Collecting for Acorns Children's Hospice
January 2012
Malvern Hills District Brass Band raised money throughout December for Acorns Children's Hospice and would like to thank everyone who donated and praised our playing.
GBBA Own Choice Contest Results 2011
November 2011
Malvern Hills District Brass Band celebrated a successful day at Coleford on 20th November after adjudicator Stephen Roberts awarded the band with 2nd place for our test piece performance of 'Oregon' (Jacob de Haan) and 3rd place for our accompanying march, 'The Standard of St George' (Kenneth J. Alford), conducted by Nigel Hall.
Band's Triple Win at Burford!
October 2011
Building on our success at the ODBBA Entertainment Contest in 2010, the band won another 2nd place shield this year.
Jenny Cobley (Solo Horn) also won the trophy for 'Best Tenor Horn Player' and our Musical Director, Nigel Hall was awarded a new prize for 'Best Conductor'.
The entertainment programme began with 'Deus in Adjutorium' (C. Montiverdi arr. Nigel Hall) followed by 'Joshua Fight the Battle of Jericho' from 'Spiritual Sounds' (Trad. arr. Alan Fernie), 'Dream A Little Dream Of Me' (Kahn, Schwandt & Andre arr. Nigel Simmons), 'The Day Thou Gavest' (Rev. C.C. Scholefield arr. Peter Hargreaves) and 'Sir Lancelot and The Knights of the Round Table' from 'Avalon Rhapsody' (Colin Dance).
The band was grateful for the help of a number of 'deps' at this contest but is still desperately short of member players. If you can play a brass instrument and can attend our weekly rehearsals on Wednesdays at 7.30pm, please contact Jenny Cobley (01905 767798; secretary@malvernhillsbrassband.co.uk) for further information.
Photo (from left): Nigel Hall (Musical Director), Jenny Cobley (Solo Horn) and Chris Wilsdon (Principal Cornet).
Three Choirs Festival 2011
August 2011
Between the first Saturday's Choral Evensong and a performance of Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, in Worcester Cathedral, Malvern Hills District Brass Band entertained a discerning audience on Bishop’s Palace Lawn for the 284th recorded Three Choirs Festival.
The one hour brass band concert was well received with music to suit the occasion including 'Barwick Green' (the theme tune for The Archers) as a finale.
The Festival runs from 6-13th August 2011 and is due to return to Worcester in 2014.
Midlands Air Ambulance is presented with cheque
March 2011
Despite record snowfalls, causing a number of cancelled carolling events, the band's charitable efforts were once again impressive through December 2010. In total the band raised £938.22 for Midlands Air Ambulance.
2011 Performances
February 2011
Confirmed performances for 2011 are now listed on our Events page. This year, the band will once again be competing at contests in Bedworth, Weston-super-Mare, Burford and Coleford as well as entertaining audiences in a variety of Summer and Christmas events.
Band's Double Win at Burford
September 2010
Malvern Hills District Brass Band had two reasons to celebrate at the recent ODBBA Entertainment Contest in Burford. Coming 2nd in our section to win the Aldbrickham Music Shield, the adjudicators complimented the mixed programme and the band's dynamic control.
Carly Wins 'Best Percussion'
At the end of the contest, prizes were awarded for 'Best Soprano Cornet', 'Best Tenor Horn' & 'Best Percussion'. Judged across all sections, Carly Taylor impressed the adjudicator, Steve Pritchard-Jones, to win 'Best Percussion'. She went home with a huge trophy and an even bigger smile!
The band's 20 minute programme started with Amparito Roca, followed by Singing in the Rain, Moonlight Serenade, a 'lovely & lyrical' performance of My Ain Folk (featuring flugelist Hazel Duncan) and the 1st movement of Haslemere Suite as a finale.
New Appeal for Players
August 2010
The band has a number of vacancies for cornet players, baritone & euphonium, especially having recently lost a valued solo cornet player, as he moves away with work.
We rehearse from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on Wednesday and Friday evenings, near Malvern.
Please call Jenny Cobley (01905 767798) if you would like to come along and need directions to the band’s practice room or email vacancies@malvernhillsbrassband.co.uk.
Well Received at Croome Court
July 2010
The Lancaster never arrived “but never mind… at least we had a fabulous day of music, courtesy of one of the best brass bands around.”
Read John Phillpott's full review of our concert for the Malvern Gazette.
Most Improved Player 2010
August 2010
Tom George, the band's principal cornet has proved how good players can always improve and refine their skills.
Gaining more and more confidence through tuition from Dennis Masters, Tom happily accepted the award.
2nd Prize at Weston-super-Mare
May 2010
Getting up early for the 8am rehearsal in
Weston-super-Mare was worth all the effort!
Competing in the fourth section at Weston-super-Mare's 42nd Annual Own Choice Brass Band Contest, we won 2nd prize with our performance of Philip Sparke's 'Saint-Saëns Variations'.
Adjudicator Brian Buckley commended the band for some 'very effective' playing and was delighted to hand over the Sun Life Stanshawe Trophy for 2nd place, with Totnes Silver winning the section.
John Swindells, MD (pictured) was thrilled with the result and is now looking forward to our busy schedule of summer concerts.
Carols for Charity 2009
February 2010
Following our successful Christmas concert at Worcester's Huntingdon Hall, Malvern Hills District Brass Band had a busy schedule of caroling in 2009, entertaining the public throughout December raising £1375.34 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Thank you to all who came to support us at the concert and thanks again to the concert's sponsor, Messrs Harrison Clark, Solicitors, Worcester.
Most Improved Player 2009
December 2009
Appraised by MD, John Swindells as 'Most Improved Player of 2009' our 2nd Baritone player, Paul Sargent, was presented with this year's trophy at the end of the band's recent Christmas concert at Huntingdon Hall.
Morgan Centenary Festival
August 2009
Morgan Centenary Festival / © Chris Wilsdon
The Morgan Motor Company has built cars by hand in Malvern since 1909. As a local band, we were delighted to be involved with their centenary celebrations, playing at Cheltenham Racecourse on Saturday 1st August and Sunday 2nd August for the Morgan Centenary Festival.
Rain came, as forecasted, on Saturday but didn't dampen spirits, as we performed to a most appreciative audience in the afternoon, premiering a piece composed specially for the occasion, by our own MD, John Swindells.
There's often a one to two year waiting list for prospective Morgan buyers, so the piece, "A Morgan Fantasy", was written in three movements to reflect the ideas of Sunrise over Malvern, setting the scene for traditional production at the factory and receivership by 'The Happy Owner'.
Between performances, the band took advantage of Sunday's better weather to enjoy the rest of the event's exhibitions and entertainment, which culminated in a Night at the Proms with the ESO; Tenor, John Hudson; Soprano, Natasha Marsh; the St Michael's Singers and 20 minutes of fireworks!
Give a Dog a… Phone
May 2009
'Ernie' is a very talented member of the band. He's specially trained as Kate's Support Dog and is obviously very popular.
In January, he met Noel Edmonds and launched an appeal on live TV for people to donate their old mobile phones, in aid of the Support Dogs charity. The campaign went very well and Ernie has thanked the band for its help, collecting used handsets at recent concerts.
Mike Pawson Wins Best Soloist Prize
May 2009
Competing in the fourth section at Weston-super-Mare, the band were commended for our performance of Henry V. We didn't win a trophy but everyone was delighted to see our Soprano Cornet player, Mike Pawson, receive the 'Best Soloist Prize', which he clearly deserved.
Carols for Charity 2008
March 2009
Raising £1366.28 for the Midlands Air Ambulance (formerly County Air Ambulance), the band had a busy month of caroling in December, performing at a variety of festive events in Great Malvern, Worcester and the Malvern Hills District.
Our Christmas concert at Huntingdon Hall was especially well received, with compliments from the audience, including Chris Jaeger (Chief Executive of Worcester Live) and John Phillpott, who wrote a generous review for the Worcester News.
Success at the Wychavon Contest
September 2008
With an 'excellent choice of music' and 'effective band sounds' we came sixth in the Fourth Section of the Wychavon Festival of Brass on 21st September and second in the open-section competition between local bands, behind the Band of the West Mercia Constabulary who were placed fourth in the Second Section.
Given 20 minutes (and no longer) to perform any selection of music, brass bands came from all over the country to compete in this increasingly popular 'entertainment contest'.
The adjudicator, Brian Buckley, complimented MD, John Swindells, for his control of challenging moments and to everyone's delight, awarded the section's prize for Best Soloist to our Flugelhorn player, Hazel Duncan, for her rendition of 'The Way We Were' (Hamlish, arr. Golland). If you've been to any of our park concerts this summer, then you may have heard this piece and will appreciate how well Hazel plays it.
“This is a lovely end to a busy summer season”, said John Swindells, “It's the band's 30th anniversary next year and we intend to go from strength to strength.”
Our next concert, a Christmas 'Brass Spectacular', will be on Saturday 6th December at Huntington Hall, Worcester but you can hear us before then on Remembrance Sunday (9th November) in Malvern. A ceremony of wreath laying at the war memorial in the Library grounds will precede a service in Malvern Priory.
A Warm Welcome to our new Musical Director
May 2008
Following many appreciated years of service from Mike West, we are pleased to introduce our new Musical Director (MD), John Swindells.
A Yorkshire Man, John was born in Harrogate in 1978 and studied Music at Sheffield University. On gaining a PGCE from Cambridge University, he held several teaching posts before turning freelance in 2006. Today he teaches trumpet/cornet and piano, is a keen organist and active composer of choral and organ music as well as scores for brass band.
He has played trumpet with various ensembles including the Sheffield Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. On moving to Worcestershire, John became Head of Training for the Malvern Chase Brass Band whilst also joining MHDBB on solo cornet and as assistant conductor.
John said “It is a real opportunity to have been given the MD of this well known local band. We have a real mixture of talent and I hope to make everyone enjoy banding and reach their playing potential.”
The band was founded in 1979. Learn more about The Band's History.