HI SOP

Olney Brass were saddened to learn of the death of former Soprano player Martin Mills on the 31st

July at the age of 76.

Since he left the band Martin had continued to play with friends and former band members at the Friday morning Towcester Daytime band and was always a dedicated and encouraging musician.

Whilst he was with us he helped the band to a number of contest successes and also featured often

as a soloist. In 2012, not only did he help us win the Second Section at the SCABA contest he was

also awarded best instrumentalist and was mentioned several times in the adjudicator’s comments

about our performance of Laudate Dominum. His early playing days were for Jaguar Car Works

Band and he transferred to Coventry Festival Band in 1962. He then moved to Towcester Studio in

1977 before joining us. His funeral and wake took place in Coventry where he grew up and many

friends and fellow bandsmen provided the music. You always knew when Martin was at a rehearsal

from the distinctive number plate on his parked car! We send condolences to his family.

The National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain take place for the first time at York Barbican on the 19-20 September, and although we won’t be there this year, we wish

all bands well. It is also the date for the announcement of next year’s test pieces for the Regionals at Stevenage. As we speculate what that will be we are currently working on ‘New

World sketches’ - Dan Price and ‘Olympus’ - Philip Harper it would be somewhat ironic if that was set as our challenge.

Silly Season (not just for the newspapers!) Whilst most bands break for a few weeks during August, Olney Brass decided to hold a few open rehearsals for any die hard brass players who were missing playing with their own bands. We were delighted to welcome so many friends to the band room and it was a privilege for me to conduct them. Rather than rehearse pieces in detail, we are able to play for enjoyment through a number of pieces we wouldn’t usually play. Enjoyment is number one priority, mistakes are made by players and conductor alike, but music is made. And, on such a lovely summer evening, friendships were rekindled.

Having moved up North, it’s great to see that ex Eb bass player Richard Colson has been signed up to play for Ashington Colliery band, we wish him well but would really like the uniform back!

Are you still reading this!

Grace Notes is sent regularly to over 100 players and ex members - I like to keep it easy to read with plenty of pictures and the occasional archive or humurous feature - I thank you for your comments on how much you like being kept informed please feel free to email any articles, stories or pictures which I might include. It would be gret to hear ‘What you’re doing now.

Forthcoming engagements

The band have two more engagements to round off their summer before the music is collected in and the repertoire changes, so if you haven’t heard us yet this season please come along to Emberton fete, Hulton Drive Sunday 6 September from 1pm

or

BOFF (Big Olney Food Festival) on Sunday 13 September Market Place from 1pm

In the planning

Autumn Concert Olney Church Saturday 24 October 7pm

Leicester Open Contest Sunday 22 November

Christmas Concert Olney Church Saturday 12 December 3pm

Joint concert with Newport Pagnell Singers Saturday 24 April 2027 7.30pm

I can’t let this issue pass without wishing Bob Wills a long and fulfilling retirement. Bob was another stalwart of the band - playing third cornet for 12 years, serving on our commitee and helping enormously with both the beginner and development bands. A true bandsman he always put us first and was rarely absent from either a rehearsal or an engagement. He seemed to know everyone and had an anecdote for every occasion. Bob, however, has not hung up his cornet altogether as he continues to play with the TSB Daytime band and enjoys the camaraderie and challenge of playing a variety of pieces.

Bob wrote

Keith, could you please convey my thanks and heartfelt appreciation to the band for that wonderful card, it covers pretty much all of my years with the band. Although I have moved bands somewhat over the years, at twelve years my tenure at Olney is the longest of the lot and given my age I doubt I will beat it now. It has been an incredible journey full of hi's low's but with an underlying fellowship that is the brass band movement. I am very proud of having been in the band and hope that in my own have helped to make a difference, my biggest enjoyment has been the opportunity to pass on some of my knowledge and see players develop and start to flourish within the band, of particular pride has been the number of former dev players that were welcomed to the senior band over the years. Thank you all for you kindness. Bob.

We wish Bob well and thank him for his contribution