Music

To help celebrate its 25th anniversary year in 2012, the National Methodist Youth Brass Band (NMYBB) recorded a CD of secular and sacred music, all of which was either written or arranged for brass band.

The band met for a long weekend of rehearsal and recording in Berkshire, hosted by Sandhurst and Yateley Methodist Church, and recording at the nearby Frimley Parish Hall. The Band, formed in 1987 for young Methodist brass players from across the United Kingdom, was well looked after by their hosts and put many hours of hard work and practice into preparing for the recording session. After nearly 17 hours of recording over two days, the band was able to celebrate with a homage to double Olympic Gold medallist Mo Farah.

Since its inception, the band has performed all across the UK, from the Channel Islands in the south Shetland in the far north, and from Derry in the west to Ipswich in the east!  As well as visiting Methodist churches and chapels in much of the UK, the band has had the privilege of performing across the globe in places such as Jamaica, Canada, the USA, Latvia, Norway and Italy, to name but a few destinations.

All the time the band has been working hard to spread the Good News of the gospel through the fun, faith and fellowship embodied by its members. The band is made up of youngsters aged 13 and upwards who all play in brass bands at home, and meet around the country to make music and share in Christian witness together five or six times a year.

Thirty playing members recorded a range of pieces including the band's specially commissioned work Fun, Faith and Fellowship. Using the band’s motto as a starting point, talented young Norwegian composer Thomas Swatland composed this three movement work to include settings of various worship songs and hymns as well as enthralling original material. The middle movement, based on the band’s signature hymn tune DEEP HARMONY (HP 514) blends modern and traditional composers’ motifs together with the majestic harmony of Handel Parker's well-loved tune.

The CD showcases the many talented soloists, including Virtuosity (trumpet), On the track (xylophone), How great thou art (cornet), Can’t take my eyes off you (trombone), and the ever-popular euphonium solo Grandfather's Clock. The rest of the CD consists of pieces such as settings of Abide with me, Purify my heart and Oh to see the dawn, and popular songs such as Sweet gingerbread man and Ticket to ride. There is also room for some entertaining film music in a piece entitled Zulu as well as a medley of popular Christian music Hymns of Praise.

The band is always looking for new members to join its ranks. New members would be between the ages of 13-21 and play a brass band instrument or percussion to around a grade five standard with a connection to the Methodist Church. For further details about the band please visit the band's website.