Maisie Ringham MBE (June 1924 – 3 December 2016), later Maisie Ringham-Wiggins, was a British musician. She was the first woman to be a principal trombonist in a British orchestra.

Ringham was born in Woolwich, London. Her parents were both musical, as were two uncles and several male cousins. Having taught herself the basics of how to play the euphonium at the age of six she began to study the trombone at the age of 10 with her father as her first teacher. A year later, she took part in a Divisional Young People's Festival in Ipswich, giving an impromptu performance of "Unfathomed Love". The solo was such a success that she was regularly appearing in Salvationist concerts and other events as "The Wonder Girl Trombonist".

Ringham began to take lessons with George Maxted, principal trombone of the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Junior department of Trinity College of Music (now Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance) however her studies with Maxted were disrupted due to her evacuation from London during World War II. In 1941 she was awarded the Candlin Wind Scholarship to study at the Royal Manchester College of Music (now the Royal Northern College of Music) where she studied until 1944. Whilst still a student Ringham featured as a soloist on several recordings and was the college's first trombonist to earn a performer's diploma.

She lived with relatives in Cardiff during World War II.

Ringham played in the BBC Midland Light Orchestra after college. She was invited to join the Hallé Orchestra in 1944 by John Barbirolli, and in that context became the first woman to be a principal trombonist in a British orchestra. She remained with the Hallé Orchestra until 1955. She made several recordings in 1946, and had several trombone compositions written for her, including works by Erik Leidzen and Ray Steadman-Allen.

Ringham taught trombone and continued performing with Salvation Army bands into her later years. For a time she was the denomination's only female bandmaster in the British Territory, and was bandmaster of the London Ladies Brass. She was made a Member of the British Empire in 2011, "for services to music", and accepted the honour "on behalf of all female trombonists, everywhere!" In 2016, she received the Sheila Tracy Award from the British Trombone Society.

Trombonist Edward Solomon was one of her students and was invited to play at her funeral.

Towards the end of her life, she ran the Herga Swing Band in Northwood. She once told off a trumpeter for ‘flourishing’ during a performance of The Muppet Show theme tune. He replied that this was a swing band and improvisation was part of the ethos. Uniquely Maisie would conduct the big band like an orchestra and hit the table with her stick whilst doing so to keep the tempo.

Ringham married a fellow trombonist, Ray Wiggins, in 1950. They had two children. She died in December 2016, aged 92 years. Trombonist Dudley Bright recalled Maisie Ringham as "a remarkable lady trombonist in a man's world."^[

Maisie was a keen football fan and would often go and watch Tottenham Hotspur Ladies.

We are featuring Maisie on this week's show playing G.F.Handel's "Sound an Alarm" accompanied by the Tottenham Citadel Band with Bandmaster James Williams in 1961.

Frédéric Devreese (2 June 1929 – 28 September 2020) was a Belgian composer of mostly orchestral, chamber and piano works that have been performed throughout the world; he was also active as a conductor. Devreese is known for his film scores, including Benvenuta by André Delvaux and The Cruel Embrace by Marion Hänsel.

Born in Amsterdam, Devreese received his first musical training from his father, the composer-conductor Godfried Devereese (1893–1972).

He studied composition with Marcel Poot and conducting with ReneDefossez in Brussels, composition with Ildebrando Pizzetti at the Accademia Santa Cecilia in Rome from 1952 to 1955 and conducting with Hans Swarowsky at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna in 1955–56.

Devreese composed music for piano, chamber music, orchestra, choir, opera and ballet, but became widely known initially for his film scores. In addition, he wrote the imposed work for the Reine Elisabeth music competition in Brussels (1983, Concerto No. 4) and the Adolphe Sax competition in Dinant (1998, Ostinati).

He served as conductor of the BRT Philharmonic Orchestra and guest-conducted orchestras throughout the world. For his recordings for Marco Polo's series Anthology of Flemish Music, he was nominated for the Cultural Ambassador of Flanders in 1996–97.

He was married to Annie De Clerck.

He only composed one full piece for brass bands and we are featuring this work on today's show played by the Desford Colliery Band MD: Jan de Haan - 2001.

The first half of the show has the theme word 'fire' in the music title. It is Bonfire Night on November 5th here in the UK and the occasion we have what is called Guy Fawkes night. This sees bonfires, fireworks, bonfire comestibles and lots of fun but always remembering to stay safe whilst around the bonfire and in particular the fireworks themselves.

The name our overseas listeners will want to know about is Guy Fawkes and traditionally it is his effigy that is either thrown on the bonfire or is built around it. He and his associates plotted in 1605 to blow up the House of Lords Parliament building in London. If you wish to know more about their dastardly deed which did not materialise please read this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes... He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. But at his execution on January 31, 1606, he died when his neck was broken as he was hanged. Some claim that he deliberately jumped to make it happen, avoiding the agony of his sentence.

In the year 2000 Thomas Trachsel (b:1972), completed his studies as a band conductor at the College of Music in Bern with great honour. Thereafter he attended a master class with Andreas Spörri. He then worked as a conductor and guest conductor of various wind orchestras and brass bands as well as a teacher of music theory and music history. He also worked as an expert in competitions and music festivals. He is a freelance composer and wrote, among other things commissioned, works for the Federal Music Festival and the National Youth Brass Band. The musical language in his work is based on the late romantic tradition, with contemporary elements.

On this week's show we are featuring his Symphonic Requiem played by the Scottish Co-op Band MD: Dr Robert Childs in 2003.

Joseph-Hector Fiocco (20 January 1703 – 21 June 1741), born in Brussels, was a composer and harpsichordist of the late Baroque period (1680–1750).

His father, the Italian composer Pietro Antonio Fiocco, and one of his older stepbrother Jean-Joseph Fiocco gave him much of his musical education.

He also learned Greek and Latin well enough to be able to become a school teacher in both those subjects.

Joseph Hector Fiocco worked under his stepbrother's direction at the Ducal Chapel of the Notre-Dame du Sablon most sources cite some time before 1730. In 1730, Joseph Hector became sous-maitre (submaster) of the Notre-Dame du Sablon; he did not keep this position for long, because he resigned in 1731 to become sangmeester (choirmaster) at Antwerp Cathedral.

At Antwerp (1731–37) he was in charge of the music. In 1737 he returned to his birthplace and worked in the collegiate church of St. Michael and St. Gudula. He died in Brussels at the age of 38.

On this week’s show we are featuring Robert Childs solo performance of his arrangement of Arioso and Allegro by Joseph-Hector Fiocco accompanied by the Black dyke Mills Band conducted by James Watson in 1996.  

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897 – November 29, 1957) was a Moravian-born American composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential composers in Hollywood history. He was a noted pianist and composer of classical music, along with music for Hollywood films, and the first composer of international stature to write Hollywood scores

When he was 11, his ballet Der Schneemann (The Snowman), became a sensation in Vienna, followed by his Second Piano Sonata, which he wrote at age 13, which was played throughout Europe. His one-act operas Violanta and Der Ring des Polykrates were premiered in Munich in 1916. At 23, his opera Die tote Stadt (The Dead City) premiered in Hamburg and Cologne. In 1921 he conducted the Hamburg Opera. 

During the 1920s he re-orchestrated, re-arranged and nearly re-composed several operettas by Johann Strauss ll. By 1931 he was a professor of music at the Vienna State Academy.

In 1939, he wrote his Die Kathrin Op. 28 opera and it is the Letter Song from this opera we are featuring in this week's show. 

He lived in Los Angeles, not far from Warner Brothers Studio, where he worked. In October 1956 he suffered a severe stroke and although he partially recovered, he endured many physical and emotional difficulties before his death on November 29, at the age of 60, the following year.

From October 2, 2023 the postage prices have gone up again.    This will make a difference to the subscriber copies of the Brighouse and District Heritage Newseum magazine. The cost of the 4 issue subscription was £23.60 but as from today it will be £26.20. That increase is purely because of the postage increase of 2nd class large letters which is the required postage for the magazine. The price of the magazine stays the same £3.95.. I look forward to your contin ued support. 

Sorry, no new concert today...Normal service will resume on Sunday, October 15, 2023...

Sorry, no new concert today...Normal service will resume on Sunday, October 15, 2023...