Chinewrde Marching Band play Kenilworth Carnival

Looking Good!

The final rehearsal goes down a storm in the sun!

The Chinewrde Marching Band will be taking to the streets of Kenilworth for the first time in their 66 year history to support this very ‘important’ carnival of Kenilworth.

Originally formed in July of 1945, the current cohort of the Chinewrde Marching Band take to the streets of Kenilworth this weekend in their first ever appearance in the town’s annual carnival. Among them will be the group’s leader and spokesperson Dorothy Crochet. A CMB member since the early days and now well into her eighties, Dorothy plays percussion and keeps the band running to time, albeit a little quick on occasion.

Speaking about what it means to be marching in Saturday’s Kenilworth Carnival procession, Dorothy says: “The Carnival is such an important part of our town’s history and I can’t wait to play a part in it. I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it! I love The Pointer Sisters.”

With the current formation of twelve marching in four rows of three, the Chinewrde Marching Band continues to take huge steps forward. New members Frieda (Flag Bearer, 42) and Felicity (Trombonist, 19) both bring something new, with the latter having been brushed by fame in 2009 when she met Ant and Dec at a Britain’s Got Talent audition.

Final word from Dorothy: “The band had a really good final practice on Sunday and rehearsed some new material and adventurous formations which we hope will drive the crowd wild. Listen out for Benny Hill tune and a jazzed up version of the Pink Panther – pure sax appeal!”

Final Rehersal

Excerpt taken from the press release

History of The Chinewrde Marching Band 1940

KIDDUUMS to MMB

The KIDDUUMS band had changed its name between 1932 and 1940, and was now known as Myrtle’s Marching Band or MMB for short. The band had been going strength to strength and had a repertoire so unique and diverse, that many people were stunned into silence whenever they performed. Their rendition of Aint nobody here but us Chickens;  Bye bye birdie and Flanagan & Allen’s Run Rabbit Run were popular favourites.

In the summer of 1940 Myrtle introduced three trumpet players to the MMB, and they continued to turn up to rehearsals. The rest of the members of the band were concerned as they did not know anything about the three trumpet players including their names. The three trumpet players turned up on time for rehearsals, and left on time at the end of the evening. They never let the band down and were always present and played their best at any gig. They never spoke a word to any of the band members, except to Myrtle who couldn’t even hear what they were saying. There was an air of uncertainty around them but no one asked them any questions, after all this band was unprejudiced and diverse.

The incident that changed the band forever!

At a practice in Kenilworth town centre, November 1940, things changed for the band forever.

Myrtle was trying to get the band to march in formation, which was something new to the group. Unbeknownst to her and because of her balance issues she was having trouble keeping to a straight line,  each time she showed them what to do and then watched them march in formation she could not understand why they kept veering to the right. During this practice - which was going on for quite a long time - certain members of the band were starting to question the Trumpet section, what were their names? Where were they from? and more importantly how come they were not fighting in the war? The trumpet section was getting agitated and argumentative (something which continued from this day forth) and started shouting and waving their trumpets about in a fit of rage. Myrtle was trying to calm everyone down when a big explosion occurred up by the Globe Hotel.

We now know that the explosion was a German landmine going off, but at the time the band did not have any clue what it was. The Trumpet Section fled, Myrtle was thrown backwards and crawled to safety under some rubble with Dorothy and Sarah following close behind. In a strange twist of fate, all the other band members who were questioning the Trumpet section died that day leaving only Myrtle, Sarah, Dorothy and of course the three trumpet players.  For the second time in her life Myrtle vowed to create the best band ever, with new recruits... again!

And the new name would be The Chinewrde Marching Band

Official Biographer for the CMB – Godfrey Yammerstein: A Profile of a Great British Marching Band

History of The Chinewrde Marching Band (1925 - 1932)

Myrtle Appasionato, Photo courtesy of Sophia

Myrtle and Sarah leave their lives in search of a perfect beat and meet a Dotted Crochet!

The beginnings of this fantastic marching band start with a travelling Carnival passing through these parts in autumn 1924. Myrtle Appasionato and Sarah Somaton were part of that travelling Carnival and in spring 1925 they ran away from their troupe in order to settle here in Kenilworth. Myrtle was excellent at keeping time and was pitch perfect, so with these natural talents she knew she could make it as a conductor. Myrtle and Sarah packed their things and left in search of a band to lead. According to the limited records that I managed to source Myrtle was born in 1913, and left her Carnival aged 12. I cannot find any records for Sarah Somaton.

Life was hard for the pair, as they scrambled to survive. They were ridiculed for being travellers, but they managed to live day to day surviving by any means they could. Myrtle had heard that a band would be playing in the Abbey Fields after the Carnival procession that year and as the pair were missing the entertainment limelight they decided to join the band. Although the band gladly took on Myrtle, they were not interested in a baton twirler and so they turned Sarah down. The band did indeed play the Abbey Fields after the Carnival procession that year, but unfortunately Myrtle was not conducting!

After being cast aside by Myrtle’s new friends Sarah was distraught and begged Myrtle to find another band for them. Myrtle asked the band to reconsider, but it seemed the band was scared of Sarah – due to her childlike features and her accompanying adult outlook. Myrtle accused the band of being prejudiced and attacked them with her baton and a fight ensued ending with the percussionist boxing Myrtle’s ears with his cymbals and the pair were sent on their way.

It wasn’t long before Myrtle reaslied that having her ears boxed had seriously affected her talents at conducting music. She could no longer hear, and was slightly off balance when she was standing or marching. She was so angry at how they had treated her friend Sarah that she vowed to get even and create a better band which would be more diverse than any other band before. There would be no prejudice within her band and being different was a pre-requisite - it would be open to all who wanted to excel! Myrtle Vowed to create the most diverse, dynamic and innovative marching band ever and so The Kenilworth innovative, diverse, dynamic and un-prejudice, un-conducted marching or static band (or The KIDDUUMS Band) was born!

Myrtle took the band all over the place while she searched for the best player of each instrument. In 1932, during this search for excellence, she came across a former workhouse where some children were still living.  In this former workhouse she met an 8 year old girl called Dorothy who had been born in the workhouse and therefore believed it to be her home. Myrtle was so taken by the girl’s talent to use anything as a musical instrument including an old battered whistle, grass, an old shoe and a mouldy old carrot that she rescued the girl and Dotty joined the band! With Myrtle and Shirley both searching for new band members and recruiting as many as they could, the band grew into a large group of 25. The KIDDUUMS Band was on its way!

Official Biographer for the CMB - Godfrey Yammerstein – A Profile of a Great British Marching Band (first published March 2011. 2^nd publication May 2011)

CMB Profiles: Sarah Somaton

 

Sarah Somaton

Sarah is a mystery. I have not had the chance to interview her, as she refuses my questions at every turn. Dorothy seems to be the only member of the band who knows her and therefore knew when she joined. Unfortunately Dorothy is getting more and more forgetful these days and every time I ask her about Sarah, she says she simply cannot remember.

I have managed to piece together some information regarding the band’s baton twirler, from what the other members have said. None of the CMB members know when she joined, but the more I dig the more I am convinced that Dotty recruits a child and calls her Sarah so that the band appears youthful, I would hazard a guess that once the child has grown 'too old' to be a baton twirler they are trained to play an instrument and revert back to their actual name. I firmly believe that Annie Greenberg started as a 'Sarah Somaton'.

This might be the reason that the band claim to have knowledge about her, whether I am right is actually irrelevant, she is an amazing baton twirler and the Chinewrde Marching Band are lucky to have her.

Excerpt taken from Godfrey Yammertein's 'A profile of a Great British Marching Band', published May 2011



CMB Profiles: Lady Fleur Merlotte

Photo courtesy of Lady Fleur



Lady Fleur Merlotte

Born into aristocracy and raised in Nepal, Venice and Dudley, Fleur's childhood was dominated by severe peer pressure to excel at cello playing. It wasn't until 1962 after a complete nervous breakdown, a hair colour change and 21 parking tickets that she realised what she wanted to be - a snare drum player in a marching band.

She attributes the CMB with saving her life saying 'life was nothing until I joined the best band in the world'. She lives with her wife Poppy and several burnt effigies.

Excerpt taken from Godfrey Yammertein's 'A profile of a Great British Marching Band', published March 2011

CMB Profiles: Stixx Malone

Photo courtesy of Stixx

Stixx Malone

After travelling the world to find the perfect drum role, Stixx settled with a team of Atlanta cheerleaders for several years, but after one drum stick too many he joined The Marine Corps. After 3 years of playing Taps enough was enough and he sailed to the UK in search of a new life and found The Chinewrde Marching Band.

Stixx now lives on a converted coal barge and enjoys listening to his large collection of Bert Kaempfert records.

Excerpt taken from Godfrey Yammertein's 'A profile of a Great British Marching Band', published March 2011

CMB Profiles: Jerome Flabagaster

Photo courtesy of Jerome

Jerome Flabagaster

Making a guest appearance after recently leaving the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

A passionate and classically trained musician with a reputation for being highly emotional and sensitive. A dispute with Sir Simon Rattle, over an argument about playing the right notes in a different order, led to Jerome walking out and vowing never to return.  Seeking perfection elsewhere, the obvious choice was The Chinewrde Marching Band.

Excerpt taken from Godfrey Yammertein's 'A profile of a Great British Marching Band', published March 2011