Foxwood Steel at Oakwood Farmers Market Again

The day started sunny and windless and stayed as such for all our set. Oakwood Clock and surrounding square have been refurbished and the Clock itself is big and beautiful against the blue skies and spring green tree. We were me, Yi Bai, Katie, Bex, Vicky, Charlotte, Sophie, Gary, Daisy, Amy in order of arrival. Please note that I was, and in the van, the first at a gig. This won't happen again, so may as well make this note.

Bex told us she had a small free gig. Was totally puzzled until I put in the hyphen. A small-free gig!

We played 25 songs in 3 sets in 2 and 1/2 hours. Amy said she was too tired to play until Sophie put her straight! Actually that was the level of the excitement. It was the third event this week for four of us [me, Bex, Vicky Sophie at Middleton Park [East Steel], at Wharfedale [massed school bands], now here [Foxwood]. All have been great to be part of. Love playing parks and bandstands, love playing festivals, love playing outside on stone in built-up areas. Thanks to Ian for inviting us yet again.

So that's it. Here's some pics. [And the cloth banner was originally made by Trish Senior for Foxwood at Foxwood School in 1980-something]

If you want to book Foxwood Steel, or any of the bands for an event, contact us on foxwoodpanyard@outlook.com .

Leeds Massed Steelbands Amazing at Wharfedale Festival, Ilkley

Well, there comes a point every year when I wonder if carting all this metal out of Leeds and into Ilkley is worth it, and whether arranging the adventure that is the 4.32 to Ilkley is worth it, when nearly half of them nearly always don't show!

 

 

And then we get there, but this year especially. This year we had four separate pan teachers, four separate schools plus Sparrows, and this year too, New Sparrows.

 

Wanda agreed to kick the proceedings off with Oulton. As it is SATs week, Oulton bring their Year 5s, so these wonderful children have been playing for just two terms. They play Frere Jacques, and Lazy Coconut, with Wanda percussing with claves. Superb.

 

Next Bex brings a Yr 5 and a Yr 6 group from Clapgate, South Leeds. They play Come and Sing Together and The Surprise. They too have been playing for two terms and both group use chime bars as well as pans. Absolutely beautiful.

[pic to follow]

 

 

 

 

Next are my Allerton Grangettes. They are tackling Land of the Silver Birch, Michael Jackson's You Are Not Alone and Westlife classic, You Raise Me Up. Here, we are putting together for only the second time the after-school club and the daytime class. Not all were able to make it so Bex and I stand in. They make it through some tricky chords and song structures. I was very proud of those who had made the effort to get there and play.

 

LS14 Steel is Natalie's contribution from Beechwood and Beyond [ie Yr6 and ex-pupils]. They include Daniel the wonder-drummer who plays from the floor while the rest of the band is on the stage. Amazing. They play Candy, All of Me and Cecilia. Mind-blowing!

[pic to follow]

 

Friends, we have not finished. Next is Bex's and my New Sparrows. Principally they are two ex-Oultoners who have joined Sparrows this year and are on a frantic catch-up curve. We play California Girls and Under the Boardwalk. So proud.

[pic to follow]

 

Penultimately the Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows themselves. Well, actually out of a twelve strong band we are down to three! We have cornered the market in A, AS, and GCSE students. But instead of them being a pale reflection of themselves two months ago, we decide to present what they would have been like and we volunteer ourselves: staff and Foxwood Steel players to stand in as best we  we can!

 

 

So actual Sparrows present are Millie S, Ashley and Claudia [Yr11 and mid two exams. Yo. [Claudia. She deserves a medal and good grades. Did her revision on the train.]. Bex is Millie C, Vicky is Naomi and Georgia, I am Chloe and Bella, Yi Bai is George and Sophie is the rest.

 

 

We play our Music For Youth set of The Entertainer, Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue, Hips Don't Lie, Morning and In the Hall of the Mountain King. Forgot to take pics so here's one we took earlier of Sparrows at Harrogate.

 

 

 

And then everyone gets up for the massed band. And all play the Horn Concerto and In the Hall of the Mountain King [very easy version]. House down, adjudicator called it a proper celebration, said he knew how difficult pans were to play, how we should be better known, and . . .

 

.  .  best of all he didn't ask anyone to smile.

 

So we did.

 

And thanks to Liz, Blanche and co from the indefatigable Wharfedale Festival Committee, and Robert Marsh for his kind comments. These steelbands are funded and run from Leeds ArtForms and from Oulton and Beechwood Primary Schools.

 

 

East Steel at Middleton Park

May 10 2015 sees East Steel at Miggy Park, South Leeds for its triumphant spring return. We have now collected quite a following but think it may have something to do with the lovely new café by the lake. Tea, buns and playing in a bandstand. Mmmm!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything went to plan but we did have a nervous moment or two, as this was the same day as the Leeds half-marathon and half the band lived inside its route. As it turned out I was able to drive under bridges on the inner-ring road, so I probably didn't need to have worried.

 

We were Trish, Anne, Lynn, Pippa, Sophie, Yi Bai, Vicky, Wanda, Kirsty, Bex and myself. We played our usual set plus the new 2015 ones - Maria, Soca Junkie and Matilda. It's still a case of brace yourself and go for it.

 

East Steel is a music centre band funded and organised by Leeds ArtForms Music Service. Leaders: Victoria Jaquiss and Bex Ainge

East Steel play St George's Festival Morley Leeds

I am squeezing in this gig in Morley between teaching at North Leeds Music Centre at lunchtime and Charlotte B's big birthday bash in south London this evening. I must be mad! In the morning I pack Bag A for the music centre, Bag B for the gig, and Bag C for London

 

 

Anyway Wanda come to the rescue with extra transport, and the rest of the band these days mostly own and bring their own pans. I go home, then Rick takes me over to Morley. I am already in East Steel polo shirt and leave the music centre bag with himself.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't quite get over feeling guilty about not setting up; it's weird seeing and hearing your own band playing as you walk down pedestrianied Queen Street. They are concentrating so hard on the song in hand that they don't even see me slip in behind a pan until the end of the tune.

 

 

Players today are Trish, Wanda, Vicky, Sophie, Pippa, Victoria, Bex, Yi Bai and surprise appearance by Katie [who even found her old East Steel t-shirt]. We are bedding down this and last year's new tunes: Somewhere Only We Know, Soca Junkie/Matilda, You Raise Me Up and Maria.

 

Then there in the audience are the bride and groom from two weeks back, and Maddie joins us again for You Raise Me Up. After she texts me: Lovely to see and hear you. Had a gin and a dance with Rosie outside Cucinas while you played . . 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  We pack up our ludicrously heavy but stable and rain-proof gazebos, and Bex and Yi Bai do the comedy moment.

 

Trish takes me to the station and while the rest of the band are settling down to a cuppa or a glass of chilled white, I am still waiting for the 8.40 on Blackfriars Bridge Station. Another hour I can raise a glass myself to one of the bestest gigs. Cheers!

 

 

 

East Steel is a Leeds music centre steelband run by Leeds ArtForms Music Service, leaders/teachers are Victoria Jaquiss and Bex Ainge

 

 

Foxwood Steel at Maddie and Liam's wedding

Well, same as last year, if we want the youngest son to play pans these days we need another of his friends to get married. Last year they tied the knot in Sidmouth [miles away]. This year's knot is being tied in East Keswick, a few miles up the Wetherby Road. Yay!

 

 

 

 

 

We were Victoria, Bex, Vicky, Amy, Sophie, Fehmina, Morgan, guests, Ashley and Yi Bai. Maddie has been playing with the beginners' class for the few months so we invited her to be a surprise guest at the wedding. She chose and had learnt the melody for You Raise Me Up, but then we added the key change as well! Eek!

 

 

 

Serene in posh white dress Maddie took the extra 20 plus bars and all the flats in the left of her soprano pan in her stride.

 

It was a bit windy outside so after an hour of playing on the terrace, we decided to move inside. Just in time and just as well, as the soft sounds of Bridge Over Troubled Water on a nine piece steelband was not so pleasing to all the residents of East Keswick, and we were invited to close the doors as well. Ever thus. [There were some louder tunes, it must be said].

 

 

 

 

practising the week before

Silver Sparrows, well, two of them, play Harrogate International Festival

2013

It's about eight years since we first took to the streets of |Harrogate, marching pan de neck along the Stray, playing outside the War Memorial and finally treading the boards at the Royal Hall or the Conference Centre [we did the latter while they were re-guilding the former].

2009

 

The marching bit was never very good, and did indeed get worse with every year that passed. If you don't practise pan-de-neck, it's impossible to do it well on the day, and realistically, the standard of songs that Sparrows play at can't be done justice to if you have tripped over the kerb, walked into a concrete bollard or lost the rest of the band in the next street.

2013

But this is an international festival and an honour to be asked, though I do wonder why Hedda continues to put up with us, given that our tunes get so scrambled up. However they do make good pictures.

2014

Anyway we are here April 4th 2015. We have as many leaders as we have Sparrows I.e. two of each so have invited a few Foxwood and Steel Rising to help us out and ex-Sparow Yi Bai who seems to be an infinite guest.
 

We were a trio

 

then a quintet

 

then a sextet

We are me (Victoria), Bex, Ash, Millie C, Sophie, Vicky, Wanda, Kirsty and Yi Bai. We are in the cold sunshine of Victoria Gardens opposite the railway station, and we park the van where we played. Wish that could be true in Leeds (you ever played Briggate?).

 

 

then we are a steel band 2015

 We play mostly Leeds Pan Central songs and then throw in some Sparrows-only ones. Ooo! Tricky. Everyone's asking what's in Bflat minor even though we've been playing it in Clocks for years.

 

 

(Another tutor once told some of my players when confronted by an out of tune Bflat [note], that it was okay cos "Victoria doesn't use B flat." just thought I'd throw that in. It didn't do lasting damage, and is a regular comedy moment).

 

Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows are a City of Leeds Youth Music ArtForms steelband.

Sparrows at Music For Youth, always good at St Aidan's

It's that time of year again, ten years since our first performance at a regional festival. First time we went to Garforth, then a couple of times to Hemsworth, then St Aidan's where we mostly have stayed, straying briefly to Garforth again last year. After a few times of going in various cars, we settled on taking the train. It's an adventure on tracks.






This year Sparrows are Bella, Claudia, Georgia, Millie, Millie, Chloe, Ashley, Naomi and George. This is the smallest Sparrows we have ever had, but the quality is undimmed! Sadly the change to Thursday practices was a day too far for Peter, but he gave us a wonderful arrangement of Hips Don't Lie. We messed about with it a bit more, and it was, predictably the hit of the set.







As a nod to the BBC's Ten Pieces, we called our set, Five Pieces and launched into a romp through the genres. The Entertainer, Don't it Make it My Brown Eyes Blue, Hips Don't Lie, Morning, In the Hall of the Mountain King.







I started welling up almost immediately, and the audience applause was the longest since Birmingham 2009, which was the year Sparrows won the World Music Award. I think my favourite moment was when Millie C took to the basses for Brown Eyes Blue, holding the music in one hand and playing bass casually one-handedly with the other. And she got a special mention from the mentors [adjudicators] for her bass playing.

Naomi lost Morning so we watched her peer over Claudia's shoulder to read it [see pic below right]. And Chloe and Ashley got over their stage shyness to do dancing for Hips. Georgia hid so well at the back that I have included the pic above of them waiting to play, just so she gets in this blog!

At the Festival I was really pleased to met Emma [and family] who is setting up her own band in Harrogate. And if she were to see the a Sparrows concert, she couldn't have seen a better one.

Here is Bella trying out pan de neck for the first time, but she is on holiday when it the Harrogate Festival so it won't happen yet.



[The best laid plans o' mice and men gang aft a-gley, but I do try!]

To see video clips of our tunes go to our facebook page. Plus I will link them when we get them youtubed.

The Leeds Silver Steel Sparrows is a Leeds ArtForms senior ensemble, with leaders: Victoria Jaquiss and Bex Ainge. Best age to join is between 11 and 14, but up to 17 is still good. Contact Leeds ArtForms if you would like to observe or try out a session. Previous [musical] experience is desirable but not essential.