We are delighted to welcome the Pendennis Brass Band to the Falmouth Hotel this December.
When:
Sunday 4th December 12:30 – 14:30 (Falmouth Hotel Christmas Market)
Sunday 11th December 18:00-20:00
Sunday 18th December 18:00 – 20:00
Who Are They:
For many years during the first half of the 1900’s, Falmouth a picturesque holiday town on the south coast of Cornwall, boasted a championship section band. Their high point was probably in 1955 when, after competing at the Royal Albert Hall, Falmouth Town Band, as it was then called, took part in the evening concert alongside legendary Black Dyke Mills and the country’s other top bands of the era. But in the late 50’s, as the popularity of brass band music waned across post-war Britain, Falmouth Town Band, along with many others at that time, began finding it harder to survive and in the early 60’s, finally had to fold.
In 1980, with a few ex-players from the old band and sponsorship from well-known millionaire entrepreneur, Peter de Savary, the band rose again under the new name of Pendennis Brass and has been going strong ever since.
The band has grown over the last 10 years from strength to strength progressing to from the 4th section to the 1st section, under 9 years of direction from Steve Thomas. In November 2006 the band won the 4th section at the Diamond Jubilee contest of the SWBBA at Torquay, and then went one better at the same venue in March 2007, when they gained first prize in the regional qualifier which secured an automatic invitation to the national finals at Harrogate in September that year where, after the long trek to Yorkshire, the band obtained their highest ever placing of 8th out of 20 competing bands – their best result since being placed 12th at Preston Guildhall in 2001. This achievement was eclipsed in 2011 however when Pendennis Brass qualified for the very first time for the second section finals at Cheltenham. Once again, Steve took the band to a new level, finishing 5th – an outstanding result.
Another popular competition in which the band has excelled over the past few years, has been the Exmouth Brass Band Festival, a contest where each band plays a 25 minute programme with an emphasis on entertainment. Here, the band has been awarded the best entertainment award on at least three occasions and have picked up the percussion trophy for four years out of five, including a hat-trick. In 2012, solo cornet player, Gareth Thomas won the best soloist award.
The band has been privileged to be working with the professional conductor and arranger Christopher Bond over the last 6 months in a professional capacity. Christopher is originally from Cornwall, currently living in Wales and is a first-class graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, his work has been performed extensively throughout the United Kingdom, broadcast on local and national radio and performances of his work have been given on four continents including Australia, the USA and Taiwan. The band competed a few weeks ago at the SWBBA competition in Torquay under his direction. The band are looking forward to working with Christopher once again in the upcoming months.