Charity Brass Band Concerts 2010 and 2011
The Rotary Club of Rochdale organised a St George's Day Charity Concert at Heywood Civic Hall on the evening of Saturday 23rd April 2011.
The Rossendale Male Voice Choir, conducted by Kate Shipway, and Ashton Brass Band with its conductor Martin Evans featured on this musical evening.
The funds raised are in aid of The Christie Hospital (Oldham) and Migraine Action . These are both very worthwhile charities and have been nominated by the Rotary Club's President John Cannell during his year in office.
Rotarian Tom Hobson, who was in charge of organising the concert said " This was a great evening. Both Rossendale Male Voice Choir and Ashton Brass Band were top rate".
Over 150 people attended a great musical evening with more than £750 made for the above charities.Many thanks to Heywood Civic Hall staff for their efficient service allowing the event to run smoothly and to the musicians ,singers and audience who made it such a memorable occasion
Last Years event May 10th 2010 The Sounding Brass and Voices Concert at Gracie Field's theatre was another resounding success. The Milnrow Cooperative Band under Andrew White started the proceedings with The Dam Busters theme and all was just quality music after that. .'I dreamed a dream' really mesmerised the audience with back-tingling musicianship. A fourteen year old musical prodigy Owen Middlemass with lightening hands on the xylophone gave an exceptional rendition of Bach's toccata and fugue.
The audience were charmed by the Rochdale Girls choir singing so beautifully under direction of Christine Willis 'A Cat Called Alexander' (including a marvelous miaoow) and 'Humpty Dumpty' contrasted with the Spritual 'Steal Away' and 'Beautiful December'. Their youthful enthusiasm and enjoyment of their singing never waned and later were unrestrained in Flag Waving finale
The youthful Wardle Anderson Brass and Sean Conway started with a robust Olympic fanfare with playing full of energy and gusto. Amy Smith a charming tall blondhaired Euphonium player mastered this difficult instrument producing a controlled graceful performance of 'La Belle Americaine'
Then up stood Mr Brass Band himself - Dr .Roy Newsome (photo in Galery) -ex presenter of Radio 2's 'listen to the band' and over 30 years conducting, lecturing and adjudicating. He has spent his life promoting Brass band music in many countries and he conducted the finale of the combined Milnrow and Wardle Bands.
Our very own Tenor soloist Peter Ruane was in fine voice with a rendition of Nessum Dorma. The girls choir sang Jerusalem and the whole performance rounded off with Pomp and Circumstance to a whirl of hundreds of Union Jacks.
The Gracie Fields theatre was well filled despite the Rochdale Football Clubs open top bus celebration and Samaritans and Petrus Day centre in Rochdale will benefit from the proceeds, Thank you Tom Hobson and everyone for all your efforts