Chris Helme
John Newton b: 24.7.1725 – d: 21.12.1807 an English Anglican clergyman, Captain of slave ships and investor of trade. Served as a sailor in the Royal Navy for a period after forced recruitment.
He went to sea at a young age working on slave ships in the slave trade for several years. In 1745, he himself became a slave of Princess Peye, a woman of the Sherbro people. He was rescued, returned to sea and the trade, becoming Captain of several slave ships. After retiring from active seafaring, he continued to invest in the slave trade. Some years after experiencing a conversion to Christianity, Newton later renounced his trade and became a prominent supporter of abolitionism. He was ordained as a Church of England clergyman and served as parish priest at Olney, Buckinghamshire, for two decades. He also wrote hymns, including ‘Amazing Grace’.
He lived to see the British Empire’s abolition of the African slave trade in 1807, just months before his death.
In 1767 poet William Cowper moved to Olney. He worshipped in Newton's church and collaborated with him on a volume of hymns; it was published as Olney Hymns in 1779.
Newton's wife Mary Catlett died in 1790, after which he published Letters to a Wife (1793), in which he expressed his grief. Plagued by ill health and poor eyesight, He died in London and . buried beside his wife in St. Mary Woolnoth in London. Both were reinterred at the Church of St Peter and Paul in Olney in 1893.
The town of Newton in Sierra Leone is named after him. To this day his former town of Olney provides philanthropy for the African town.
It will be at least 50 yers since this photograph was taken of Brighouse town centre. Knowing what the town centre is like today you can clearly see how much of the centre was demolished for the bypass to carve its way through the town. Particularly the buildings in the small narrow streets behind Commercial Street.
Michael Antrobus the Liverpool-born trumpet player and conductor, served many years as a musician in the military and orchestras, as well as being Resident Conductor of Black Dyke Mills Band from 1978-81, moved to Norway in 1981 to work as a teacher at Manger Folkehøgskule. From the very first day, he made a huge impact on the Norwegian banding movement. He became the musical director of Manger Musikklag, Eikanger-Bjorsvik, Stavanger Brass Band, Tertnes Brass and several more.
He opened the eyes and ears of musicians and audience to a brand-new type of music, with concerts and projects and tutoring. He also gave so many memorable moments from the podium, both with his witty introductions and through his utter dedication to making music. Whenever he was on the podium, the audience knew that they would get something special.
Michael passed away in 2016 and conducted to the very end of his life; it was only a few days before his death that he had his last rehearsal with Montebello Brass, preparing - as he said - true music (A Moorside Suite) for the Siddis Brass contest in November!
We are featuring one of his daughter's solo arrangements on this week's show.
Enjoy
Today's featured photograph dates back to June 22, 1911, and the coronation celebrations for the new King George V and Queen Mary. This is the preparation spit for the ox roasting at the Rastrick cricket ground. Having seen a photograph of the huge ox before its roasting it must have taken hours to cook and there would have been enough meat to feed the community for days in meat sandwiches.
The concept of a company having its own ‘…works band…’ is something that has long since been confined to the history books. Sponsorship, however, from industry and commerce, has provided valuable support to many bands and has gone some way to filling the void after the works band era came to an end.
Let me take you back to the 1950s and the Ferodo Works Band, a name that will mean little to younger brass band followers but those of us, well, let us say of a certain age will remember.
The Ferodo Works Band, based in Chapel-en-le-Frith was created during the early 1950s. It was hoped that it would become the third ‘F’ in the North West and join the illustrious Fairey Aviation Works Band at Stockport and the Foden Motors Works Band at Sandbach, who were the first two ‘F’s.
In 1951 Frank Moss was Musical Director of the then 2nd Section Chapel-en-le-Frith Band and was employed at the local Ferodo factory and was tasked by the Ferodo management to recruit suitable brass players to form a new company band. Frank and the new band held their first rehearsal in October 1951.
In 1953 George W. Hespe (1915 – 1979) LRAM ARCM was appointed the new Musical Director, who after a successful career in the services decided to leave and turn his hand to conducting brass bands. In his early years, these included the Sheffield Police Military Band, and the Sheffield Transport Band. He rose to prominence conducting Ferodo in 1955 when the band became British Open Champions, playing Erik Leidzen’s ‘…Sinfonietta for Brass Band….‘
That day finally arrived in 1955 when the band was awarded first place and crowned British Open Champions
By 1957, a number of problems had arisen in the band, in 1958 the company decided to close the band down following its last performance at New Brighton.
Wellholme Park Children’s Centre has been serving Brighouse families since its opening day on Saturday 12, September 1942. It was opened as the Wellholme Day Nursery by the Chairman of the Brighouse Health Committee, Alderman Ben Asquith, in company with the Mayor Alderman Herbert Womersley JP.
My featured photograph is showing the junction of Bonegate Road and Old Lane in Brighouse, but what was the date when these children were caught on camera?
Hello Brass Banders - This is the last show for 2020 and has a wide and diverse choice of Christmas music for you to enjoy. This month is the anniversary of the show being on weekly for the last 13 years and I look forward to the next 13 or however many more years the show will be heard around the world.
Thank you for listening over the last 12 months and for all the messages, emails and requests that have been sent.
I wish you all a Happy New Year and let us hope that 2021 will at some stage take us back to what we used to call normality.
If you have a request or a question about the world of brass bands you can always contact me through my email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Best Wishes
Chris
The Household Troops Band
Amsterdam Staff Band
BMs: Carl Saunders (HTB)
Olaf Ritman (ASB)
Recording: SP&S CD435
Today's image is courtesy of www.heatherhorsley.com - Illustrator.
Whilst Christmas and the New Year are not going to be the same as usual. I take this opportunity of sending my best wishes that you have the best Christmas you can whilst staying safe and still managing to enjoy yourselves. Hopefully, as the New Year opens and the vaccine is administered to more and more of us things should get better and we can all have a happy New Year...
Enjoy the show
Chris...
Talks Available
All the presentations are timed to last up to an hour except where shown - questions are gladly taken after the presentation. All have been presented to male, female and mixed audiences of varying age groups.
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A Postcard from the Past
The Sunny Vale Pleasure Gardens, Halifax - Yorkshire’s Alton Towers of the…
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All in a Days Work
Reminiscences from 30 years in the Police Service – (humorous lecture presentation)…
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Legends from the world of Brass Bands
(Info-tainment – digital slides & music) – 1 hour presentation.
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A Week in May
A story based on the Murder of Lord Frederick Cavendish (of the…
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Memories of Christmas Past
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The Road to Publication
In 1979 I was asked to assist in presenting a series of…
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Holiday Memories from the Past
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How we used to live
We have all seen and experienced changes in our lives. Bring back…
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Other Folks Rubbish (Not suited to a Zoom presentation)
With a local history theme… – (thought provoking humorous lecture presentation) –…
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So you want to be a Pirate ? - The life of a Pirate was not all that it seemed
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Superstitions, New Year Resolutions and the Origins of St Valentine's Day
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Brighouse at Work
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Sorry but I am not able to accept any more face to face talk bookings at the present time ONLY ZOOM TALKS
