Lympstone South West Telecoms Brass Band

Lympstone Band head to the French Open contest

2010-06-02T11:21:00.003+01:00

We will be off to the French Open Contest held in Amboise, Loire Valley this weekend to compete in the 1st section competition again two local French band and one from Belgium. It will be a busy day on Saturday with a march contest, main contest and an outdoor concert in the town centre. We will be playing Moorside Suite, Holst which is the set test piece along with 2 other pieces which is judged by no less than 4 adjudicators!

Wish us luck!

www.openamboise.com

Death of former Chairman

2009-10-08T09:41:00.002+01:00

We are saddened to hear of the sudden and untimely death of our former Chairman Tony Adams. Tony was Chairman and Solo Cornet of the band for several years through the 1990's during what was a transitional period in the band's long history. An orchestral trumpeter at heart, Tony lead from the front and was at the helm in the years leading up to Lympstone's triumph at the 1999 4th Section National Championships in Harrogate. Tony also played in symphonic ensembles in Exeter including the Exeter Symphony Orchestra, and was more recently playing cornet with the City of Exeter Railway Band but had to leave due to the pressure of work commitments with his Exeter based packaging company.

His passing at the age of 60 is very sad news indeed, and the members of the band and the committee send their heartfelt condolences to his wife Maureen.

October 2009 update

2009-10-08T09:40:00.000+01:00

We hope to have Charlie back in the near future but in his absence we have begun rehearsing for the SWBBA Contest on the 7th November where we will play in the highest section. Since the Last Night of the Proms concert we have been fortunate to have our Soprano player Paul Luford and Daryl Powell of the Royal Marines Band, Plymouth taking rehearsals. The band would like to thank them both for their time.

The bi-annual 'Classics Galore!' Concert will be taking place on November 14th at the Great Hall which is organised by the FORCE Cancer charity. If you would like to support us at the charity concert tickets are available for £15 and £12 from Dick Passmore on 01392 832405.

Last night of the Proms

2009-10-08T09:39:00.001+01:00

Yesterday saw the band perform a Proms Concert organised by the Rotary Club of Exmouth at the Exmouth Pavilion. The band, in the unfortunate absence of usual MD, Charlie Fleming, were led on the night by guest conductor, Brian Minear.

The band treated the capacity audience to a wide range of repertoire in the first half from the traditional march, Ravenswood to get proceedings underway to the transcription of Brahm's Academic Festival Overture. There were band solos from Paul Luford (On with the Motley), Sandie Heyworth (Over the Rainbow) and Tom Harris (Share my Yolk) split among popular pieces such as Klezmer's Karnival and La Danza. We were joined on stage by local soprano, Val Howels, who performed I'll Walk with God and Panis Angelicus.

The second half began with the mighty 'Heroic March' from An Epic Symphony - a piece that has bought the band some success already this year. Before the traditional last night of the Proms music there was time for Light Walk, featuring the flugel playing talents of Tim Fairweather. The band then performed, with gusto, Fantasia on British Sea Songs, Jerusalem and Pomp and Circumstance. The enthusiastic audience participation, added to the band's performance and the return of Val Howels as Britannia provided a wonderful climax to another great evening of music making. The Rotary Club were so pleased that we have already been asked back next year.

The band would like to expres their thanks to the work put in by Brian Minear to make sure the concert was a success and to Dave Coles, Joy Richards, Carol McEwen and Tom Chester for helping out due to certain band members being on holiday.

Lympstone Furry Dance Pictures

2009-09-02T11:00:00.007+01:00

Lympstone Furry Dance Fete - Candy's Field

Leading the dancers past the Swan Inn, Lympstone

The band on it's way past the Redwing to the Saddlers Inn

The band on our way back past the church

Very wet fete in Dunchideock

2009-06-09T16:56:00.004+01:00

The Band always enjoy doing Dunchideock fete every other year, however the weather certainly put a dampener on it this year!

We arrived to find an almost deserted gardens and were told everyone has gone to have lunch but you can set up under the gazebo. We couldn't help wonder if anyone will turn up, but set up anyway!

Judi Spiers, from Radio Devon came to open the fete at 1.45pm and a few villagers had made their way back from lunch. So we began to play with dripping rain on our music and lakes appearing above our heads!

The rain never did cease but in true British fashion 'the band played on'!

We're hoping for better weather in two years time as we have been asked back again already!

Ebbw Vale and Weston weekend

2009-05-21T20:33:00.003+01:00

Hi folks - an interesting weekend for me and the band - I spent a total of 14 hours at Weston super Mare - 13 of them hanging around not doing very much except listening to several bands - very high standard.

Great result for Lympstone at Ebbw Vale - brilliant!

Results for Weston

2009-05-18T09:30:00.000+01:00

Champ/1st

1st Abergavenny Borough - Gareth Ritter, 197pts
2nd Kidlington Concert Brass - Catherine Underwood, 196pts
3rd Aldbourne - David Johnson, 195pts
4th Poole Borough - Phil Randell, 194pts
5th Yeovil Town - Kevin Robbins, 193pts
6th Jackfield (Elcock Reisen) - Simon Platford, 191pts
7th Lympstone South West Telecoms - Charles Fleming, 190pts
8th Wigston - Garry Sleath, 188pts
9th Portishead - Ian Wilkinson, 187pts
10th Chalford - Steve Tubb, 186pts
11th Tylorstown - Gary Davies, 185pts

Best Cornet - Richard Hughes, Aldbourne

4barsrest write up for Ebbw Vale!

2009-05-18T09:28:00.002+01:00

Enjoyable First Section

The enjoyable, if rather short, First Section saw a comprehensive English victory, as welcome visitors Lympstone South West Telecoms produced a bravura account of ‘Epic Symphony’ that took the Mark Constance Trophy by a clear cut 3 point margin.

Javelin

Aided by prize winning contributions from solo cornet Sarah Gray and soprano Paul Luford, Charlie Fleming’s energetic direction (at one point he very nearly impaled the second horn in the head as his baton flew out of hand and almost 20 foot into the air before landing like a javelin) saw them claim the first part of what they hoped would be a weekend double, as they headed to the Weston contest on Sunday.

No whistle

With Brian Buckley taking over the adjudication duties at short notice (so short he had no whistle and had to shout out his readiness from the box!) due to Gareth Pritchard having to leave due to family circumstances, it was Rogerstone who claimed the local bragging rights, beating RAF St Athan to claim the runner up spot.

Their late spring performance of ‘Five Blooms in a Welsh Garden’ brought some well directed colour to what was an overcast and steely grey Ebbw Vale sky, although St Athan’s performance of ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ was appropriately prefaced by an almighty thunderclap just before they played their first note – much to the amusement of the audience.

First Section:
Adjudicator: C. Brian Buckley

1. Lympstone South West Telecoms (Charlie Fleming) – 186
2. Rogerstone (Jamie Jones) – 183
3. RAF St Athan (Alan Bourne) – 181
4. Blaenavon Town (Lyndon Price) – 180

Best Instrumentalist: Sarah Gray (solo cornet) – Lympstone
Best Soprano: Paul Luford – Lympstone

Lympstone cleans up at Ebbw Vale!

2009-05-17T09:45:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, Lympstone competed at Ebbw Vale in the First Section of the
SEWBBA Contest. We are glad to say that we won the contest as well as
Best Soprano and Instrumentalist to Paul Luford and Sarah Gray
respectively. We are hoping for more of the same today at Weston.

Twas The Night before (Ebbw Vale)

2009-05-15T19:03:00.002+01:00

Just leaving for band, the final rehearsal of the chosen work.... I hope they are all going to be there, I always really enjoy the night before contests because the band is on form (usually) and we have a full turnout(usually). Obviously not going to refer to the piece except to say that it suits the band very well. Lots of solos for our good players and for the first time in ten years or so we have got just about the band I am happy with. lots of really good friends and a few new ones too! Everyone is playing so well and we are making real music.

Should be a great, great two days away!

Emdy

New faces

2009-05-14T16:25:00.000+01:00

There have been a few new faces in the Lympstone Band Centre in the past few months. The band would like to welcome Sarah Gray on Principal Cornet, Dougie Williams on 2nd Trombone and John Fitton on Percussion just in time for their first contest with band on Saturday.

The band will be competing in the SEWBBA contest in Ebbw Vale on Saturday and the Weston Super Mare contest on Sunday. It will be a busy weekend for the band who have entered the 1st section at Ebbw Vale and the Open (Championship and 1st Section) at Weston-Super-Mare. The contests are both own choice so we can not divulge the test piece!

2009-05-01T16:04:00.000+01:00

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/sw/Sounds-great-band-moving-homearticle-605191-details/article.html

Lympstone Band Centre

2009-04-22T15:08:00.005+01:00

A grand march from the old band room to the new Lympstone Band Centre

Inside the new Band Centre

A reminder of Christmas!

2009-04-22T15:06:00.000+01:00

Lympstone Furry Dance video

2009-04-22T14:58:00.001+01:00

Jackets return!!

2009-04-07T10:14:00.003+01:00

Where was he? I am waiting in for our jackets to return from having the lapels redone!! Wish the courier would hurry up as it is lovely and sunny outside and I want to enjoy my Easter holidays!!

Holidays over

2009-04-06T16:03:00.001+01:00

Charlie returns to band tonight after three weeks on holiday and time to get stuck into the test piece for Ebbw Vale and Weston!

Spring contests

2009-04-03T12:10:00.003+01:00

The band will be entering both the South Wales Association Contest in Ebbw Vale and Weston Super Mare Own Choice contest on 16th and 17th May this year. It will be the first time that the band have entered the Welsh contest and will be competing in the 1st section. Weston won't be such a new thing, having competed in this contest every year since it began!

The Band at the Area Contest 2008

2009-04-03T11:44:00.001+01:00

The band at the Area Championships in Torquay March 2008.

Pictured: (Back Row) Paul Luford, Tom Harris, Paul Vodden, Tim Gittins, Trevor Naughton, Jon Roberts, Richard Burton, Liz Courts, Helen Brocklebank, Fiona Loftus.

(2nd Row) Colin Dance, Sam Strawbridge, Robbie Steel, Sheila Vodden, Mike Clarke, Annabelle Grose, Alli Northcott, Bev Brown, Hannah Vodden, Sam Aynsley.

(Front Row) Andy Wighton, Nigel Strawbridge, Steve Green, Bryony Snell, Charlie Fleming, Richard Bound, Claire Luford, Gill Hawkins, Jack Ballard.