Busy times with Chichester City Band!

BY Marilyn Hurdwell
Chichester City BandChichester City Band
Chichester City Band

As a comparatively new player with Chichester City Band (CCB), I feel very privileged and humbled at being allowed to share with this great band in two very significant occasions in quick succession.

First up was the SCABA Contest at Crawley, where CCB won two trophies, then last Saturday, with two National Anthems, a fine concert in Chichester’s prestigious Assembly Room for the City's French Twinning Association! Along with their hosts, this enjoyable entertainment was attended by special guests from Chartres, also a Cathedral City, who were visiting to celebrate 60 years of twinning friendship.

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Both the Contest Piece (Holst's Suite in E flat) and the Concert had been fully prepared by the band's very talented Musical Director, Rom Stanko, who also cleverly arranged French and British elements to the delight of the audience.

The “Cole Porter Medley” revealed gems from both nationalities, and Rom’s own arrangement of various “Chart Hits” brought the first half to a rousing close

After welcome refreshments, a special feature was Rom’s splendid "Gallic Bolero" which included snippets of Ravel (of course!), La Marseillaise, Le Moulin Rouge and several other Francophile favourites.

This was followed by Eurovision's "Congratulations" - to the Twinning Associations and all who had anniversaries and birthdays on the day, and to thank the various soloists, including husband & wife Ronnie & Anne Wilson. We were then reminded that “It Don't mean a Thing if it ain't got that Swing”, courtesy of Duke Ellington!

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Even the French know that no concert here can finish without "Sussex by the Sea," which was played and sung with great gusto!

Many thanks to all

Vive la France! Vive La Grande-Bretagne! Vive le Jumelage!

NB Our main Area Contest for the National Brass Band Championships will take place at Stevenage on March 16th 2019 when the Band is hoping again to qualify for the September finals in Cheltenham!