featured – Carlton Brass

New faces

14th October 202114th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

We've been having a terrific last few months finding our lips again, and we've managed to find some new friends along the way. We have an almost full band now (just need a cornet or two) and are delighted that these new players have agreed to join us. New members We are pleased to welcome: Katherine Spencer on trombone, Eve Foley on cornet, John Newberry on Euphonium, (er, what is Ken doing there?) Craig Anderson on Bb Bass and Tony Magee on Eb Bass. Not shown, but also very welcome along, is Heather Denholm on cornet. Craig is back for his third stint with the band, and it is great to see him again. Tony lives in Fife, but that hasn't stopped him making his way to rehearsals (although his local job helps). Ken Dunkin is representing the old school of Carlton Brass, having joined the organisation before any of the other members of the band were even born. He's still bringing his superb...

Tony Wilson Returns

8th September 20218th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

Carlton Brass are very happy to announce that Tony Wilson has agreed to be the band's Musical Director. Tony has been immensely helpful during recent months, picking up the baton and enabling rehearsals during the current difficult times. He has enjoyed conducting us and we are delighted that he has agreed to take us through to the 2022 Regional Content next March, with a view to staying on beyond that. Tony has previously conducted the band during one of our most successful periods, bringing the band from the fourth section back in 1999 all the way through to the first section. No other conductor has earned more first places for Carlton Brass, and we will be aiming for further podium finishes once the contest season restarts. He brings a wealth of musical experience and an abundance of enthusiasm that will help motivate the band, whilst having lots of fun along the way. Tony acknowledges that a lot of hard work lies ahead,...

Back in the Bandroom

25th August 20218th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

2020 was a bit rubbish, wasn't it? The last eighteen months have been hugely difficult for everyone during this global pandemic, and while it is far from over we are starting to see some relaxation of the restrictions that have limited our banding activities. The priority during Covid has always been the safety of ourselves and our loved ones. While we have not been able to play together for the longest time we have understood the reasons for staying home - playing a brass instrument inside with 25 other people was not safe. We have been at home practising on our own since our last performance in March 2020 at the Regional Championships. We have had to put aside doing the thing we love for so long, but for very good reasons. Burton Joyce Village Hall We haven't been entirely inactive though. In-between lockdowns it was possible for us to rehearse outside, and while this has meant being at the mercy of the...

Ready for the Regionals

6th March 202010th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

The 2020 Area contest is just around the corner - tomorrow! - and we will be finishing off our preparations of the test piece (Tom Davoren's excellent Legacy) tonight. We've had some excellent rehearsals recently under the direction of Geoff Wood - along with the assistance of Tony Wilson - and we are primed to give as good a performance in Bedworth for many a year. The band is sounding great! Gary Glover - solo euphonium Helping us get to this stage are a number of new players, some of which we have seen before. We have been looking for a solo euphonium player for a little while and we are really pleased to welcome Gary Glover to the band - again. Gary has previous form with Carlton, both as a player and as musical director. He is an exceptional musician and we are very pleased to have him back with us. Trombones Our trombone section has also been bolstered with two new...

Concert: St Paul’s

22nd September 201910th January 2022 By Dave Rutt Comment Closed

The Carlton Band Organisation has a long history - nearly 120 years now - and we are proud of our heritage. The first band emerged in 1902 from the Netherfield Railway, and while the train link is no longer with us we still play in the same Nottingham district. The main band - Carlton Brass - moved into our new band room late last year on Meadow Road, Netherfield. The train line is nearby and our link to Netherfield is secured for many more years. Our organisation also has an amazing second band called Burton Joyce Community Brass (BJCB) who share rehearsal space with the main band while also rehearsing once a week in Burton Joyce. They have been encouraging local budding musicians to their cause for many years and have a diverse mix of old and young. There is a growing set of learners too. Yesterday afternoon saw our whole wonderful organisation get together for a free concert at St Paul's Church...

Reinforcements: assemble

10th May 201914th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

Attention! Our army of brass enthusiasts is in need of a few new players due to busy lives, work and health reasons. We would love to see some new recruits in our ranks; could this be your time to shine? We particularly need: Solo tromboneCornets (either front or back row)Eb BassPercussion Our long-serving officer Captain Carlin has recently de-mobbed into Big Band circles. He’s been playing with us for over 18 years and has been an incredible servant to the band. We wish him the very best in his new trombone adventures, where we are sure his jazz chops will be greatly appreciated. Players of any position are always welcome to come down for a blow. We are a friendly bunch and under new direction: Gary Glover has been doing a fantastic job in his first few rehearsals. Anyone interested should contact our new Chairman Andy McCormack on 07882305141 or email info@carltonbrass.co.uk. ...

French Open 2018

5th June 201810th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

Saturday the 2nd June saw Carlton Brass take part in the 24th French Open in Amboise. This is a contest open to international entries; the band being drawn against competitors from France, the Netherlands, Norway, Jersey and a number of UK bands. This was the first time Carlton has entered this competition and our first trip abroad in over ten years. It is also the first time in living memory that we have competed against our (almost) namesakes at Carlton Main Frickley. The contest takes in three components - a March (very much like the Whit Friday Marches), a 25 minute programme that includes a test piece, and a 30 minute outside entertainment programme to a local audience. This all takes place in the medieval town of Amboise in the Loire Valley region of France. It is a very beautiful location for a contest, especially for the march and entertainment stages which are set in the shadows of the stunning Chateau...

NEMBBA 2018

27th February 201810th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

The North East Midlands Brass Band contest arrives around this time each year, usually two weeks before the Regional Contest. Bands are encouraged to enter as we are required to play the same test piece as the Regional Contest and we will receive some very useful feedback from the adjudicator that will be helpful later on. Carlton Brass enter every year, and this year saw four bands compete in the First Section - two from Yorkshire (Chapeltown and Hade Edge) and two from the Midlands (us and our friends over at Leicester Co-op). We all attempted to play James Curnow's excellent test piece Brass Metamorphosis - one of his lesser-known compositions, but full of great music and a true test of any first section band. None of the bands escaped without a few mistakes but Carlton played our best performance of the piece yet and claimed an excellent second place against very good competition. Chapeltown took the honours with an excellent-sounding version,...

Supporting the brass band movement

12th April 201710th January 2022 By Steve RydelNo Comments

It's with great pleasure we can now announce a partnership with local transport operator Nottingham City Transport (NCT). NCT have taken a keen interest in helping to keep the brass band tradition alive and will be supporting our training band in the coming year. Their press release follows: Nottingham City Transport has announced its support for the Carlton Brass Training Band in a new partnership that will see Nottingham’s principal bus operator help to secure the local brass instrument talent of the future. For the year ahead at least, the city’s award-winning bus company has sponsored what will now be known as ‘Carlton Brass Training Band in association with NCT’. The band relies on bookings for performances to keep them going financially, and their new partnership will now be displayed on concert programmes and on promotional banners at these events from now on. This joint venture came about thanks to one of NCT’s drivers – who plays the cornet in the band. “Last year...

Farewell Wink

10th July 201610th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

It is with much sadness that Carlton Brass announce that MD Paul 'Wink' Watson has resigned from the band, due to ill health. Wink has been conducting us for the last two years, achieving some excellent results - not least directing us to be the 2015 second section champions and gaining an excellent 4th at the subsequent National Finals, our first Finals visit for 14 years. He took us to NEMBBA success in the same year, along with promotion back into the first section. Prior to this Wink was the 'powerhouse' of our band bottom end, playing solo baritone for many years. He has been a member of the Carlton Organisation for large parts of the past 40 years - starting playing with the Carlton Silver band all the way back in 1975 - and has been a wonderful ambassador for us throughout. He has many friends at Carlton Brass and we are going to miss him very much. We do hope that he...