Dear Parents / band members
This activity will take place in the hall at Perins School and will run from 10am - 4.30pm. Throughout the day the band will record as much material as possible. In the first instance the band will record material for a shared 50th Anniversary CD featuring all three HCYB's. Thereafter the band will record additional material for a tour CD and promotional material.
There will be numerous breaks throughout the day to preserve stamina etc.
Many Thanks
Jock McKenzie
Dear Parents / band members
This event is a formal concert (HCC Chairman). The concert starts at 7pm and will finish approx 9.15pm. Please could all members arrive in uniform for 6.30pm. HCYB will provide 2 x 10 minute sets of music; one of which starts the concert. Tickets (apparently 'expensive') will be available to HCYB 10tet parents at a 'reduced' rate for anyone wishing to attend. I will let you know more about tickets when information has been made available to me.
Thanks
Jock McKenzie
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Dear Parents / band members
Can I thank all band members for their fantastic playing at last weekends' HCYB 50th Anniversary celebrations. Our three bands and Percussion Ensemble gave excellent performances and appropriately marked this very special occasion. Thank you too to all band parents for your support.
For those of you fortunate enough to attend the Mnozil Brass performance on Sunday 14, I hope you enjoyed this world-class experience - amazing!
The anniversary concert on Saturday 13 was recorded and a DVD will be available soon - details to follow.
Many Thanks
Jock McKenzie
Dear Parents and band members
Please note more details for HCYB 50th Anniversary Weekend.
This promises to be a memorable occasion and is attracting a lot of interest and attention. Tickets are still available for the concert on Saturday 13 April (available form Anvil box office) but please do not leave it too late if you yet have yours to buy. Despite the significance of the occasion and the large venue, ticket prices are just £6 + £4.
Saturday 13 April
All band members to enter and sign via the stage door.
9.00 Set up (including percussion)
10.00 - 12.30 Alumni Band plus HCYB only
1.30 - 2.30 HCYB rehearsal
2.30 - 3.30 HCYBs Percussion Ensemble Rehearsal
3.30 - 4.30 HCTB Rehearsal
4.30 - 5.30 HCJB Rehearsal
5.30 Doors Open
6.00 Concert Begins
The first half of the concert will feature performances from HCYB, HCTB, HCJB and HCYBs Percussion Ensemble.
The shorter second half of the concert will feature a massed band of approx 200 Ex and current HCYB members. Some musical items will be conducted by John Knight - founder of HCYB 1963.
Saturday 14 April
Tickets for the Mnozil Brass performance at 3pm have now sold out. If as hoped you are attending this fantastic event, the Anvil will be open from 12 noon for a social gathering of ex and current members, family and friends. Pre concert musical entertainment will be provided by HCYB 10tet Brass Ensemble and other ensembles made up from ex members.
Both HCJB and HCTB are playing well at the moment; rehearsals are productive and there is a real sense of anticipation and expectation for the performances of both bands at the HCYB 50th Anniversary celebrations. Additionally both bands gave very good performances at their recent shared concert. This concert was very generously supported and attended by many parents, family and friends - Thank you.
These things in themselves are all encouraging and exciting, but in the background there lurks a real concern about consistent attendance and commitment from a minority of members. There will of course be the odd occasion where a member is unable to make a band activity due to school commitments illness etc. However these aside it is an expectation of membership that all members will make every effort to attend all band activities including rehearsals. All too often members are absent when they have chosen to take on another activity / opportunity when a band activity is already scheduled. Sometimes members are absent without any notification or any reason given.
With very few exceptions (if any) the full band calendar is published at the start of the academic year and, if taking up membership of the HCYBs, students (and parents) do this in the knowledge that the expectation is that a commitment to these dates and activities will be honoured.
All rehearsals and performances are planned for well in advance on the assumption that members will be present. If absence is unavoidable please notify us at the very earliest opportunity - we need time to make alternative musical plans in order to protect the musical experiences for the vast majority of members who attend week in week out.
As I write this I would like to acknowledge and thank the vast majority of members and parents who give so much to the bands - it is a result of your input that the bands are progressing well; but please, we need everyone to honour their commitment - The bands will be all the better still for this.
Many Thanks
Jock McKenzie
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Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 3:02 PM
Dear Parents / band member
Please would parents and band members commit to an additional rehearsal from 7.00pm - 9.00pm on Thursday 11 April 2013 at Perins School. This is so that we can be fully prepared for the very significant performance on Saturday 13th April 2013. It will also help us catch up on a rehearsal lost due to the bad weather.
Many Thanks
Jock McKenzie
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Extracts of a letter sent out by e-mail Friday 26th October 2012. Confidential elements have been removed so please check your e-mail.
Dear Parents and band members
This newsletter contains information on a number of matters – please can I ask that you read and make a note of all that is relevant. Although some time away yet, please can I encourage you to make a particularly careful note of details for the 50th Anniversary weekend; demands for tickets at these events will be very high and arrangements have been made to give priority to current band members and family – please don’t miss out.
HCYBs 50th Anniversary Weekend (13 & 14th April 2013), The Anvil, Basingstoke
The dates of this weekend have of course been published for some time now. The concert on Saturday 13th April will feature performances from HCYB, HCTB and HCJB as well as the formation and performance of an alumni band. The concert starts at 6pm and will be preceded by a programme of rehearsals earlier in the day (to be published in due course). Despite the venue, tickets prices for this concert have been kept at just £7 and £5 concessions and are now on sale at the Anvil Box Office (01256 844244).
On Sunday 14th April at 3pm I am delighted to say that we have a 50th Anniversary celebration concert by currently the best and most famous brass group in the world – MNOZIL BRASS. This performance is only possible due to the very generous sponsorship of Hayes Music – my thanks to Richard Boler of Hayes Music for making it possible for the HCYBs to celebrate their 50thAnniversary in such style!
Mnozil Brass will present their show “Blofeld” on this occasion. Get a sneak preview on Youtube if you want to see what you are in for – absolutely amazing!
Already I am getting a lot of enquiries from all around the country about this one-off UK performance – demand for tickets will be very high. However, a priority system is in place whereby current / ex band members and family can purchase their tickets in advance of them going on general sale. Tickets are priced at £30 (£25 under 16s) and will be on sale from the Anvil Box Office only to current and ex HCYBs members / family from 10am on Tuesday 30thOctober 2012. The codeword has been sent out via e-mail and must be quoted. Tickets go on sale to the “friends of the Anvil” from November 14th and on general release to the public on Nov 21st.
Attendance and commitment
The HCYBs enjoy an excellent reputation for musical standards and opportunity. Our standards and values are as a result of the commitment shown by so many of our members across the bands as well as the work and skills of our staff team. All members and parents are aware of the conditions of HCYB membership including the crucial elements of regular attendance and commitment to all band activities. Of course there will be instances where absence is unavoidable e.g. illness, educational activities etc but otherwise full attendance is a requirement of HCYBs membership.
All three bands have made an excellent start to this our 50th Anniversary year, but, at the same time there has been a high level of absenteeism at rehearsals. As a result musical standards and productivity suffers. Equally significant is the period of notification given for absence by some. All rehearsals are carefully planned for by our staff; we don’t simply turn up on a Saturday morning to announce “what shall we play today”? All too often this term notification of absence has been last minute (if at all in a minority of cases) or even given in retrospect. I should point out that falling ill at short notice is understandably a different context altogether). This forces conductors to abandon at the very last minute what was planned for the good of the bands & hence the standard of band playing and productivity suffers. Band / ensemble playing is a team activity – everyone matters and conductors plan for everyone to matter!
Please can I ask all members and parents to consider this matter with understanding and recognition of the excellent commitment shown by the very substantial majority of our members. Put simply we want you to be members of the bands and we want you to have a great time, but we expect you to commit!
Insurance of HCYB instruments
Our band instruments are used in many varied situations. Very often, members use our instruments in a non HCYBs context i.e. school / college use, community bands, transit, storage etc. It is particularly this varied use that creates a situation where insurance issues fall ‘between the cracks’. It is for this reason that each year I pay a very substantial sum of money from the HCYB account to adequately insure our instrumental stock with a specialist company and policy. This protection ensures that our equipment is safe and operational in all manner of situations inside and outside of direct HCYBs use. The protection of these instruments ensures that instruments of a good (and often professional standard) quality are available to all band members that need them & who stand to benefit from their use in the HCYBs and beyond. This protection also ensures that our instruments can be maintained to a workable level. The day has never yet come when a student has been denied a place in the HCYBs purely because they do not possess a suitable instrument – I do not wish that scenario ever to arrive! Appropriate insurance of our band equipment goes a long way to safeguarding this provision.
Although not officially requested, some parents have chosen to include HCYB instruments on their household contents insurance, but the instrument has of course been insured at the same time under the official HCYB policy. In the recent past the there have been instances where household insurance policies have not ‘paid up’ in the event of a stolen / damaged / lost etc HCYB instrument. For this reason and those stated above it is essential that all HCYB instrument insurance matters are handled through our official policy. HCYB does not charge a loan or rental fee, but I would ask that parents contribute to the cost of insurance as requested (if in possession of a HCYB instrument). The amount requested is significantly subsidised and does not seek to differentiate between sizes and values of instruments.
Many Thanks
Jock McKenzie
Director, Hampshire County Youth Bands