• 

Began his banding career in 1952 with Blockley Brass Band in the North Cotswolds, in his home village. His playing had progressed sufficiently for him to take part in the Coronation festivities in 1953, on second trombone. David stayed with the band until he went to college. A highlight was when he appeared on the BBC programme “Down Your Way” and talked about the band, with the result that John Collier, head of the multiple tailoring chain, presented the band with a full set of uniforms.

Whilst at College he played on a few occasions with the Abingdon Band and always went back to Blockley in the holidays but otherwise had little chance to play.

In 1959 he went to teach at The Royal Grammar School in Worcester where he started a brass group.

On moving to Suffolk in 1963 he started a band in the new school and joined Newmarket Town Band on First Trombone. He also made his first steps in conducting with an evening institute band at Beyton
and was able to take his young players along with him.

He moved to Germany in 1966 to teach in a school for the children of British Army personnel and once again, started a band.

In 1972 David and his family returned to England. He took up a post in Redditch in Worcestershire and soon became involved with the Alcester Silver Band, where he played euphonium and later conducted for eight years. He started a group of learners which grew rapidly and became a Youth Band, at one time numbering over sixty. He was also asked to conduct the Bretforton Silver Band on a trip to Germany. On return, they asked him to continue. Dave explained that he already had too many commitments but agreed to help until they found someone else. That took eighteen years!

In the late seventies he made the Youth Band his priority. They eventually became Arrow Valley Brass. Under his guidance they progressed, began contesting and have eventually reached the Second Section. They now sponsor their own training group. Dave has conducted the band for the whole of its thirty or so years. The only time that he has missed more than the odd rehearsal was in 2002 when a period of illness kept him away for several weeks. He was soon back, sitting on a table to conduct till things improved.

David enjoyed a career in Education which saw him become Chief Education Officer for Hereford and Worcester. He never allowed his banding activities to lapse and valued them as a break from the duties of office. He was asked to join the West Midlands Association and through them, the British Federation of Brass Bands. He became Chairman of the Federation in the early nineties and held that position for over ten years, helping to establish a National Office and to see considerable development. His illness saw this work curtailed. He is now a Vice-President.

In addition to continuing to conduct Arrow Valley, he has found his way, since retirement, back to Blockley. Having gone “for a blow” he is now conducting them in an effort to re-vitalise the band which saw him start. He is also helping with a beginners group in a local school.

 

• From school, Derek entered the British Army as a Tuba player – Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Armoured Corps, Dorset. Derek served for two years at JL leaving with the rank of Junior Sergeant. He then joined his appointed Regimental Band – Her Majesty's 1st The Royal Dragoons, and served in England, Malaya, Hong Kong and The Philippines.

  On returning to England he entered Knellar Hall, the Royal Military School of Music. After a year’s tuition, now playing Tuba and Bass Trombone he returned to his band.

  The band was amalgamated with the Household Cavalry – The Blues, to form the Band of The Blues & Royals one of the two only mounted bands within the British Army. After a short illness he left the Army and returned home to Haydock.

  Derek entered the William Booth Memorial Training College and in 1968 became a commissioned Officer of the Salvation Army, serving in London, Wales and Cornwall.

  In 1973 Derek returned home to Haydock, and took up a position within Local Government within the Social Services Dept. specialising in the care of the mentally ill. Due to promotion he was made Principal Officer and managed the training of unqualified Social Worker and volunteers.

  Derek retired in 1992. He now plays with Merseyside (Liverpool) Police Band and is Chair of their Management Group.

  Brass Band History.

  Started playing with The Salvation Army at the age of 11.

  When 14 appointed assistant MD, teaching many of the youngsters joining the Band.

  Army service (see above)

  1974 with an old friend Mr Charles Fradley created a Youth Band via two schools in the area. Mr Fradley looking after the musical side while Derek took care of all the management and administration.

  The Haydock & Ashton Y.B. was very successful in the contesting arena and won three Gold Medals attending the Music Festival in Kerkrade, Netherlands. The band progressed and became a senior band sponsored by a local brewery and is still a successful local band.

  In 1986 appointed Secretary of Preston District North West Area Brass Band Association.

  An Executive member of NWABBA.

  In 2000 a new Association was formed – North West Counties BBA becoming Secretary & Treasurer.

  Is Secretary/ Treasurer for Lancashire Contests.

  2004 became an Ex.Member of BFBB.

  BFBB responsible for their News Letter – Inform. Administration of members CRB checks – child protection.

  In 2008 was appointed to the Executive Committee of the European Brass Band Association.

  Contest Controller of;

  Burtonwood Brewery BBC
  NWCBBA Annual Championships
  NWCBBA Slow Melody Contest.
  Tameside Youth Festival.
  English National BBC

  Ex. Wilkinsons Northern Open Championships – St.Helens, Lancashire.

  Joint Controller ( with friend Frank Hodges )

  British Open Championship
  British Open Solo Contest
  British Open Spring Festival
  Pontin's Brass Band Championships
  Pontin’s Youth Championships
  Tameside Open
  JJB March Contest

  NWCBBA team assist BFBB at the national Youth Championships.

  Since retirement Derek spend many hours in his home office promoting and planning events for the Brass Band Movement.

Gary began his musical career at the age of 14 playing cornet with Heywood Old Brass Band, where he was always first to arrive to stoke up the coal fire to warm the room ready for rehearsal.

At eighteen he travelled south to qualify as a teacher of PE and music at Nonnington College of Higher Education in Kent.

Returning to Rochdale Gary intended to utilise his advanced skills in PE and further his career in rugby league having secured a professional contract with Oldham Rugby League Football Club. However, his appointment at Wardle High School was to see a major shift in Gary’s ambitions.

Wardle High School opened in 1978 and for the first twelve months was accommodated in the upper floors of an old Victorian School in the centre of Rochdale. Gary had been charged with the responsibility of engaging the pupils in extra curricular activities and with only one small hall and no external playing fields, a brass band afforded every child the opportunity to get involved – and so the Wardle phenomenon was born.

With the support of the founding Headteacher, the late Mr William Anderson, Gary set about providing an instrument and free tuition for any child that wanted to play. In the first year seventy per cent of the pupils attending this newly opened school were bitten by the brass band bug. Gary estimates that in the thirty one years that the school has been open, over two thousand young people have been involved in music making at Wardle, a direct result of that first policy to make music available to all.

Gary’s strength was his innovation in developing exciting entertainment programmes, fusing the arts (drama, dance & voice) to enhance the performance and his openness to learn from others. He invited many notable figures from the brass band movement to work with the children in school, including Richard Evans, Professor David King, Gary Cutt and the Childs Brothers. His links with Dr Roy Newsom saw the school hosting many international bands, the most recent being the Suzumi Ladies Brass Band from Japan. This is a tradition which continues and Mr Lee Rigg, school band conductor, and Mr Paul Lovatt- Cooper Head of Music and both members of Black Dyke regularly invite colleagues from the band to feature in concerts with the young players.

In 1985, with the support of parents and colleagues from Wardle High School, Gary held the first Action Research Youth Entertainment Festival at the Queen Elizabeth Halls in Oldham. The aim of this event was to provide a prestigious event for Youth Bands and raise money to fund the valuable work of the charity Action Medical Research. As this charity is primarily involved in funding research into childhood illness the idea of children helping children was its appeal for Gary. With only a gap of one year when the event moved from Oldham to Blackpool this is now one of the premier youth entertainment contests in the UK. Each year the ballroom of the Wintergardens in Blackpool is filled to capacity as the country's top youth bands compete for the title of Youth Brass Band Entertainment Champions of Great Britain. Through this event, young players from within the brass band movement have raised in excess of a quarter of a million pounds for the charity.

In 1998 Gary turned his attention to supporting young people in his role as Youth Development Officer for the British Federation of Brass Bands. In his tenure of office the British Federation has developed a youth policy and guidelines for good practice in youth brass bands, and hosted youth brass band forums. With the support of Arnold Tattersfield Gary now leads the administration of the National Youth Brass Band Championships .

In 2007 Gary was awarded the Mortimer Medal by The worshipful Company of Musicians services for the teaching of young people in the brass band movement.

Always keen to support talented young musicians, Gary, and his wife Monica, now head the house staff at the National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain and provide a lively programme of activities to engage the young players between rehearsals.

Gary has dedicated his life to Wardle High School and to the development of opportunities for young people throughout Britain. And what of the rugby? He retired gracefully in 1987 to commit his time further to the youth brass band scene.

Arnold has been connected with brass bands since his children joined Horbury Victoria Band thirty two years ago.

He has been secretary of the band for 30 years and even though he cannot read ‘ a note of music that is!’ gains great pleasure from being involved, even playing the marching drum for the Remembrance Parade. He is also Chairman of Huddersfield & District Brass Band Association.

Arnold has been a BFBB Executive Committee Member for 10 years and works diligently in whatever capacity he is asked to.

His main love is Youth Bands and he serves on the National Youth Championships Committee administered and run by BFBB at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.

 

Coming from a background of teaching and local politics, Shirley Woodward has thirty years experience of administrative work with Brass Bands in the North West of England.

She started her involvement with brass bands as Librarian and Band Secretary of Bold Miners’ Band, St. Helens. Mentored by Stan Winter, she had a thorough grounding in contest organisation. Whilst serving as Minute Secretary to the Preston District, she was ‘head hunted’ by the late Don Redfern to take on the roll of High Peak District Secretary. This involved being Contest Organiser for the Buxton Brass Band Festival and to date she has notched up her 18th year in charge of the popular contest.

Shirley became General Secretary of the North West Area Brass Bands Association in 1993, an office which takes up much of her time. She was recently instrumental in setting up their website and enjoys the computer work involved.

She is Chairman of the North West Regional Championships Executive Committee.
As a long serving member of the BFBB Executive Committee, her main interests are the concerns of lower section and non-contesting bands and above all, the involvement of young people in banding. Her artistic and computer skills are used in producing the programme for the National Youth Brass Band Championships.