Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Hi there, my name is Geoff Janes and I would like to tell you about the forthcoming band engagement's.

On the 11th November, the Band will be in London taking part in the Lord Mayors show. This year we will be back near the City of London dignitaries, about 120 I think! Feel free to come and support!

On the 5th of November in Big School, is the School Concert, featuring the Orchestra's, Training Band, Brass Groups, Jazz Groups and the Band itself. On the Programme for the band is:

Bugler's Holiday, Strike up the Band, Amazing Grace (a canadian brass arrangement) and a Stevie Wonder Compilation.

The Training band will be playing Saxology and Stand by Me

Amongst the brass items is Londonderry Air- for ten piece brass ensemble with trombone solo, and also Le Petit Negre for Quintet. The brand new Trombone Group (dubbed basically bones) will also be playing a fun piece called four creatures great and small.

Further on is the Big Band Concert, sold out already and is always a good evening. The big band has grown considerably to what it used to be when it was first started by Henry Baskerville and now is an all encommpassing big band with around 30 players run by the Bandmaster Terence Whittingham and Head of Brass Steve Titchener (who is also one of the director's of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra).

If you would like further information about the band of have any questions at-all, don't hesitate to ask me although I cannot reveal uncomfirmed engagements taking place in Lent or Summer.

00janegw@christs-hospital.org.uk

Support at any of these engagements would be great, and It would be fantastic to see some more old blues back.

Geoff Janes
Band Captain



All support is welcome and tickets are available on the door for a small price. It starts at 3.00 (I think!)

Hello Geoffrey - welcome to the forum!!!

So this is why you missed your tutorial, eh Geoff!!!!!!!

HowardH wrote:So this is why you missed your tutorial, eh Geoff!!!!!!!

I bet Band Captain looks good on your CV though

geoff_janes wrote:The big band has grown considerably to what it used to be when it was first started by Henry Baskerville

Hello Geoff. Thanks for posting the information and welcome aboard.

Is this the same Big Band, which used to be the Show Band, which used to be the Dance Band, which was started by the then bandmaster David Elliott in the mid '70s?

Just wondering, because I was in the original line-up. From memory, we had 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 4 or 5 saxes, piano, bass and drums. Sounds like it's doubled in size now.

Seems I'm too late to get tickets - must book earlier for the next one.

Sounds like the same Big Band to me!

Was at CH yesterday and briefly bumped into Geoff... - hope it went well!

I heard the concert went well.

The concert went brilliantly!

In a way yes the band is like the old dance band. The big band is now lined up as a Jazz Big Band. It has as its normal line up, 5 alto’s 4 tenor’s and a bari sax, 9 or 10 trumpets 4 trombones and tuba (me), drums, piano, bass guitar, guitar and an auxiliary percussionist.

By my incredibly bad maths, that’s about 29 players, and that’s with doubling and some tripling of big band parts.

The music that we play is of all sorts from Stevie Wonder to Dizzie Gillespie. There is also a smaller Jazz ensemble which is a group in its own right but also complements the big band programme…

And about booking early… Maybe start enquiring about the Summer Big Band concert in January or February, and make sure that you get yourself on the list ASAP, tickets sell very very fast!

Geoff

geoff_janes wrote:9 or 10 trumpets

Are you sure that's enough??

Yikes, 1 is enough!

Great Plum wrote:Yikes, 1 is enough!

A trumpet is a bit like a piccolo, then .....?

depends who is playing it...

Great Plum wrote:depends who is playing it...

.... answers on a plain brown paper bag, to...........................

DavebytheSea wrote:

Great Plum wrote:Yikes, 1 is enough!

A trumpet is a bit like a piccolo, then .....?

Or a piccolo trumpet, as played by Old Blue David Mason on Penny Lane....

Richard Ruck wrote:

DavebytheSea wrote:

Great Plum wrote:Yikes, 1 is enough!

A trumpet is a bit like a piccolo, then .....?

Or a piccolo trumpet, as played by Old Blue David Mason on Penny Lane....

Really? I never knew that! When was he at CH?