A Second Section Band based in East Hertfordshire
Its that time again – November Show Time !! This year the theme is 100 Years of Disney. It’s on Saturday 18th November at Ware Drill Hall, show time starts at 18:30 !! Tickets are available from https://warebrassdisney.eventbrite.co.uk. Hope to see you all there !!
At our AGM last Monday we handed out awards for the Musical Directors award and the Bands Person of the year as voted for by the members.
The results were as follows:
Butcher Trophy – Musical Director’s Award
This award was presented by our MD – Mark Ager, to our 1st Horn player, Sarah Munn. Sarah stepped up to play Solo Horn at the Oxford Contest and played several Solo’s as part of this. In addition – as we all know this has been an incredibly difficult time for Sarah and she has continued to perform amazingly!! Well done Sarah !!
Charles Bayford Trophy (Bands Person of the Year)
This award is voted for by the bands members. There were many nominations including: Sarah Munn, Jim Gelder, Lisa Huttlestone, Stuart Black, Jim Munn & Christine Solway, but with a huge majority of the vote, this award was presented posthumously to Steve Munn.
Sadly Steve passed away after a courageous battle with cancer just before Christmas, but he continued playing with us right up to November including performing with us at the Oxford Contest. Always a larger than life member of the Band, this award is part of many tributes to Steve who continues to be missed by us all. The award was presented by band Chairperson – Lisa Huttlestone to Sarah and Jim on behalf of Steve.
Join us for our 2 Christmas events this year, our Christmas Concert in St.Marys Church on Saturday 10th December at 19:00, followed by our Christmas Singalong where you get to sing your favourite carols, which will be outside out Ware Priory on Sunday 18th December starting at 15:00.
Tickets for the concert can be purchased here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ware-brass-christmas-concert-tickets-462425064817
No tickets required for the singalong, entry is free, wrap up warm!
Less than 2 weeks until our first show for 3 years at the Drill Hall in #Ware. Join us on Saturday 19th November for ‘We’re Back, Let’s Celebrate!’ Your award winning band will take you on a journey of things to celebrate throughout the year with guest appearances from Elvis, Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble ?
Get your tickets here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/were-back-lets-celebrate-tickets-418840923477
The band entered the ODBBA Entertainment contest, held on Sunday 6th November. Playing a lively programme featuring Valero, Live and Let Die, Irish Blessing, Balkan Dance, & Legends of Cyfartha we came away with the following results !!
1st in 2nd Section for Music and Entertainment, Best soloist – Stuart Black and Best Instrumentalist – Stuart Black!
A total of 4 trophies – well done all !!
Know any drummers looking for a band?? Sadly we are looking for a new player, so if you do, please send them our way !!
Ware Brass were proud to name Phillip Littlemore as an Honorary Life Member of the Band at the final rehearsal prior to the L&SC Area Contest where the band were placed 7th. Lisa Huttlestone, Band Chairperson, presented Phillip with the award and a special edition Ware Brass Pint Glass !!
Phillip, conducted the band from 2006 to 2017 when he relocated to the Isle of Wight, but came to our rescue 10 weeks ago when he agreed to come back as Musical Director to take the band to the L&SC Area Contest. Commuting 4 hours each way, for 10 weeks is amazing dedication !! Phillip has contributed so much to the band over the last 16 years and this is a truly well deserved award. It’s great to now have Phillip as a life time member.
Ware Brass were pleased to be placed 7th at the L&SC Area Contest at Stevenage on Saturday 19th March 2022. Despite the band being seriously affected by COVID, their performance of Aeronauts by Goff Richards was commended by the adjudicators and secured them 8th place in the overall grading table for the 2nd Section.
The Ware Brass Trombone section of Adrian Ricketts & Jim Munn were awarded with the Prize for Best Trombone section at the L&SC 2nd Section contest at Stevenage on Saturday 19th March 2022. Despite being a player down due to Covid, their performance in Goff Richards – Aeronauts was considered best in Class. Sometimes – less is more !!
Ware Brass are delighted to announce that from April 2022 they have appointed Mark Ager as their full time MD.
Mark Ager is one of the most successful conductors in the region. He conducted Haverhill Silver Band for 18 years winning the First Section area Contest three times (2006, 2011, 2015), achieving top 5 placings in the Championship Section twice (2007 & 2017), winning the First Section at the Butlins Mineworkers Contest (2006) and winning the Crawley Entertainment Contest (2012). Before conducting Haverhill Mark conducted the Clacton-on-Sea Co-operative Band where the band was placed in the top 4 Championship bands at the Area Contest for three consecutive years (1996,1997 and 1998). Mark has conducted a number of high profile concerts with top name soloists at both Haverhill Silver Band and Clacton-on-Sea Cooperative Band including David Childs, Tom Hutchinson, James Shepherd, David Thornton, Steve Sykes, Don Lusher and Peter Skellern.
As a player Mark, under the Direction of Keith Wilkinson, John Berryman and Bramwell Tovey, competed in all the major British contests with GUS including winning numerous area contests and the Best of Brass and placings at the British Open, the National Brass Band Finals and Granada Band of the Year.
Mark also has a long-standing love of local Drama and Musical Theatre. He is appearing in Made in Dagenham in Haverhill in June 2018, being produced by the Centre Stage Company, and has recently performed in the Vicar of Dibley and Brassed off (where he was also the Musical Adviser). He has been the Musical Director of a number of shows produced by Haverhill Operatics Society and Dunmow Players including Guys and Dolls, Mikado, Merry Widow and My Fair Lady. This included taking Dunmow Players to the Gilbert and Sullivan Buxton Festival and conducting their professional orchestra.