Remarkable Progress Indeed

Well, the last blog update was titled “Progress indeed”. This update has to be titled “Remarkable Progress Indeed”!

Friday 11 July saw and heard Casual Brass play its first concert with its new line up being:-

Louise Hough Director/ Flugle Horn

David Mottershead - Cornet

Sarah Sanders - Cornet

Eve Day - Cornet

Megan Day - Tenor Horn

Jane Day - Trombone

Ian Sanders - Euphonium

Stephen Day - Eb Bass

Guest Percussionist - James Higham

The Concert was arranged by Padgate Methodist Church, as a fund raising event for the Tula Orphanage in Russia. This project is supported by the Methodist Churches in the Warrington Circuit.

Entitled “Bell’s & Brass” we provided the Brass, and Warrington Circuit Hand Bell Ringers provided, The Bells.

It was a wonderful evening of music that was enjoyed by all.

Our contribution to the program included: -

Trumpet Voluntary arr Iveson

Londonderry Air arr A Ralphson

Something Stupid arr Fernie

Swing Low arr Fernie

Let Me Entertain You arr Cameron Mabon

The Entertainer arr Bryce

As Time Goes By arr P H Greenwood

Solitaire arr Corbett

Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho arr.Fernie

Radetsky March arr Ryan

A big thank you to all members of Casual Brass. especially to our guest percussionist for the night, James Higham.

We are now in the position to consider request for further engagements.

Please contact steve1day@aol.com

PS

look out our web site coming soon

Progress indeed; it is with great pleasure that we can announce new members to Casual Brass. Cornet players David Mottershead and Sarah Sanders and Ian Sanders on Euphonium.

We have known David for many years and recall first meeting him at Warrington Silver Band in 1974, where he played principle cornet. We then played together for many years at Greenalls Band and our 10 piece group ‘Take 10’.

Sarah and Ian, we met recently but it feels like we’ve known them much longer. This could possibly be due to the fact we have so much in common. We all played under the baton of Len Andrews in the Warrington Youth Band, where we became girlfriend and boyfriend and subsequently became man and wife. Oh and of course, we all love our music.

We are looking forward to the next GIG when we will be joining Warrington Circuit Bell Ringers at a fund raising concert for the Tula Fund, on 11 July 2008 at Padgate Methodist Church Centre.

Time for giving Thanks & Saying Welcome

Time for giving Thanks & Saying Welcome

Thanks; to those players that have helped along the way giving their time and talents.

Chris Clements

Laura Edwards

Ian Howarth

Louise Hough

Phil Spencer

Welcome; To Louise Hough, who will be the first official player to be joining us! She will be contributing a dual roll by combining both playing the Flugal Horn along with the added responsibility of directing the group musically, putting us through our paces, and working out the best playing combinations in order for us to expand and develop our repertoire!

First and foremost she is enjoying playing (Just as we are) and that is exactly what we want her to do.

Jane and I have known Louise for many years playing in Brass Bands and other combinations together (before our sabbaticals) also as a true friend.

She is employed by Liverpool education music department, and is respected both teaching and conducting a wide range of pupils, from beginners to accomplished musicians. She conducts several bands and musical combinations in her work.

As part of her relaxation she is the Conductor of the Formby Band .

She has achieved some very good results in the contesting side of Brass banding.

Over the coming weeks I will ask her to put pen to paper for inclusion on this Blogg and web site (coming soon).

Blogg update

More information as to how and why Casual Brass is in the process of expanding both in its playing members and its ambitions.

One of our very first adventures came following Deacon Gwynn Banford asking if we could accompany the singing of Christmas carols in Warrington Market in support of the Town Centre Ministries Christmas Service. With Meg and Eve still very much in the early stages of playing brass instruments, that decision was not an easy one, but one that we accepted.
We are all members of Latchford Methodist church and wanted to support our then Minister Gwynn.

When the date of the service arrived, we (the old Days Jane and Stephen) were very proud of the girls on their first outing. They did themselves credit, playing with confidence and helping to achieve a really good feel at that “Market Christmas service”.

Casual Brass was not even a thought at that stage.

Over the last 12 month we have played at several events including A “Fair Trade” event in the “Old Fish Market right in the town Centre, we took part in a wonderful evening of music and talents, organized as a welcome to the Central partnership churches, for our new minister Rev Jackie Bellfield.

We have enjoyed accompanying hymns and playing incidental music at other services with the most recently just a few weeks ago at the Warrington Borough council “Gateway Centre“ just across from the Golden Gates entrance to the Town Hall, this was again in support of the Town centre ministry.

The conception of Casual Brass came about during the run up to Christmas 2007. We were proud to be asked to play in the guest spot at the annual concert given by “Sounds familiar” a well supported local choir, this annual concert is held in support of the Macmillan nurses.

The concert at our home church Latchford Methodist and on such a prestigious annual event, our nervousness was at a high.

We performed a number of new pieces for us and had a great time and a high level of satisfaction from our performance, encouragement enough for us to start and plan a more regular rehearsal program and to consider more performances.

Casual Brass

A new Cheshire based Brass Group is in its early stages of forming.

Jane and Stephen Day, who for many years were part of the Brass Band movement playing in some of the most prestigious bands in the North West, both took sabbaticals in order to bring up their family.

Daughters, Megan and Eve started to play brass instruments a couple of years ago and to support them Jane and Stephen started going along to band practice to have a 'blow'. They are now back playing full time in the local community Band “Warrington Brass” formally “ The Warrington Youth Band”, ironically the Band where they first met .

With Stephen on Eb Bass, Jane on Trombone, Megan on Tenor Horn and Eve on Cornet the quartet have played on a number of occasions for Warrington Borough Ministry events.

Their eldest son, Sean age 18, took to the ice at an early age and has played Ice Hockey at a high level for a number of years. As a junior player he regularly represented the North of England at Conference level. His focus is now on his senior playing and he hopes to be playing in English Division 1 2008-9 season.