight after what turned out to be a 3 hour march! The remembrance service at Barnsley for miners who had lost their lives in the industry was a new venture for the band and the following concert in the Barnsley council rooms seemed popular. Brodsworth Hall has now become an annual event and the weather was excellent again. We were informed later the crowd on that day was around 900. Frightening that they had mainly come to listen to us!

Autumn is always a busy time and last year was no exception. Clifton Park was quickly followed with our annual concert at the Rotherham Civic theatre .As with previous years this was a themed night and having been to the shows, the movies and the 1940,s it was time to revisit the last night of the proms. Most people agreed that this was the best one in the series so far and with the largest audience yet it will difficult to top next year. A new concert venue in Wadworth and the usual remembrance engagements meant there was little time to prepare for Malton Entertainments contest in late November.

We had not been involved in this contest for several years and the band was looking forward to playing. The performance was of a good standard with only the march not quite making up its mind whether it was a march or a gallop. Malton will however be remembered for events at the end of the day. What might be referred to as ‘the strange case of the missing adjudicator’s remarks’. These were nowhere to be found by the organisers at the end of the contest and we only discovered them on the bus going home in among the adjudicator’s scores. The adjudicator had obviously made his decision without reference to these as he had lost them and it did not seem to bother the organisers that they did not have anything to write our points or position on, as I believe is the custom at such events!

Anyway there was no time to linger at these strange events as Christmas was approaching fast and a programme needed to be prepared. I would not say the highlights of the season were the three jobs we did outside but I think they will be remembered for sometime. What hardy creatures we bandsmen are! (Scott would have been better prepared for his doomed journey to the South Pole if he had played outside in Rotherham with us). Of the three Laughton church needs a mention as with only the thought of mulled wine at the interval to protect us from the cold it was interesting to observe the bass section slowly sinking into the church graveyard as we played through the requested carols.

Yet again the two concerts at the Arts centre in Rotherham were sell-outs and the audience seemed well please with the mix of music we provided.

It still always amazes me, after all these years, when we come through a busy and very successful season of the high level of commitment and reliability of these Maltby bandsmen and women. A big thanks!

Terry Clifford