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December 2005 Yes, I probably have a little too much time on my hands, but here is the new (and improved) Murley Silver Band website. Enjoy! 17th
December 2005 The eagerly awaited band dinner in Murley bandroom did not disappoint, with the Murley ladies excelling themselves once again with a meal that Gordon Ramsay would have been proud of. They also had the pleasure of cooking in the newly refurbished back room - although they'll probably need an extractor fan for next year as there are no more cracks in the wall for the heat to escape! Stephen Bloomfield expressed his thanks to everyone who had supported the band in 2005 particularly Davy Trimble and George White who had made generous donations. Two generations of bass drummers were also present - Herbie Robertson received a beautiful framed drawing to recognise his commitment over the decades and young Aaron Boyd was thanked for his blood (literally!) and sweat over the previous year's marches. The prizes were:
As is traditional, the craic continued long into the night in Scott's Bar and The Valley. 17th
December 2005 It was a busy December for Murley with nearly two engagements every week leading up to Christmas. The band provided music at carol services in Clogher Catherdral, Fintona Presbyterian Church and Ballybay in Co. Monaghan.
The Junior Band (above) also performed their first carol concert in Fivemiletown High Street on Saturday 17th December. Immediately afterwards, the children were whisked off to Enniskillen for a well deserved end of year lunch in McDonald's! 20th
October 2005 After nearly 10 hours in the Wesleyan Hall, Fivemiletown, Murley have finally finished recording their latest CD.
It was a very alien experience for most of the players, since the last recording the band made was way back in 1980! Concentrating for hours is very tough, especially when the average brass player's attention span is about three minutes. The microphones left nowhere to hide and in the silence before the start of a piece, you could hear a pin (or mute!) drop. Judith, Caroline, Mark Kelly, Ann, Carol and Niall had a particularly stressful time since they were all called upon to perform solos. Many thanks go to both conductor Keith Anderson and Komodo Recordings who were extremely professional and friendly. Book your CD now! 18th
October 2005 Murley were just one of several fine musical acts who performed in Clogher Cathedral this evening to help raise money for CLIC Sargent, a charity which provides support for children with cancer and their families. The cathedral was packed to capacity to hear the band led by conductor Keith Anderson play through a selection of the pieces recorded for the forthcoming CD. The contrast to all this brass sound came in the form of Christine Gervis (flute) and William McBride who eloquently displayed the full range of the newly refurbished organ. The highlight of the night was undoubtedly The Robertson Trio - sisters Judith (now Anderson) and Ann (now Bloomfield) and brother David. With a medley of songs from Les Miserables, You Raise Me Up and some selected hymns, the talented siblings endeared themselves to the audience with some fine, close harmony singing. Although not a 'regular' trio, the group will certainly be in demand in the future! The evening of music was brought to a stately close with a rousing performance of The Lost Chord by brass band and organ. 30th
October 2005 Murley plan to record a CD of concert music at the end of November. This will be their first 'hard copy' recording since releasing the Murley In Concert LP way back in 1980! The band are currently working hard on a tricky but entertaining programme which will include a march and several solos. Watch this space for more details. Also listen out for Murley on Radio Ulster's Strike Up The Band series which airs every Wednesday at 19:00. Congratulations go to our conductor Keith Anderson who won the Best Instrumentalist prize at last night's NIBA Championships in Upper Bann Institute, Portadown. Laganvale cruised to their second successive victory with a brilliant performance of Phillip Sparke's Partita and will represent Northern Ireland at the European Championships in Belfast next April. Well done! Congratulations also to back row cornet player Alasdair Cooke who conducted Maguiresbridge to victory in the 4th section. 28th
August 2005 As the summer draws to a close, Murley begin to prepare for a busy autumn. First up is a concert at Clogher Valley Golf Club where Murley will be reunited with Mr David Roberston – a partnership that proved very successful earlier in the year. October brings the annual NIBA Championships at the Ulster Hall. This is a big event in the brass band calendar of Northern Ireland, but even more so this year, since the winners will earn a place at next year’s European Championships – to be held at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast. 26th
August 2005 After six weeks in London as ‘part of his education’, 1st baritone player Boris Pinto is back in his seat at Murley. Boris had taken his baritone with him and played with two local bands in North West London – Amersham Band and Grimsdyke Brass. Fortunately, both had vacancies in the baritone section and Boris slotted in nicely, helping out at an open air concert and a gay wedding.
He was very impressed by the warmth and friendliness of the local brass band community and the common practice of a coffee break half-way through rehearsals. "That's something I'll definitely mention at the next Murley AGM!" he said.
The websites of the two bands Boris visited can be found here: 3rd
July 2005 After a long year of hard work, Murley Junior Band were determined to show off their rapidly improving musical ability by giving a concert at the Round Lake, Fivemiletown. For most of the young players, it was their first concert outdoors and they soon had to get used to turning pages with clothes pegs and ignoring that dark cloud hanging overhead!
Fortunately, despite some early drizzle, the weather remained fair as Murley Junior Band, conducted by Keith Anderson, took us on a journey around the world with dances from China, Russia and North America. The concert concluded with Journey To Mars and Can You Feel The Love Tonight? and as the sun emerged the applause began. A special thanks to all the senior band members who helped out and to the families of the Junior Band members. 21st
May 2005 The official opening of the new pitches at Clogher Valley Rugby FC was marked by a friendly match between the home side and Ulster's 1999 European Cup winning team. Murley provided music throughout the event to entertain the large crowd of local supporters and their families.
The band took to the pitch to accompany Cavanaleck Pipe Band and the very talented baritone, David Robertson, as he sang Cwn Rhondda and World In Union. Despite several threats of rain, the sunny weather persisted and everyone in attendance had an thoroughly enjoyable day. And congratulations to Niall Wilson who not only acted as linesman for the match but also played a solo on bass trombone! 18th
May 2005 Murley's third place finish in last year's NIBA Championship earned them a radio broadcast with BBC Radio Ulster, which will be aired in Autumn 2005. The recording, organised by Belfast based Dr. Joe McKee, took place in the familiar surroundings of the Wesleyan Hall, FMT.
The programme of music included On The Quarterdeck, The Muppet Show, Helter Skelter and An American Trilogy. It was a tough evening session particularly for cornet player Mark Kelly who, in addition to his front row duties, was also called upon to tackle the tricky solo You Raise Me Up. Much of this music will hopefully be used on a forthcoming CD which the band plan to release later in the year. 14th
May 2005 Murley were invited to entertain at a reunion dinner at Portora Royal School, Co. Fermanagh. It was a beautiful setting for an outdoor concert as the grounds lie on the edge of Lough Erne, overlooking the picturesque town of Enniskillen. In the lengthening shadows of the warm May evening, Murley provided a light musical background including Breezin' Down Broadway, An American Trilogy and The Muppet Show. Of the featured soloists, Judith Anderson set the xylophone on fire with Helter Skelter and Mark Kelly gave a beautifully controlled performance of You Raise Me Up.
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April 2005 The annual BBL Spring Contest at Ballygowan, Co. Down attracted just three championship bands - a disappointing number considering the size of the section in previous years. Under the baton of Keith Anderson, Murley gave a good performance of Philip Sparke's Tallis Variations, with some tight solo playing. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to leap-frog either of the country's two top bands and Murley finished third.
Laganvale took top spot by four clear points with a blistering rendition of the fiendish Montage by Peter Graham. The Belfast band also claimed prizes for best soloist (Dessie Neill, cornet) and best percussion section.
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March 2005 The annual general meeting of Murley Silver Band this Sunday, ended with a special presentation to a doyen of the highest regard - David Trimble. Davy's longstanding relationship with Murley Band spans almost half a century and his tireless work and commitment was acknowledged with the bestowing of the title 'Band President' and a specially commissioned painting of Murley in their marching uniform.
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February 2005 There was much hype and expectation leading up to Murley's annual concert - due to the high standard set last year coupled with the debut of the Murley Junior Band - and the sold-out crowd at the Wesleyan Hall were not disappointed. With Keith Anderson at the helm, the band opened with the lively Gaudete and a march, On The Quarterdeck. The concert featured various soloists throughout the band including cornet players Caroline Fleming, James Cooke and a baritone duet. The Junior Band arrived halfway through the first half and gave confident performances of a suite entitled Journey To Mars and Can You Feel The Love Tonight? from The Lion King. The young players looked extremely smart in black & white with red ties and were certainly not overawed by the occasion. The first half ended with a moving tribute to the late Johnny Malone and Robert 'Bob' Hall in the form of the hymn The Day Thou Gavest and dedicated by Band Chairman Stephen Bloomfield. Compere Willy Lyons lightened the mood at the interval with his brand of local humour and brought the house down with a hilarious monologue simply titled, My Day In Daisy Hill. The eagerly anticipated second half began with a medley of Broadway classics which was quickly followed by two more fine solos, this time from Judith Anderson (xylophone) and Niall Wilson (Bass Trombone). The concert concluded with various TV and film themes including The Flintsones, The Muppets and ET: Fanfare & Flying Theme. The Murley Choir provided some variety to the evening and were ably accompanied by Diane Porter. Thanks again to everyone who helped out and supported the concert - it was a great night! 19th
February 2005 Murley Silver Band invites you to join them at their annual concert! Friday
25th February 2005 The concert will have music to suit all tastes and features the debut performance of the Murley Junior Band. Tickets are priced at £7-00 (including post-concert supper) and are available from the Valley Hotel Reception and David Trimble (028) 8952 1392 5th
February 2005 Congratulations to both Caroline Fleming and James Cooke who performed solos with the 2004 British Open Champions Fodens-Richardson Band in Armagh's Marketplace Theatre. The matinee concert entitled 'The Best of Youth' was hosted by the Armagh Old Boy's Band and featured young soloists from across the province.
Caroline played Let Me Try Again by Caravelli while James gave a lively rendition of Alan Morrison's Buster Strikes Back. They are pictured above with Fodens conductor Richard Evans. Well done! 14th
January 2005 It is with great sadness that we announce the death of the band's President Robert 'Bob' Hall. Robert had been suffering with a long term illness and passed away peacefully at his home today.
Even the title of 'President' cannot reward or do justice to the work and dedication that Robert Hall has put into Murley Silver Band over the last forty years. In his many capacities, and particularly as a champion of young musicians, he can truly be described as 'Mr. Murley Band'. He will be sorely missed by everyone connected with the band and we offer our most sincere condolences to his family. |
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