The Story behind the trumpet Section quitting

The Story behind the trumpet Section quitting

As I suggested I have interviewed the band members today to try and find out what has happened.

I have also re-read through all of my research notes. I have tried to contact Bob from the trumpet section, but he is not answering my calls. I have tried to email Miles, but he has not replied to my emails and I have been round to Louis’s house but he will not let me in.

I still stand by my writing as the trumpet section is a difficult bunch; they were un-cooperative during the profile research and have caused a number of arguments in the past. However, I do not hold them accountable for the accident and neither do any of the CMB members.

It seems that the trumpet section was unhappy with the following:

·         The logo - they wanted it to have a trumpet in it

·         The blog – they wanted to write it

·         The name – they wanted it to be ‘The Kenilworth Trumpets section & friends’

·         The uniform – they wanted it to be a brass / gold colour with silver trim

·         The formations – they wanted the formation to be the same every gig, in the shape of a trumpet

·         The tunes that the band plays – it’s fairly obvious that they wanted all tunes to be played on trumpets!

The various arguments over the years have included the above points, but also they have a problem with playing Coronation Street as they don’t like the programme; they all prefer Eastenders or Emerdale. They are unhappy with me being the official biographer they don’t think I fit the professional feel of the band since I am self taught!

It is my personal opinion that they wanted the band to be something that it is not and never will be. They have tried over the years to push the band into various directions and it has not worked. I believe that they have finally realised that the CMB is what it is and there is nothing they can do to change that.

It is a sad time, but I have every faith that Dotty will find the next trumpet section – the show will most definitely go on!

For the time being, Barbara has agreed to use her old training trumpet for the next few performances.  Barbara is very happy about this as she has a great love for brass instruments and does miss the tuba terribly. She has been practising last minute to ensure the band has their full sound on Saturday.

- Godfrey Yammerstein, 30th June 2011

Apology to the trumpet section

Apology to the trumpet section

Dotty has informed me that the trumpet section left the band because they had read the blog and taken offence with what I had written about them.

I apologise for any offence I have caused to the trumpet section.

Yes, I do know their names. However, I did make it clear at the time I was collating research for the blog that I would only upload profiles about members who had given me their consent - The trumpet section did not give me that consent.

I do not agree that it was my writing which forced them to quit!

I will now re-read through my research notes and asked the rest of the band members what they think has happened so that I can piece together the story.

- Godfrey Yammerstein, 30th June 2011

Trumpet Section Vacancy

Filling your ears with quality since 1945

VACANCY

We have recently lost our TRUMPET SECTION and have 3 Vacancies to fill.

What we need are 3 trumpet players who are competent and exceptional.

If you have a passion for marching;  a feel for music and a love of Kenilworth then please contact us via email for further details: marchingband@btinternet.com

For further details please take a look at our blog:

www.ccmarchingband.blogspot.com/

Breaking News - Trumpet section have just Quit

Breaking News

The trumpet section has just quit the Chinewrde Marching Band!

I have no idea what this means yet, but I have been informed that the CMB will still be playing Kenilworth Carnival on Saturday.

Fortunately they have some back up plans:

-       To play pre-recorded mp3’s of the trumpet section in the background

or the more preferred option

-       To ask Bab’s to dust off her old training trumpet and see if she can do some of the tunes

Either way, Coronation Street has been scrapped.

I will find out what has happened and post the story behind this dramatic twist of events.

-       Godfrey Yammerstein, July 2011

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 1991 – 2011

The Chinewrde Marching Band march onwards to the future!

After Dotty took over in January 1991, things seemed to calm down a little. And although Dotty took the band more seriously than Myrtle, she was easier to talk to and was less bossy. Dotty, like Myrtle before her, wanted the band to be un-prejudiced as well as professional, committed and the very best at what they do. She had new uniforms made for the band in 1992, and reviewed the band’s ethos on a yearly basis in an attempt to ensure they remained dedicated and professional within their amateur status. As regards the elaborate formations which Stixx had tried to introduce she compromised with him and suggested that anything he wanted to try had to be simple, and more importantly, safe for the band members. Dotty decreed that anyone in the band could have their say on anything, but if changes were suggested by anyone (including her) they would put it to the vote and the group would decide as a whole. Basically what Dotty did was take the shell of Myrtle’s band and nurtured the concept creating an environment where each member could excel and feel comfortable enough to add to the overall performance – Myrtle would have been proud.

Dorothy also managed to have a calming effect on the trumpet section and between the years 1992 and 2009 the trumpet section seemed happy, indeed there were a lot less arguments. This calming effect had happened shortly after January 1991, where Dorothy explained that she had no tolerance for arguments or spite in her band and basically they all want the same thing. More importantly she made it clear, via both her whistle and vocally, that she would just replace them if they started again! For the next few years, the band managed to get gig’s all over the world and their over all look was much more neat and sophisticated due to the new uniforms.

In 1998 the local social services got in touch with Dorothy about a man who called himself Blind Smokin’ Toots who had enjoyed an extremely varied life but had hit hard times. The woman asked Dotty if he could join the band as part of his therapy. Dotty said yes on hearing that he was a Saxophone player, after all the CMB had never had a Saxophone player before.  In 2006, Dotty was still on the look out for some different musicians, and went to a fete at the local school. After watching Tina Cleff perform a wonderful piece of music on her flute, Dorothy asked her to join. The Chinewrde Marching Band now had a flute player!

During the annual review of the band’s ethos in 2009, Dotty felt that something was missing. The band were doing well and had a fair few gig’s but apart from their many fans, no one knew who they were. Dorothy felt that they needed a presence - a website would be useful. And although they had a logo they needed a much more sophisticated one and more importantly they really needed to use it! Dorothy asked a local illustrator to provide them with a logo and then started looking for someone to set the band up with a website. In 2009, after reading an article by me about her band, Dorothy contacted me and asked if I would help set up the blog complete with profiles; this would eventually lead to me becoming the band’s official biographer.

Still on the look out for new recruits (as always) Dorothy put an advert up in the local shops, churches and pubs for a flag bearer and some back up trumpet players! In December 2009, Freda Flagstone auditioned and was offered the position as the CMB’s flag bearer. Now all the band needed was a flag! At the end of 2010, Jerome Flabagaster (who had walked out of the Philharmonic Orchestra) was due to be helping out the CMB playing the viola on the John Cale version of Leonard Cohen’s Halleluja!  However, he has since been persuaded to join, and has switched his instrument to a saxophone to strengthen the popular Pink Panther theme.

Meanwhile, Barabara had been dieting for a number of years and had finally lost the weight which was causing her health problems. This had meant that she had switched from the tuba to the recorder and the CMB were in desperate need for something to replace this loss. In February 2011 Dorothy put up a new advert offering vacancies and a young girl called Felicity came along to the audition, liking the girl immediately Dotty asked her to join – the CMB now had a trombonist!

The band was in full force and was marching towards success again! So Dorothy updated their ethos:

·         A professional amateur band

·         Open to all who excel and are exceptional

·         To be in full uniform, neat and tidy

·         To use the logo in an appropriate way

·         To make full use of all new digital media in order to increase their fan base

·         To keep waste to a minimum and recycle all uniforms and instruments

·         To be environmentally friendly and keep carbon emissions to a minimum

·         To always be ambitious and fresh in their approach to new challenges

And I conceived their motto filling your ears with quality since 1945

It is now 2011, and the band is looking forward to an exciting future, Dorothy still tries to communicate to the band using her various whistles and the band tries to understand the squeaks and squeals. They have just agreed to play Kenilworth Carnival and are rehearsing with excitement and have put an ambitious list of music together for the day, with some wonderful formations choreographed by Stixx and enforced by Dotty.

I look forward to seeing the Carnival, I shall be watching from my usual spot on Rosemary Hill.

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

History of the Chinewrde Marching Band 1990

The Accident and the March onwards and upwards

Tragedy struck in 1990, with the loss of the founding member Myrtle Appassionato. She had created a fantastic band and encouraged them to have an input in how they performed, where they performed and what they performed. This encouragement was to contribute to her downfall!

When Stixx joined the band he was immediately liked and is still a popular figure within the band today. His personality and background has influenced his showmanship qualities and therefore from his professional stance within the Marine Corps he strives to be precise and perfect at all times. His time with the cheerleading group has also equipped him with a keen eye for elaborate formations and how to organise them. Therefore during the beginning of 1990, Stixx had been introducing exotic formations for the band to perform during their many gig’s.

Meanwhile, Dotty had also taken to introducing new qualities to the band’s performance. It is at this time that she started to talk about the tribe she was part of as a child – Sqwistpe. It turns out that this tribe was a group of orphans who lived in the workhouse and they communicated using high pitched squeals and squeaks. Dotty had transcribed the various squeaks and squeals into a type of language and could use her whistle to communicate in a similar way. So in 1990 Dorothy started to introduce the concept of using her whistle to communicate with the rest of the band on directions, beat, speed and various other types of valuable information. She felt she needed to do more with this exceptional instrument than just the first note in Yakety Sax.

Also during this year, Ann had started drinking heavily due to her second divorce and the band was trying desperately to keep her sober. The trumpet section was becoming increasingly difficult to work with; their volatile behaviour was getting much worse. Barbara had put on such a lot of weight that she had to keep resting in between her notes and finally Stixx’s formations were getting more and more dangerous as the year progressed.

Late in 1990 the disorientation and disorganisation took its toll. During a very difficult formation for the theme tune to the Pink Panther disaster struck. The formation consisted of a human pyramid - marching extremely slowly - with Myrtle on top conducting, while various other members of the band clicked their fingers to keep time. This was supposed to last for the entire song, but the trumpet section remarked that the band would look stupid and Sophia added that it was dangerous and she especially did not want her mother that high up. Barbara was complaining that the weight of people on her shoulders was taking its toll on her already weak ankles. With all the complaints and commotion from the trumpet section, and Dotty’s incessant whistling which no one understood – let alone reacted to, an argument ensued.

The Chinewrde Marching Band was entangled in a human pyramid while arguing with each other. They were still linked to each other but moving in different directions and at different speeds; thus they all came tumbling down instruments and all. Unfortunately Sophia was trying to help her mother down from the pyramid before they all toppled and she too was caught within the heap of band members and instruments. When she eventually disentangled herself she found that Lady Fleur’s drumsticks had been embedded into her legs, from this day forth Sophia was unable to walk. Much more tragic than that, was the realisation that they had lost their founding member Myrtle Appassionato.

Myrtle was later found crushed to death under Barbara and her tuba - the Chinewrde Marching Band were without a leader. After the funeral, they scattered Myrtle’s ashes over the Abbey Fields so that she would remain a part of Kenilworth forever. And In January 1991 the band voted Dorothy Crochet as the new leader of the Chinewrde Marching Band. Dorothy happily took to the role and continued in Myrtle’s footsteps.

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