Salute to the Cory

On 20th November 2016 the Cory Band and their Musical Director, Philip Harper, won the final trophy in their quite astonishing 'Grand Slam.'

Up to that point 2016 had seen them win:

• The European Brass Band Championships
• British Open Brass Band Championships and
• The National Brass Band Championship Final

At the Sage, Gateshead, they completed the full house when they won the Brass In Concert Entertainment competition. An astonishing achievement.

With all that in mind, I felt it prudent to post the link to the BBC Listen to the Band radio programme that has their full programme. It's well worth a listen as it's going to be a long time before we see/hear a brass band as good as the 2016 Cory Band.

You can listen to their winning performance 'The Extraordinary Life of Roald Dahl' by clicking here.

Enjoy!

Sunday Playlist 1

In a new feature for my blog I've decided that, when time permits, I'll put together a 'Sunday Playlist' of music I've listened to over the past week. A half hour each-way journey to work, plus other journeys that the working week entails, means I get the chance to listen to plenty.

Here is this weeks, 26 minutes including a nice mix of old and new, with some stunning lyrical playing thrown in before ending with the timeless Resurgam. The best brass band piece out there? Maybe, maybe not, but the perfect piece for a Sunday for sure.

Gallipoli '100' March
Composer: Martin Ellerby
Performer: Black Dyke
Conductor: Nicholas Childs

Barney's Tune
Composer: Elgar Howarth
Performer: Buy As You View Band
Conductor: Robert Childs

Soloist: Andrew Williams (Bass Trombone)

Libertango
Composer: Astor Piazolla, Arranger: Jeremy Sleith
Performer: Fairey Band
Conductor: Mark Peacock

Revered Archie Beaton
Composer: John Mason, Arranger: Frode Ryland
Performer: Fodens Band
Conductor: Michael Fowles
Soloist: Glynn Williams (Euphonium)

Resurgam
Composer: Eric Ball
Performer: Cory Band
Conductor: Philip Harper

A blank canvas. Again...

I enjoy modelling.

I really do.

But once again I have a lack of motivation. Or rather, a lack of motivation brought on by a lack of focus of what I want. Do I want a shunting layout? Do I want an SLT (single line terminus)? I get part way through a project and decide that I don't want what I'm making and give up. Chetwynd Aston has gone to that great layout in the sky and once again I'm layout-less. And clueless.

When I was back at my folk's home recently I discovered a Tim Horn scenic board (40 x 25cm) that I'd forgotten I owned. This was snapped up and brought back home with me and is currently sat to my left, with my Sentinel on it. A bit like this...

If only I knew what to put on it. I have an idea regarding a tile factory; Jackfield, near where I now live (and near Ironbridge) has a tile museum and I feel that might be a decent idea. A simple fork layout with tile loading facilities perhaps?

However, an Arriva SLT set in the same area (around Ironbridge) also appeals. Not that I have the 153!

All ideas and thoughts welcome.

In other news, I've finally got around to fitting the plated to my 'de-Wabteced' Sentinel. It's now got the number 1877 (which the cruel close up shows to be wonky... needs re-fettling) and the name 'Alexandra.'

A little loco like that would do just the job for a tile works... wouldn't it?

What's On My iPod 3

For me, one of the beauties of music is that you don't need to play a certain instrument - or even play at all - to appreciate the beauty of it. To that end, I'm no trumpet soloist. But this CD, regardless of what you do or don't play is an absolute must have.

Tine Thing Helseth, the Norwegian trumpet sensation's debut album for EMI, Storyteller, eschews the more traditional concertos and 'show off' pieces focusing on telling stories without words through the medium of her trumpet and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

What do you end up with? A quite stunning CD full of warm, rich, lyrical playing that does exactly what it's titles suggests; tells a story, or rather, stories. For me, the items which see the trumpet take the lead on soaring melodic lines see Tine Thing Helseth at her best. In fact, for me, the first ten seconds - and the soloist's third note - of the CD are worth the price alone. Click play below to have a listen.

Regardless of what you play - trumpet, clarinet, bagpipes, comb and paper - buy this CD. You won't regret it.

A bit of maths for you...

I've been pondering over this maths sum this morning.

Take this...

Add these to it...

And what do you get...?

A tiny servicing (water and coal) point for a small preserved/industrial railway.

Thoughts?

Oh Doctor Beeching!

Doctor Beeching visited Chetwynd Aston yesterday, ripping up the lines. Another railway gone and forgotten.

Back to the drawing board.

Beware of Trains

Beware of trains!

Especially model ones, as deciding what to do with them is bad for your health.

On Friday night I had a running session with my micro layout, in it's current unfinished form. It performed terribly. I used several locos and they all ran poorly. So I cleaned the track and tried again, several times. It ran no better.

I left it and tried again on Saturday and once again it performed poorly. After this I had a good look around and came to the conclusion that my track laying was not good enough. So I've decided to stop work on it for now and practise on some dioramas to improve some of my skills.

I've got a static grass puffer bottle that I want to get better results from as well so thought that a tiny diorama - and tiny is the word - is a perfect way of doing this.

So I'm planning something just 6x4 inches. It'll act as a good photo board for any stock I model (particularly as I have found a lot of enjoyment from making kits over the past year) and will also enable me to have something to look at to inspire me. Plus, as I'm planning a wedding it will be cheap and will help me practise scratch building.

So, although it's sad to see the end of Chetwynd in it's current guise, I still feel full of modelling mojo and am looking ahead with gusto!