1999 Summer Sounds Course
by Martin Cassidy
This summer sees yet another busy schedule for the Drogheda Brass Band. In particular, there is one week worth keeping an eye out for.
Over the years the band has run the "Summer Sounds" concert and this year is no exception. The senior band, under the baton of Archie Hutchison - of the CWS Glasgow Band -, will spend the final week in July running through a programme of some remarkable pieces; the preparation for the concert begins a full week beforehand, on the 17th of July, and an extremely beneficial musical course for the members of the Drogheda Brass Band.
This week is known as the Summer Sounds course, the highlight of the Drogheda Brass Band's year. With rehearsals running all day, every day, a lot of practice and hard work goes in - from the band and from Archie - into making the end of course concert something special. Of course there is the usual fun and crack involved with all events, such as the recently introduced pitch and putt competition, and some of the more "experienced" members have even been known to return to the local tavern for a healthy pint of lemonade!
While each year keeps core elements of the course intact - such the concert - and each instance of the course tries to introduces a new element, which last year was the full inclusion of our training band in the course, complete with their own conductor. This year sees the Drogheda Brass School of Music taking part in the course, which makes the course a full-time week long school of music. The Drogheda Youth Band will be performing under the baton of London Guildhall School of Music professor Alan Bourne, who resides in Wales and has extensive experience of brass band conducting. His classes will be giving rehearsals for the concert, master classes and - naturally - fun for all.
This band will consist of approximately 60 musicians, taking the number of people taking part in Summer Sounds to a staggering figure of almost one hundred musicians!
To conclude, this concert is definitely not an event to be missed. If you happen to be in the Drogheda area at around 8.00pm on Friday 23rd July this summer, then an opportunity to attend this free admission concert - being held in the Droichead Arts Centre - is not to be passed up!