Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Encyclopedia
The Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band is a brass band
based in West
and close to South Yorkshire
.
Village Brass Band can be traced back to humble beginnings in 1884. In 1905, the band was adopted by the local Frickley Colliery, which in turn was to become owned by the Carlton Main Coal Company, and by 1923 the band became known by its present name. The reputation of the Band flourished and continued to build upon its reputation of being a first class outfit and one which not only rose to challenge the very best bands of the day, but become one of the best known and best regarded bands in the world.
Despite this great heritage, by the mid 1990s times looked very bleak for the band, as it did for a great many other bands and working personnel in the mining industry, with the eventual closure of the pits in the UK and with Frickley Colliery in particular. It was at this time due to the closure and subsequent unemployment that the band was down to only six members, and close to extinction. However, due to the tenacity and the desire of those remaining members, the band was rebuilt and in a few short years by 1999, became Yorkshire Champions and represented Yorkshire at the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Band of the Year, BBC
Best of Brass Champions, Spring Festival Grand Shield Champions & Yorkshire Area Champions. In addition, the Band’s Quartet group have had the honour of being British Open Quartet Champions in 2003 and 2005.
The bands most recent achievements include being awarded 6th place at the prestigious British Open Brass Band Contest where they were the second highest placed Yorkshire band on the day, beaten only by the eventual winners, the Black Dyke Band
.
in 1981 accompanying Tony Capstick
, with The Sheffield Grinder; Capstick comes home; a partnership which saw them rise to number three in the hit parade.
Musical Directors include Russell Gray; one of the all time great cornet players and a conductor who holds National titles in Great Britain, Japan, France, Switzerland and Norway to name a few.
in South Elmsall
, in the City of Wakefield
district of Yorkshire
, England
.
. Under the guidance of Robert Oughton, the aim was to train and supply future players for the Championship band. Having obtained an old set of instruments through the CISWO organisation for miners, the first competition was entered in 1970 and 3rd prize obtained. Soon the band had registered in the 4th section of The National Brass Band Registry and entered competitions run under national rules.
With the involvement of parents and helpers the band became independent in 1976 and gained income by giving concerts at local venues such as Galas, Working Men’s Clubs and Parks along with fund raising raffles, coffee mornings and sponsored events.
The band gave free concerts for local charities and entertained the elderly, especially at Christmas. In 1980 it was granted a small levy paid by the NUM members of Frickley South Elmsall Colliery and this continued until the closure of the colliery in 1993.
As the standard of playing improved the success achieved also brought its problems as the better players moved to higher section bands, (including Black Dyke
, Brighouse
and Grimethorpe
), leaving the gaps to be filled with less experienced players. This is still the trend today, hence the band has never progressed to the top of the tree in brass banding.
With the closure of the colliery in 1993 a depression set in on the village, which has never really been overcome despite the efforts made by different organisations. Community spirit was lost and people had no desire to try things other than work, thus very few took up the challenge of learning to play an instrument. A shortage of young players has built up, affecting first the lower sections but now the middle sections.
After a television programme in 1994 dealing with how mining communities were coping, and 21 appearances of the band on television in one year, including a trip to Germany
, sponsorship from the local firm of Standard Fireworks was obtained, but after two years the recession in firework manufacture caused the closure of the factories and the end to the deal.
With the need to renew the now very old instruments a successful application was made to the Foundation of Sports and Arts (organised by the Pools Promoters Association) allowing five new instruments to be bought. A year later another successful grant from the Arts Council of England
(Lottery) and the local EEC Re-generation Grant, enabled the rest of the instruments to be renewed.
With the release of the old instruments a new learners group has been formed and has been building steadily ever since, though interested youngsters are difficult to find.
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
based in West
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
and close to South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
.
History
The South ElmsallSouth Elmsall
South Elmsall pronounced "south em-sull" is a small town and civil parish to the east of Hemsworth in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is on the B6422 and B6474 ....
Village Brass Band can be traced back to humble beginnings in 1884. In 1905, the band was adopted by the local Frickley Colliery, which in turn was to become owned by the Carlton Main Coal Company, and by 1923 the band became known by its present name. The reputation of the Band flourished and continued to build upon its reputation of being a first class outfit and one which not only rose to challenge the very best bands of the day, but become one of the best known and best regarded bands in the world.
Despite this great heritage, by the mid 1990s times looked very bleak for the band, as it did for a great many other bands and working personnel in the mining industry, with the eventual closure of the pits in the UK and with Frickley Colliery in particular. It was at this time due to the closure and subsequent unemployment that the band was down to only six members, and close to extinction. However, due to the tenacity and the desire of those remaining members, the band was rebuilt and in a few short years by 1999, became Yorkshire Champions and represented Yorkshire at the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Championships
During the band’s long and successful history, it has both competed and triumphed at many of the most prestigious competitions in the world. Most notably, the band has held the titles of European Champions (in the 1960s), National Champions, British Open Champions, Granada TVGranada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
Band of the Year, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Best of Brass Champions, Spring Festival Grand Shield Champions & Yorkshire Area Champions. In addition, the Band’s Quartet group have had the honour of being British Open Quartet Champions in 2003 and 2005.
The bands most recent achievements include being awarded 6th place at the prestigious British Open Brass Band Contest where they were the second highest placed Yorkshire band on the day, beaten only by the eventual winners, the Black Dyke Band
Black Dyke Band
The Black Dyke Band, formerly the Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best-known brass bands in the world. The band has won many prizes and competitions over the years...
.
Broadcasting
The band has appeared on TV and radio countless times, and many may remember their appearance on Top of the PopsTop of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
in 1981 accompanying Tony Capstick
Tony Capstick
Joseph Anthony 'Tony' Capstick was an English comedian, actor, musician and broadcaster.-Life and career:...
, with The Sheffield Grinder; Capstick comes home; a partnership which saw them rise to number three in the hit parade.
Personnel
The band count themselves fortunate to have many truly world class musicians in their ranks including the multi award winning Principal Cornet player, Kirsty Abbotts whose many awards have included Cornet Champion of Great Britain.Musical Directors include Russell Gray; one of the all time great cornet players and a conductor who holds National titles in Great Britain, Japan, France, Switzerland and Norway to name a few.
Frickley Colliery Brass Band
Frickley Colliery Brass Band is a brass bandBrass band (British style)
A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century, with a vibrant tradition of competition based around local industry and communities...
in South Elmsall
South Elmsall
South Elmsall pronounced "south em-sull" is a small town and civil parish to the east of Hemsworth in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is on the B6422 and B6474 ....
, in the City of Wakefield
City of Wakefield
The City of Wakefield is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. Wakefield is the district's administrative centre. The district includes the "Five Towns" of Normanton, Pontefract, Featherstone, Castleford and Knottingley. Other...
district of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
It was formed in 1969 as the learner band to Carlton Main Frickley Colliery BandCarlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
The Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band is a brass band based in West and close to South Yorkshire.-History:The South Elmsall Village Brass Band can be traced back to humble beginnings in 1884. In 1905, the band was adopted by the local Frickley Colliery, which in turn was to become owned by the...
. Under the guidance of Robert Oughton, the aim was to train and supply future players for the Championship band. Having obtained an old set of instruments through the CISWO organisation for miners, the first competition was entered in 1970 and 3rd prize obtained. Soon the band had registered in the 4th section of The National Brass Band Registry and entered competitions run under national rules.
With the involvement of parents and helpers the band became independent in 1976 and gained income by giving concerts at local venues such as Galas, Working Men’s Clubs and Parks along with fund raising raffles, coffee mornings and sponsored events.
The band gave free concerts for local charities and entertained the elderly, especially at Christmas. In 1980 it was granted a small levy paid by the NUM members of Frickley South Elmsall Colliery and this continued until the closure of the colliery in 1993.
As the standard of playing improved the success achieved also brought its problems as the better players moved to higher section bands, (including Black Dyke
Black Dyke Band
The Black Dyke Band, formerly the Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best-known brass bands in the world. The band has won many prizes and competitions over the years...
, Brighouse
Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band
The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band was formed in 1881. It is based in Brighouse, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.-History:The Brighouse and Rastrick Band is regarded by many as the best and most consistent ‘public subscription band’ in the world...
and Grimethorpe
Grimethorpe Colliery Band
The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band, based in Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, England. It was formed in 1917, as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery, by members of the disbanded Cudworth Colliery Band...
), leaving the gaps to be filled with less experienced players. This is still the trend today, hence the band has never progressed to the top of the tree in brass banding.
With the closure of the colliery in 1993 a depression set in on the village, which has never really been overcome despite the efforts made by different organisations. Community spirit was lost and people had no desire to try things other than work, thus very few took up the challenge of learning to play an instrument. A shortage of young players has built up, affecting first the lower sections but now the middle sections.
After a television programme in 1994 dealing with how mining communities were coping, and 21 appearances of the band on television in one year, including a trip to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, sponsorship from the local firm of Standard Fireworks was obtained, but after two years the recession in firework manufacture caused the closure of the factories and the end to the deal.
With the need to renew the now very old instruments a successful application was made to the Foundation of Sports and Arts (organised by the Pools Promoters Association) allowing five new instruments to be bought. A year later another successful grant from the Arts Council of England
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
(Lottery) and the local EEC Re-generation Grant, enabled the rest of the instruments to be renewed.
With the release of the old instruments a new learners group has been formed and has been building steadily ever since, though interested youngsters are difficult to find.