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Musical
Director : Mel
Hopkin
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After a year's absence the Spalding Water Taxi re-launched and we were there to play. The water level in the River Welland had been very low last year due to a breach in the river bank and it was too low for the River Taxi to operate. The local MP, Sir John Hayes, and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire were present together with the press and local councillors.
We made our annual trip to Moulton Chapel for their parade. We played on a trailer towed by a tractor, with chairs, all provided by the organisers. It was a cold day and there seemed to be fewer people watching than in previous years. We started from Woodgate Farm and moved up to the Community Centre where the parade set off at 3.00pm. The parade goes through the village until it gets to Eaugate Road when it turns round and goes back, but we have to wait until the rest of the parade catches up as the road is not wide enough! Always a pleasant event.
Thu 8th May
- VE Day Celebrations We played for the lighting of the Beacon on the junction of Spalding Road and Wignals Gate. We started playing at 8.00pm with popular incidental music; then had a break and returned to play appropriate patriotic music until the beacon was lit at 9.30pm.
After a lot of uncertainty, we again took part in the Spalding Tulip Parade - the 3rd one of the current era. Most of us arrived at 9.00am as we had to decorate the lorry with balloons and floral display (thanks Stephanie). Fortunately chairs had been provided for us by Springfields but they had to be tied in place. There was only parking available on site for one vehicle (the organisers said we should put all our instruments and equipment in that one car, and we travel in on the Park and Ride from the rugby club!) so most of us parked in the Springfields Shopping Centre car park. We had to provide our own Marshalls to walk alongside our float/lorry. Thanks Graeme and Oscar Stroud, Tom Sewell and Jock Mellon (all from our learner groups). At 10.00am the Marshalls had to attend an instruction meeting. The parade was due to set off from Springfields Arena at 11.00am and we were at the end of the parade. The parade did not start moving until about 11.30 and it was another 20 minutes before got going.Fortunately there were no delays on the route and we got back just after 1.00pm. We played some music from musicals (which was this year’s theme) as well as some of Simon Paul Austin’s brilliant Flower Parade compositions. Our huge thanks go to Gratton & Son of Whaplode for providing the lorry and for their help in complying with the requirements of the parade organisers.
The Band made a return visit to The Meadows Care Home for its Summer Fayre. It was raining on and off so we played inside, but there was not a lot of room and it was very warm. We did not have any trombones of our own, so were grateful to be joined by Martin Oliver, Rob Norris and Heather Doubleday. Principal Cornet, Matthew Simons, played the cornet solo Spanish Eyes and played it very well.
Spalding’s All Included Music Project (AIMP) were organising a stage at the Moulton Working Weekend, and part of the Harvest Festival Weekend. >We were invited to take part for a 45 minute set. After a lot of changes, we ended up playing jointly with St Nicolas Brass for an hour and a half. The event was at the ‘Working Field’ near Moulton. It was a very large field! In the distance we could see tractors working. We were in front of a stage; there were some bales for an audience but very few people. We had a break half way through during which there was a heavy shower. The stage was the back of a lorry with difficult access, so we set up in front.
We had a welcome return to the Moulton Community Centre for their Last Night of the Proms concert. Our last visit was in 2018 when we had a larger band. We played popular music in the first halfthen played Proms music in the second half. We played 'Classical Brass' which starts with the 'Barber of Seville' and includes the works of Rossini, Grieg, Liszt, Mendelssohn (& others). We also played a new piece 'Johann Strauss: the Waltz King' based on the Blue Danube Waltz with excerpts from many of his waltzes. Of course we played 'Fantasia on British Sea Songs, Jerusalem, Land of Hope and Glory (the Trio from Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1) and also played the Trio from March No. 4. We were given a great welcome by the capacity audience and had a standing ovation at the end. We were asked to play an encore; after some deliberation we decided on 'Sweet Caroline' which proved to be very popular.
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