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Rode Hall Silver Band to host an evening of music featuring guest soloist Mark Wilkinson of the Foden’s Band

Rode Hall Silver Band are very pleased to announce that they will be hosting an evening of music in St. Mary's Church, Astbury Village near Congleton on the 24th September at 7:30pm. The band promise a varied programme of brass band music in order to raise money for our instrument fund.
Tickets cost £8 or £5 for concessions and are on sale now from Congleton Tourist Information Centre or visit our contact page.
The concert will feature Mark Wilkinson, Principal Cornet of the Foden's band as our guest soloist.
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About Mark Wilkinson...
Mark started playing the cornet aged 6 with his local band Ellenbrook and Boothstown before moving to the Walkden Band and then Besses Boys aged 13 where he stayed for 5 years on Principal Cornet. During this time Mark was also appointed Principal Cornet with the 'National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain.' When he was 18 Mark joined the Wingates Band on Principal Cornet for 2 years before accepting Howard Snells offer to join the Britannia Building Society Band (now Foden's) on Principal Cornet in 1992. During this time he has been privileged to have won every major contest with Foden's including the British Open, National Finals, European Championships, Swiss, French and American Opens as well as numerous victories at the All England Masters Contest, Area Contest and Brass in Concert entertainment competitions.

As well as performing in France, America, Holland, Belgium, Norway, Australia, Switzerland, Italy and Ireland as a soloist Mark is also heavily involved in Youth education. Mark enjoyed 3 years as the cornet tutor with the 'National Children's Brass Band of Great Britain' and has been an entrance examiner and cornet tutor with the 'National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain' since 2000. Mark has also appeared as a cornet tutor with the 'National Youth Brass Band of Wales' 'National Youth Band of Switzerland' as well as a guest soloist with the 'National Youth Brass Band of Denmark.'As well as being a founder member of the 'Northern Ireland Armagh Summer School' Mark is in demand on various summer schools in this country and abroad.

In 2010 Mark was appointed as 'Visiting Cornet Tutor' at the Royal Northern College of Music, Cornet Tutor at the 'University of Salford' and Cornet/Trumpet Tutor at 'Manchester Metropolitan University.'

Mark is in demand in this country and abroad as a cornet soloist, teacher, conductor and clinician.  Mark is also in demand as an adjudicator and has adjudicated at a number of leading contests including various Area Contests, National Finals, Swiss and Belgium Nationals, Grand Shield, Pontins and the All England International Masters and is also as a fully credited member of the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators.

In 2013 Mark released a Solo cd entitled 'Milestone' which received critical acclaim and designed and produced a range of cornet mouthpieces produced by 'Pickett Brass.'

Mark is presently the Band Manager of Foden's Band.

Brassed Off opens TONIGHT!!

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After a great dress rehearsal last night the band and cast from Congleton Players are all set for five performances of Brassed Off. Tickets have sold really well and if you want to see the show there may be a few left at Congleton Tourist Information Centre or available on the night at the Daneside Theatre box office. We've had loads of fun rehearsing and promoting the play with the cast and below are a few photos of our journey......

Rode Hall Silver Band to hold an open rehearsal ahead of North West Regional Championships

Rode Hall Band will hold an open rehearsal ahead of competing at the North West Regional Championships. All are welcome to come along for a listen while we rehearse our test piece for the contest, "The Journal of Philleas Fogg" by Peter Graham.

When: 25th February at 7:30pm
Where: Cygnet Club, Swan Bank, Congleton, CW12 1AH
£2 entrance fee

A Concert of Remembrance 14th November 2015

Our friends at Keele University Brass Band will be hosting a joint Concert of Remembrance with us at Keele University Chapel on Saturday 14th November. The concert promises an enjoyable evening of music, reflection and commemoration.

Tickets at £7 for adults and £5 for students/concessions. These can be bought on the door or by emailing soc.brassband@keele.ac.uk

We look forward to seeing some of our supporters there!
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Midsummer Music with Nantwich Concert Band

Whit Friday 2015

On the 29th May Rode Hall Silver Band boarded a coach bound for Saddleworth to take part in the annual Saddleworth & District Whit Friday Brass Band Contests. The contests are also known as ‘The Greatest Free Show on Earth’ because around 100 bands from all over the country, and beyond, travel from village to village playing two marches at each contest to both a ‘blind’ adjudicator and an appreciative crowd, before boarding their bus and moving on to the next village. Each contest typically hosts between 50 and 70 bands, from non-contesting to world class bands.

This year Rode weren’t able to perform at as many venues as previous years, due to congestion and queues at the venues, however we did manage to achieve our minimum target of six contests. These were Diggle, Uppermill, Dobcross, Scouthead, Lydgate & Denshaw. The band are particularly proud of their second place prize in the 4th Section at Lydgate. The weather was pretty cool all evening, but dry until our very last performance at Denshaw. As we watched the penultimate band perform, the heavens opened. Torrential rain turned to an onslaught of hail stones as our band played on to a handful of equally plucky spectators. As the last band of the contest, we brought the contest to a close with a soggy National Anthem.

The band would like to say a big thank you to our MD Nigel Butler, our band manager Steve Twemlow for organising the coach, and to our guests on the evening.

See our Lydgate performance below and keep an eye on our Media Gallery for more videos and photos from the day.

Rode Hall Band to Support Moorlands NSPCC Concert July 11th 2015

SWEET MUSIC AT MOORSIDE FOR CHARITY
Moorland Voices, Rode Hall Silver band and Shelley Ann Rivers  have been asked by Sue Wardle, Chairman of Leek and Moorlands NSPCC to perform in a concert at Moorside High School, Cellarhead on July 11 to raise funds for Carole House, the local NSPCC children's centre.  Sue Wardle is enthusiastic about this concert.  “It will be the biggest concert we will have organised for the NSPCC – Moorland Voices (with whom I sing) will be joined by the wonderful Rode Hall Silver Band and a talented young soprano Shelley-Ann Rivers, also a local girl.  It should be a great night for music lovers and we are hoping to sell over 200 tickets for this event.” Tickets will cost £8 (£5 for concessions)  and will include light refreshment. The programme will begin at 7.30. More details from Sue on 01782 550258  or checkleysue@aol.com

MOORLAND VOICES

After recently celebrating 12 months of singing together, Moorland Voices has a busy schedule of concerts for 2015.  This co-operative choir of 26 singers has no overall musical director but uses talent from within its ranks to choose music, conduct and inspire. They sing a huge variety from classical to Beatles and rely on close harmonies in a largely a capella style.

The choir includes members based in Leek and Cheadle but attracts singers from all over Staffordshire.  Don Taylor, chairman of the choir, stated, “We have worked very hard to improve our overall sound and blend of voices. Apparently we are the choir to watch and in this second year we want to seriously impress our audiences, so we have been working on new and exciting pieces for our upcoming concerts.”

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SHELLEY-ANN RIVERS

Shelley Anne Rivers is a classically trained singer and actress. She studied musical theatre at Laine Theatre Arts and continued to train in Opera at The Royal Northern College of Music.

Her theatre credits include, Tuptim in the 'King & I', Maggie in 'A Chorus Line', Mrs Anderson in 'A Little Night Music', Pitti Sing in 'The Mikado', Phyllis in 'Iolanthe' for the Buxton G&S Festival, Tchaikovsky's Opera 'Eugene Onegin' and Janácek's 'The Cunning Little Vixen'. She performed in the UK tour of 'The Pirates of Penzance' alongside Rosemary Ashe and Paul Nicholas and she has also performed in the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of 'Iolanthe'.

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Shelley's concert and corporate work has taken her all over the world. She regularly appears with comedian Kev Orkian, dueting with him in a comedy opera routine that Kev previously performed with global opera star Katherine Jenkins. Shelley recently performed in Bobby Davros' "Gala Spectacular" alongside Joe Pasquale, Gary Wilmot and Gareth Gates. Through 2014, Shelley appeared as a guest singer abroad with her own classical show for TED UK.

RODE HALL SILVER BAND

Rode Hall Silver Band was formed in 1837 as a fife and drum band, changing to its current brass band format in 1886. It is believed that the Band was originally formed to lead the local people to services at Astbury Church before Rode Church was built.The Band today plays at many events throughout South Cheshire and Staffordshire. The Band is also planning to participate in a number of contests that will challenge the players and develop the sound of the Band.

The band recently achieved a 4th place finish at Brass at the Guild 2015 and followed this up with a 6th place at the hotly contested 2015 North West Regional Championships. The band is forward-thinking, and aims to progress further and further up the results table in the years to come. The band's president is Lady Baker Wilbraham of Rode Hall

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