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50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
Back Row: Richard Whiteside, Victoria Cairns, Lynsey
Poole, Melissa Poole, Cathy Henning, Ryan Parks, Keri Dillon, Sharon McCord,
Angela Woolsey, Amanda Patterson, Middle Row: Ronnie Thompson, Finlay
Reid, Tyrone Whiteside, Barry Dawson, Nikki Donnell, Nicola Poole, Craig McKee,
Jamie Parks, Elizabeth Magowan, Melanie Geary, Cathy Nelson, Front Row: Rodney
Whiteside, Leigh Vage, Arnold Huddleston, Graham Lunn, Leslie Thompson, Fred
Mitchell (Conductor), John Hynds, Dessie Watson, Cyril Whiteside, Noel McKee.
POYNTZPASS SILVER BAND 2001
2001 has been an important milestone in the history of Poyntzpass Silver
Band.
It was 50 years since the band converted from Flutes to Brass and the
band organised a number of events to mark this during their
anniversary.
The special events included : -
 | Special Anniversary Annual Variety Concert Thursday 12th April
2001.- [REPORT] A special Annual concert to tie in with our 50th
Anniversary celebrations was held in Poyntzpass Royal British Legion Hall on
Thursday 12th April 2001. The hall was packed to capacity and enjoyed a
teriffic programme of entertainment. Aghavilly Accordion Band opened
the concert and entertained the audience with a selection of popular music
which included 'Aces High', 'The Londonderry Air', The theme from the
Thornbirds, Highland Cathedral, the Spanish Flea and other popular pieces.
This band , under their conductor, Mr Eddie McNally, were very much
appreciated by the large audience and were called to play an encore
following their performance. Colin Slane produced a tremendous one
man performance. He is an accomplished accordion player, talented guitar
player and singer and his jigs on the bango had everyone clapping. The Poyntzpass
Primary School were brilliant and the hard work put in by Mrs Neill and
her choir was very much appreciated by all. Mervyn Hamilton on Keyboards,
guitar and singing entertained the audience at different times during the
show and everyone enjoyed him very much. Leonard Shields, compere, is
a very popular addition to the programme and really had the audience in
stitches of laughter at various times during his stories and jokes. Poyntzpass
Silver Band took the second half of the programme and their programme
was structure as a journey through the last 50 years. Music from each decade
was played and included hits from the shows, marches, sacred music and
popular pieces including 'Love Changes Everything', 'One Moment in Time',
'The Magnificent Seven',' The Bacarolle' and many others. We had on display
the trophy won at the Brass Band League contest in March and played the
contest piece, The Young at Heart, which was given a rousing applause by the
audience. A very well supported raffle and many donations made this a great
overall night for the band. |
| Sunday 25th February 2001: - [REPORT] The 50th Anniversary
Thanksgiving Service was held in Acton Parish Church, Poyntzpass with
special music by Poyntzpass Silver Band and Ms Audrey Cairns, soloist. For
the overflow congregation a video/sound link was provided to the Royal
British Legion Hall next door to the church. Everyone attending the service
was invited to stay for tea afterwards in the British Legion Hall. The
collection at the service was for 'Share Music', a charity dedicated to
bringing music to handicapped children and £550.00 was the amount of the
collection taken up during the service for the charity with some additional
donations from people who were unable unable to attend. Band members had
prepared a small exhibition of photographs and newspaper cuttings which
featured the band over the years. The service was very successful and has
attracted much favourable comment. The address was delivered by Canon JM
Barton of Acton & Drumbanagher Parishes Churches and he was
assisted in the service by the Rev J Mattison of Poyntzpass, Cremore &
Fourtowns Presbyterian Churches. The church choir and organist, Ms Barbara
Best, also took part in the service. The band played before the service,
with all the congregational hymns and also delivered a short programme of
five pieces at a particular part of the service. Band members joined with
the choir accompanied by the remainder of the band to close the service with
an appropriate piece. |
Some of the band members pictured after the Anniversary Service with Mr
Jim Brown, Vice President, Mr Freddie Mitchell, Conductor and Dr Michael Swallow
from Share Music
| Friday 5th October 2001: - [REPORT] The 50th
Anniversary Concert in the new Market Place Theatre in Armagh
featuring Murley Silver Band, Queen's Island
Victoria Male Voice Choir and Poyntzpass Silver Band was a
resounding success. The concert was fully sold out. Indeed the demand for
tickets was so strong that over 300 of the available 400 tickets were sold
within the first two weeks. There was a waiting list for those who would
take any returned ticket . The Chairman of Banbridge District Council and
his wife and the Mayor of Armagh City and District Council were among the
distinguished guests with the other local councillors also attending. A wide
section of the locally community including past members, the band's honorary
office bearers and the many families, friends and supporters of the band
ensured that this concert was a resounding success. Poyntzpass Silver band
opened the show with the first public performance of a piece written
specially for the event by their Conductor Mr. Freddie Mitchell, called
'Fanfare for anOccassion'. The band came onto the stage in sections and the
band grew in number until 29 instrumentalists, 3 percussion members and
their conductor were all engaged. After a welcome and the introduction of
the Compere, Mr Bill Caughey, the band played their second piece, 'Westward
Ho'. Next up was the Queen's Island Victoria Male voice choir and they
performed a very popular programme for the capacity audience. Murley Silver
Band presented their programme for the first half of the show and they were
magnificent. The programme was very entertaining and appealed across the
audience to all present. The second half of the show again featured the
choir and the Murley band and for the Finale everyone, ie The Choir, Murley
Band and Poyntzpass Silver band all appeared together on stage to play 'Cwm
Rhondda' in which the audience joined to sing and 'The New Colonial March'
for the encore. A brilliant night and the Theatre added so much to it with
it's magnificent facilities. The entire show was recorded on video and will
be available for purchase through the band members. Also surplus Anniversary
souvenir programmes are still available for purchase from band
members. |
| Friday 9th November 2001: -[REPORT] The 50th Anniversary
Dinner Dance in Tandragee Golf Club, music by JIMAN-I, was held on Friday
9th November and was a great night. Approximately 150 members, friends and
supporters of the band attended this event. In addition to the group a
comedian took part in The entertainment. A Raffle with over thirty prizes,
the star prize being a remote control television donated by the band, and
auction were both part of the proceedings and a considerable amount of money
was raised for band funds. During the proceedings the band's Treasurer Mr.
Arnold Huddleston was presented with a medal to mark forty years in
membership of the band by the band's Chairman Mr. Richard Whiteside. A
really great night was enjoyed by all with a great attendance of bandmembers
including solo cornet player, Amanda Patterson who travelled home from
Huddersfield University where she is doing her post grad, to attend. |
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| Sunday 2nd December 2001: - [REPORT] The final special
event of our Anniversary year was the Anniversary Christmas service of
lessons and carols in Ballymore Parish Church, Tandragee involving the
choirs from three local schools, the church choir and Poyntzpass Silver
Band. The Tandragee Junior High School, Tandragee Primary School and
Poyntzpass Primary School choirs all singing anthems during the service and
special music by the band. The church was packed for this event with
the band playing from approximately 6.45pm. The Rev. Sam Black conducted the
service and the lessons were read by band members and the collection , which
was for the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal, was taken up by the band
members (percussion section). This service was a very successful event with
over £400.00 being lifted in the collection. The music by each school choir
was very well prepared and much appreciated by the large congregation. Two
young members of the band, Sandra Meredith and Gemma McKee who also attend
Poyntzpass Primary School accompanied the Poyntzpass Primary School choir in
their anthem 'Joy to the World'. The music of the band was also very well
received . A special touch was that the members of the band who also belong
to the Salvation Army wore their Salvation Army uniforms at the
service. The congregation was so large that additional seating had to
be provided in the aisles. Definitely worth doing again. |
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