One Voice - RMT Fishburn Band's CD costs £10 (plus £1.50 p&p)
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This page was last updated on: 18/7/2018
One Voice
The origin of the Band stems from the mining community of the small village of Fishburn near Sedgefield in the North East of England. At the outset in the early 1950s miners of the local colliery contributed each week towards the upkeep of their village Band. Hard work saw the Band move from being in the lower sections to become a contender in the Championship Section. The Band has a great link with the local community and as a result of fundraising & grants from the Lottery and the Foundation for Sports & the Arts, they now have their own rehearsal facilities in Fishburn. The Band regularly performs in contests & concerts all across the United Kingdom and the association with RMT Union has seen the Band travel to Ireland, Tolpuddle and Burston to march alongside their banners. This CD has been recorded with these events in mind and contains many of the easy listening pieces that play a part of our engagements under the banner of the RMT Union.
RMT is Britain’s largest specialist transport Trade Union. It is the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and has members from almost every sector of the transport industry including road freight, mainline and underground railways, buses, shipping and offshore. Bob Crow, former RMT Union Leader, and Geoff Revell, former National Executive Committee Member, both had strong links with the Band. Unfortunately Bob and Geoff are no longer with us but a contribution from the sale of this CD will include a donation to their designated charities following discussions with family members, namely the British Heart Foundation and Willen Hospice.
Fishburn Band in conjunction with RMT recorded our fourth CD "One Voice" in May 2018 at Hummersknott Academy, County Durham working alongside Richard Scott and the Team from World of Sound, ensuring a smooth operation over the weekend of recording.
Music on the CD includes a wide variety of easy listening pieces that will appeal to all (Please see the Music Playlist below)
The inspiration behind the title of the CD and for inclusion in this entertaining list of pieces on the CD is 'One Voice' by Barry Manilow – Arr. Ray Farr came from Bob Crow - it was one of Bob's wishes that if we ever produced a CD around our links to RMT that it should be titled ‘One Voice’ as he felt it would be a great and fitting representation for the coming together of all people in the Union.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS/THANKS:
Richard Scott and the Team from World of Sound
Hummersknott Academy for the use of their Recording Studio
Audrey Gill, CD booklet Co-ordinator
To all those that assisted in the transporting of the equipment & instruments
RMT Union and members for their unwavering support
The community of Fishburn for their continued support
BOB CROW (Centre)
Bob Crow was a trade union leader who served as General Secretary of RMT until his untimely death in 2014. Born in Essex, Bob Crow’s background was working class, a fact of which he remained proud throughout his life. Under his leadership membership of the RMT Union increased by more than 20,000 to 80,000. Mr Crow was seen by many to be a ‘working class hero’, fighting for the rights of his union members. He would attend rallies and meetings most weekends and was always in demand to support campaigns. It was one of Bob’s wishes that if we ever produced a CD around our links to RMT that it should be titled ‘One Voice’ as he felt it would be a great and fitting representation for the coming together of all people in the Union. The recording of this CD is a fitting legacy to his unwavering support of the partnership between RMT and the Band.
GEOFF REVELL (Left)
Geoff Revell was a member of the National Executive Committee and worked tirelessly for RMT members to improve employment conditions, workplace representation and better pay. Geoff Revell worked alongside Bob Crow on special projects between 2002 and 2014 but had been politically active and in the Union since the 1960s. He was held in high regard by members of the RMT Union and, following his death in 2016, the Band were honoured to be asked to be a part of his funeral. After marching to the Church and playing hymns during the Service, the congregation then followed the Band to the crematorium. We are forever grateful for the input of Geoff who was instrumental in the link being maintained between RMT Union and the Band.
MICK CASH
Mick Cash is the current General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). He was elected to the position in September 2014 following the death of Bob Crow.
It has been said that Mick Cash is certainly ‘a railwayman through and through’, having begun work with British Rail in 1978 in the signal and telegraph department before joining RMT full time in 2002.
When taking on the role of General Secretary Mick Cash commented that ‘there will be no deviation from the industrial, political and organising strategy mapped out by RMT under Bob’s leadership.’
The Band look forward to continuing their link with RMT Union with Mick Cash at the helm.
MUSICAL DIRECTOR – LEWIS WILKINSON
Lewis was born in Durham in 1995. He began playing trombone at school and at the age of 16 joined Fishburn Band on Bass Trombone. After receiving a place at Durham University to study Music, his focus soon shifted to conducting where he led Durham University Brass Band, Opera Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. He received the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Music’ Award from the University’s Chancellor, Sir Thomas Allen, during his time there. Lewis also set up his own orchestra named Orchestra Cipriani and began to receive invitations to conduct brass bands across the North East including, Dunston Silver, Durham Miners’ Association and North Skelton. In 2017 he was a finalist in the National Association of Brass Band Conductors’ Competition where he conducted the famous Foden’s Band and currently holds ‘Best Conductor’ awards from both the Durham and Yorkshire Brass Band Associations. Lewis is currently employed as a brass teacher with Durham Music Service where he has been involved in projects with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in Durham Cathedral and conducts the Durham County Big Band. In addition to this he has a busy conducting schedule including working with the Band.
FEATURED SOLOISTS
JOHN GILL – CORNET SOLO ‘BUSTER STRIKES BACK’
John has been with the Band since 1982 and has enjoyed a successful period in the position of Principal Cornet from 1990 to 2006 and 2008 to present. This period has included many contest successes including a win at the Scottish Open Championships, numerous qualifications for the National Finals of Great Britain whilst picking up several prizes for best Principal Cornet at the North of England Regional Championships and best soloist at a range of other contests. John commenced playing whilst at school in Hartlepool, aged 14, under the tuition of Russ Nicholson and Bill Buckley. He subsequently played with Hartlepool Youth Band, Blackhall Colliery Band and Head Wrightson Works Band (Middlesbrough Brass) prior to joining Fishburn Band and, in recent years, proudly representing RMT. In February 2001 John was responsible for designing and building the Fishburn Band website ‘www.fishburnband.com’ where a great deal of information can be sourced about the Band. John is married to Audrey, who also plays cornet for the Band. They have two children, Alison and Kieran. When it came to selecting a suitable solo to perform on the CD, John chose to play the very enjoyable ‘Buster Strikes Back’ written by the Cornet Virtuoso and Conductor Alan Morrison (an ex-Principal Cornet player of the Band).
KEELEY BRICKLE – BARITONE SOLO ‘THE ROSE’
Keeley has been with the Band for five years and has been a member of Easington and Silksworth Bands in the past. She has been playing Solo Baritone for the last couple of years and is thoroughly enjoying this position. Keeley has chosen to play ‘The Rose’ and would like to dedicate this to her Dad, Jimmy Edwards, who sadly passed away in 2016. Keeley’s husband, Paul, also plays in the Band on cornet and they have 2 girls, Ellis and Laurie.
MICHAEL FRANEY – HORN SOLO ‘OVER THE RAINBOW’
Michael has been connected with music for as long as he can remember. Both his grandfather and father had their own bands and he inherited their love of performing. In 2004 he moved to Wales to study Music Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music where he studied under the renowned Owen Farr. Whilst there he attended many masterclasses from the world’s finest brass players and conductors and played for both the Tredegar and Cory Bands, winning two European titles. Since returning to the North East Michael now teaches for Durham Music Service whilst conducting and playing throughout the area.
JOANNE BEHAN – FLUGEL HORN SOLO ‘HOW GREAT THOU ART’
Joanne started playing cornet in her village band, Lingdale Silver, when she was 11. She later moved to North Skelton Junior Band and eventually became Principal Cornet with Langbaurgh Brass. In the early 1990s she made the move across the road in North Skelton to the British Steel Teesside Band, into the Championship Section after being asked to play the flugel horn. This change proved to be a great success and she hasn’t looked back. In 2001 she joined DUT Yorkshire Imperial Band and two years later Joanne made a move up north to the Reg Vardy Band where she played for almost 8 years. Joanne has played flugel here at the Band for almost 6 years.
DAVID CONWAY – EUPHONIUM SOLO ‘BLAYDON RACES’
David, our Solo Euphonium player, joined the Band in 2017. He has played in North East brass bands from an early age and still enjoys recording, performing and contesting with the Band. On this recording he gives a rendition of Geordie Ridley’s ‘Blaydon Races’ which is considered the unofficial anthem of Tyneside. David is also a choral conductor and trainer and has worked professionally with a number of choirs in collaboration with artists such as Sir Thomas Allen, The King’s Singers, Aled Jones, Lesley Garrett and the Band of the Royal Marines. David is also involved in conducting brass bands in the region and assisted in conducting the Band in one of the recording sessions. He hopes that you enjoy the CD as much as we enjoyed recording it.
MUSIC PLAYLIST
Breezin’ Down Broadway
Arr. Goff Richards
Buster Strikes Back
Alan Morrison
Cornet Solo – John Gill
Friend Like Me
Alan Menken – Arr. Lee Morris
March – Arnhem
Kelly
How Great Thou Art
Arr. Simon Godfrey Wood
Flugel Horn Solo – Joanne Behan
Mack The Knife
Kurt Weill – Arr. Goff Richards
Fat Bottomed Girls
Brian May – Arr. Philip Harper
Gresford – the Miners’ Hymn
Robert Saint
Blaydon Races
Arr. Gordon Langford
Euphonium Solo – David Conway
I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)
Charles Reid and Craig Reid – Arr. Andrew Duncan
The Town I Loved So Well
Phil Coulter – Arr. Lee Morris
Rocky – Gonna Fly Now
Bill Conti – Arr. Alan Fernie
The Rose
Amanda McBroom – Arr. Rob Westacott
Baritone Solo – Keeley Brickle
Best of Bond
John Barry – Arr. Darryl Barry
Cherry Pink
Louiguy – Arr. Norman Tailor
Over The Rainbow
Arlen & Harburg – Arr. Goff Richards
Horn Solo – Michael Franey
Happy
Pharrell Williams – Arr. Michael Brown
Pirates Of The Caribbean
Klaus Badelt – Arr. Ted Ricketts
One Voice
Barry Manilow – Arr. Ray Farr
BAND PERSONNEL ON CD:
Musical Director
Lewis Wilkinson
Principal Cornet
John Gill
Solo Cornets
John White
Margaret Ward
Paul Brickle
Soprano Cornet
Mal Usher
Repiano Cornet
George Nicklin
Second Cornet
Joe Armstrong
Elizabeth Armett
Third Cornet
Jayne Bateman
Audrey Gill
Flugel Horn
Joanne Behan
Solo Horn
Michael Franey
First Horn
David Pattinson
Second Horn
John Youll
Solo Euphonium
David Conway
Second Euphonium
Mark Millman
Solo Baritone
Keeley Brickle
Second Baritone
Abi Groocock
Solo Trombone
Stuart Gray
Second Trombone
Kimberly Edwards
Garry Stevens
Bass Trombone
Alan Bravey
Eb Bass
James Wylde
Peter Lavery
Bb Bass
Keith Hepworth
Trevor Bateman
Andrew Thompson
Percussion
Kevin Franey
Ryan Hanley
Gavin Lee
Jackie Littlewood
