BALLYGOWAN FLUTE BAND
Annual General Meeting 2011
It's as you were after the AGM with Dougie Gourley continuing as Chairman, Victoria
Gibson as Secretary and Robert McMurray as Treasurer.
The Flute Band Association's
annual Own Choice Contest was held in The Island Civic Centre, Lisburn on Saturday
26 February 2011, and seven bands competed in the championship section. The adjudicator
was John Bryce who was not a stranger to flute ensembles, and in his remarks he referred
to the "absolute stunning and amazing" standard of the bands in the top section.
He also picked out the arrangers of the music and commended their commitment. He
advised percussion players not to forget that they had to complement the flute playing
which demonstrated "loads" of cracking players, and he had a fun poke at the thankless
task of conductors.
His adjudication produced a third place for Ballyclare, a close
second for Ballylone, and he placed Ballygowan first.
Ballylone won the percussion
prize, Ballygowan's young Andrew Douglas won the piccolo prize, and the interpretation
prize went to Ballygowan's conductor Windsor Hylands. Mr. Bryce's parting comment
was that he had never heard a performance like that of the winning band.
The success
meant that Ballygowan had earned a top-
Congratulations to our solo G-
The bands' test pieces were Capriccio Espagnol ( Korsakov), Four Dance Episodes from
Rodeo (Copland), Sheherazade (Korsakov), Polovtsian Dances (Borodin), William Tell
(Rossini), Capriccio Italien (Tchaikovsky), Morning, Noon and Night (Suppé).
Ballygowan
played Capriccio Italien by Pyotr Ilvich Tchaikovsky.
Tchaikovsky composed Capriccio Italien in 1880 after a visit to Rome. Apparently he was very taken with much of the music he heard there, especially the folk music, and the fanfare at the beginning reflected an army bugle call heard from his hotel. It is also said that he found inspiration in Glinka’s Spanish Pieces.
The work was initially well received, but the composer is reported to have later doubted if the work contained any musical merit. He subsequently arranged it for piano.
Conducting master class -
http://www.choralnet.org/view/268945
(Acknowledgement to Choral Net)
On Saturday 11th December, the band led the praise for the carols at the Christmas Tree Party for the Community Association and more especially for the younger set.
On Friday evening 3rd December a large ensemble from the band played in First Comber
Presbyterian Church to entertain visitors during their Flower Festival -
In
spite of the icy weather the project was a huge success for First Comber Presbyterian
and they will be forwarding several thousand pounds to the World Development Appeal,
which provides support to very poor people in far-
We wish to express our thanks to Bandsman, Arranger & Composer Alex Abbott for his
score of the sacred song "The stranger in Galilee". Our Vice-
The 2010 World Championship has again come and gone. The music for the 2010 World
Flute Band Championship section (arranged by David Heaney) is The Three-
Manuel de Falla was born in 1876 in Cadiz in Spain
and studied music in Madrid. He became very interested in native Spanish music, and
the Three Cornered Hat started life as a ballet called The Magistrate & The Miller's
Wife. Falla made a major contribution to his country's music and appeared for a number
of years on a Spanish bank note.The Adjudicator Donald Finlayson, himself a flautist,
commended the high standard of flute playing -
He also commented on the arranger (David
Heaney) of Manuel De Falla's set of dances "The Three-
Congratulations are also due to our conductor Windsor Hylands
(back from retirement) for winning the interpretation prize -
The only two people who at twelve years of age won the Flute Band Association's competition
in Under-
Sunday 05 September was the 2010 final day of Band Concerts in Lord & Lady Dixon
Park, Belfast. In earlier years the event would have been spoiled by the weather,
because as Blaris Accordion were finishing their performance, the rain started. This
year, however, the organisers had a lovely marquis for the bands and Ballygowan set
up at the back leaving just about enough room for most of the listeners -
The 2010 annual barbeque band photo (above) at Dougie's farm. A good time was had by all, and some money was raised for Band funds.
Scotland 2010
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This year's away day was back to Troon for the S.A.F.B.A. 2010 Spring Contest. It was a good day for Carluke Primrose, who claimed the two first prizes and best overall. Ballygowan were second in both | |
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.Standing (from left): |
B. Kerr, M. Gourley, J. Gourley, J. Gourley, D. Canmore, L. Gourley, S. Carse, S. Rigby, R. McMurray, L. McBride, J. Gourley, A. Spratt, M. Douglas, S. Bass, V. Gibson, C. Kerr, D. Denvir, A. DouglasSeated (from left): S. Gibson, G. Gourley, T. Gourley, D. Gourley, M. Smith (Conductor), J. Douglas, J. Gourley, D. Mays, R. Douglas. |
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Seated (from left):. |
S. Gibson, G. Gourley, T. Gourley, D. Gourley, M. Smith (Conductor), J. Douglas, J. Gourley, D. Mays, R. Douglas. |
On 12 March 2010 the band played in a concert in Drumilly Church hall, Hamiltonsbawn, County Armagh. The Presbyterian Church there run a charity concert every year and we were delighted to accept the invitation to contribute. The concert also featured the local Silver Band.
The Civic Centre in Lisburn was the venue for the 50th Annual Own Choice Contest on Saturday 27 February 2010. For most flute band people this is the best day of the year, because of the variety of music on offer, but for some, nothing much changed other than the date, since last year's result was repeated exactly (Kellswater won it, Ballygowan were a close second and Hunter Moore finished third).
The adjudicator, Hughina Naylor was very well qualified for the job -
We would like to invest a few lines in appreciation of our Solo G-
Some examples of the music on offer: Sicilian vespers (Verde), The Accursed Huntsman
(Franck), Fingals Cave (Mendelssohn), Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Liszt), William Tell
(Rossini), Rodeo (Copland), Slavonic Rhapsody (Friedman), Poet & Peasant, Light Cavalry
(both by Suppe).
Ballygowan played Copland’s Rodeo.
On a snowy Friday evening of the 29th of January 2010, members and friends of the
Ballygowan Flute Band met in La Mon House Hotel for a nice meal and an evening's
fellowship, and in particular to say "thank you" for the contribution over 15 years
of our recently retired Musical Director Dr. Windsor Hylands. During this period
the band returned 33 wins in various competitions -
Lots of very nice things were said after the meal. Windsor talked about the enjoyment
and pleasure of his time with the band and thanked everyone for their cooperation
and friendship. He also reminded us that he would willing to step into the breach
at any time in the future. He picked out James Gourley, Darren Canmore and Mark Douglas
for their input in sectional rehearsals, and for Mark's contribution with his excellent
arrangements. Band Chairman Dougie Gourley reflected on Windsor's legacy from 1994
to 2009 -
Playing at the Ballygowan Association's Christmas Tree Party which started in 1983,
and the band has played in every one since -
World Flute Band Championship 2009 Winners
Ballygowan players and followers were delighted on Saturday 24th October evening
to hear the adjudicator call our name as 2009 winners. The test piece was not a popular
one, but none the less a good test. The top three bands made an excellent fist of
it, but the proof of the pudding surely came within the adjudicator's remarks. Because
the music was not at all well known -
The success was all the sweeter because it was our conductor, Windsor Hylands' last
contest before he retired from active banding. Windsor worked very hand -
Theme and Variations (S. Taneyev)
The test piece for 2009 was Theme & Variations by Taneyev, a piano piece arranged for flute by P.Walton. The arranger actually composed the finale specifically for this contest.
Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev was born near Moscow in 1856. He began taking piano lessons
at age five, and when he was nine entered the Moscow Conservatory -
He graduated in 1875, the first student in the history of the Conservatory to win the gold medal for both composition and performing (piano). He was also the first person ever to be awarded the Conservatory's Great Gold Medal.
Taneyev was an accomplished performer and composer, and Tchaikovsky came to respect his professional opinion above most others (even though his frank opinions sometimes hurt the sensitive genius!) He was the soloist in the first Moscow performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, and he was to perform other Tchaikovsky works for piano and orchestra. His pupils included Rachmaninov.
CCEA / GCSE
The Officers and members of the Ballygowan Flute Band are delighted and proud to
have been chosen as part of an optional area of study for those sitting their GCSE
Music in 2011. Students will be expected to develop their knowledge and runderstanding
of the musical traditions in Ireland through a study of a number of pieces -
Click on the march title
above for more information.
A Night at the Races in Comber Rec. on Friday 25 September 2009 was a successful
fun night, even if there was room for more punters! This was the first stage in building
funds to replace our marching uniform which has stood us in good stead for over 25
years. The race was won by Tom -
Band plays in Stormont
On 9th June a large ensemble from the Band played in The Great
Hall in Parliament Buildings -
No matter how
brilliant a document we politicians produce as a framework for peace, it will not
stand long unless it is embraced in the hearts of the people. That requires trust,
and a belief that the 'other side' is willing to meet you halfway. And things like
Friends Forever are how you get that done.
From Front, left:
Susan Rigby, Andrew Douglas, David Mays, Victoria Gibson, Audrey
Spratt, Victoria Watson, Laura McBride, Stephen Gibson, Taylor Ross, Johnathan Gourley,
Matthew Gourley, John Dawson, Stephen Carse, Jim Gourley, John Douglas, Robert McMurray,
Geoffrey Gourley, Mark Douglas, Brian Kerr, Darren Canmore
Our annual BBQ was held on Friday 10 June and a grand time was had by all. Visit our Members page or our Facebook for some photos
Our March CD is now available. Please ask any Band Member for details or send an
e-
A large ensemble from the Band played in Carrickfergus on 30 September at a Masonic dinner. We were very well received and the guests, who by their own admission, left with a new perception of Flute Bands.
The Band played in Botanic Gardens, Belfast on Sunday afternoon 18 September. We
were the third of four bands to play at the annual end of season park engagements
-
We sold a few CDs on the day, and one satisfied customer
wrote to us saying:
Thank you very much, James.
The Band gave a concert in Lord & Lady Dixon Park on Sunday 04 September. They say most things come in threes, and this was the third successive time at this venue that the weather was less than kind. Unfortunately there was no marquis on this occasion and rain stopped play. Our apologies to those who braved the weather, but our flutes are expensive and do not benefit from a good soaking!
On 17 June the band played a short concert in Saintfield High School. The concert also featured the Ravara Pipe Band and the School Choir. The event was organised to mark a staff retirement, and a voluntary contribution was requested from the attendees for school charities.
Our Night at the Races at Dougie’s Farm on Friday 2nd September turned out to be great evening’s craic, even if the attendance early on was a bit low (the Northern Ireland match was a distraction). Dougie himself bought the last horse, and no doubt the Band funds were boosted somewhat at the end of the night.
On Sunday 17 July the Band played in Lord & Lady Dixon Park to help celebrate the
end of Rose Week. Unfortunately the weather was not good and attendance numbers were
restricted to the dedicated -
The Band had a great day in Comber at the 12th of July celebrations. The weather
was fantastic, the public were out in force, and the Band was playing exceptionally
well -
Last away day for the band was in early May 2009 when a fairly large group from the
membership travelled to Troon to compete in the Annual Spring Contest organised by
the Scottish Amateur Flute Band Association -
Eight bands participated, each playing a march and a test piece, and there were prizes for the march, for the test piece and prizes for entertainment. At the end, all points gained by each band were added up and there was a best overall prize.
It was a good day for Ballygowan winning the march (with Bolts & Bars) and the test
piece (Irish washerwoman, Champions Theme and Dvorak's Carnival Overture). We also
collected the prize for the best piccolo performance as well as the entertainment
prize -
Highlight for everyone in the hall including the adjudicator was our solo G Treble
player Richard Douglas' performance of the Champions Theme. All-
Banding Fiend
MUSICAL DIRECTOR / CONDUCTOR VACANCY
Some members of the band played a short programme of music recently at a function in Ravara Orange Hall. We received a warm welcome and think our music was enjoyed by all. Many thanks to Ravara Pipe Band for the invitation.
The first day of the 2011 Northern Ireland Band Championships was held on Saturday 15 October , and it was a great day for Ballygowan with a clean sweep of all available prizes.
The adjudicator was, as last year, Donald Finlayson, a music graduate from the University
of Glasgow and a flute player. He claimed he had an absolute ball of an afternoon,
and added that the flute players of tomorrow want to come and hear the standard at
this contest. He also commended Sir James Galway as a product of our system, who
had listened widely to musicians across the world, and had transformed flute playing.
The adjudicator went on to commend the arranger of the two pieces, John Bryce. He
then said that he had been listening for the “Wow” factor, and that he had never
heard as much double tonguing in a single day. In his closing comments he said the
winning band had outclassed the rest – a professional performance in all sections.
Special
congratulations to Andrew Douglas who won the piccolo prize (that’s a double as he
also won it at the Own Choice Contest in February). We owe our thanks and congratulations
to our musical director, Dr. Windsor Hylands, who won the interpretation prize -
The music consisted of two pieces: Liebesverbot (The Love Ban – or The Novice of
Palermo) by Richard Wagner, and Speedy Gonzales by Henry Mancini.
You can listen to
the performance at http://www.youtube.com/user/Tyrs1000#p/a/u/0/zTYJcuTEzgg (Mancini’s
samba) & http://www.youtube.com/user/Tyrs1000#p/a/u/1/ydcM0Jocsr4 (Wagner’s overture)
Liebesverbot is a comic opera in two acts by Richard Wagner based on Shakespeare’s
Measure for Measure. It was set in Palermo in Sicily in the 16th Century, and is
rarely played nowadays – indeed it had an ignominious start. Under-
Richard Wagner was born in Brühl, near Leipzig in Germany
on 22 May 1813. His father died of typhus when he was only six months old and his
mother subsequently remarried and they moved to Dresden. Sadly, his step-
His best known works are The Flying Dutchman, Tannhäuser, Der Ring
des Nibelungen and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. He also had his own opera house
built, the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which has been a Mecca for opera lovers ever since.
In his personal life Wagner had his problems: his personality, money shortage, outspoken views on music, and his political views are well documented. He died on 13 February 1883, leaving the world, in musical terms, a much richer place.
Speedy Gonzales was an instrumental number in Henry Mancini’s 1961 album Mr. Lucky Goes Latin.
Henry Mancini was born on 16 April 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA to Italian parents. He received flute lessons from the age of eight and piano lessons from twelve, and at 19 joined the Juillard School of Music. His musical career had to take a break when he was drafted into the army and he joined the famous Glenn Millar Orchestra. He later went into films and wrote a great number of songs and scores including The Glenn Millar Story and The Benny Goodman Story, and songs for most of the American Artists of his time e.g. Connie Francis, Trini Lopez, Johnny Mathis, Paul Anka, Andy Williams and Matt Munro.
Mancini also performed in hundreds of symphony performances and conducted nearly all the leading symphony orchestras of the world.
He died on 14 June 1994 and left this world with a legacy of wonderful music. In
his life time he received 4 Oscars, 20 Grammy Awards and 9 Academy Awards.
Below is
a photo taken as Band and conductor take a bow after the performance.
Congratulations to our senior percussionist John Presho who celebrated his golden
wedding anniversary on 18 October 2011. He and Sylvia were treated to a surpize (call
that shock) party in La Mon to which band members were invited) -
Jimmy Greenaway passed away earlier this summer after a period of illness. Jimmy
started his banding career with the 39th Old Boys but moved soon afterwards across
the city of Belfast to The Ravenhill Temperance -
Jimmy is on the left with Mark Douglas, and the occasion was the 2006 Black Preceptory Parade in Scarva. He is being sorely missed.
Impromptu rehearsal -
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BAND NEWS |
On 07 December the Band filled a long-
The Band also went down very well, and one little boy, Samuel Walker, got a pleasant
Christmas present. After requesting if he could have a go with the baton, he was
chuffed to be allowed to conduct “Rudolf the Red-
Before the finale,
the Mayor of Ards Councillor Mervyn Oswald spoke to the gathering. He thanked the
Band members for their very enjoyable music and he congratulated the Band for their
clean sweep at the recent World Championship. He also added that we would be invited
to the Mayor’s Parlour for a reception at a suitable date in the near future. At
the outset he did jokingly say that he was a tad disappointed not to have had the
chance to conduct, and he had not quite made it to his seat when Conductor Mark Douglas
handed him the baton. After a very brief lesson he made an excellent fist of conducting
the famous Radetsky March .
Musical Director Dr. Windsor Hylands receives the trophy for Best Interpretation at the 2011 World Flute Band Championships. NIBA President Margaret Campbell made the presentation.
The Band led the praise at the Annual Lisburn Area PSNI Carol Service on the evening of 06 December. This was a very successful and very well attended event, and we were indeed privileged to be asked to play. Also contributing were the Central Primary School Choir and the Choir of Christ Church, Lisburn.
On Sunday 11th December a group of band members played at La Mon House hotel, entertaining families arriving for Christmas dinner with carols and festive music. Turned out to be a great afternoon!
For a period of time you can listen to our latest radio broadcast from Radio Ulster
at this link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b017vssv/Strike_Up_the_Band_11_12_2011/