North Tyneside Steelband Charity no. 1059729

Albert Hall Schools’ Proms 2003, Music For Youth Festival 2003, 2004, 2005

National Youth Arts Festival 2000, 2002, (Millennium) Dome Performers of the Year 2000, National Steelband Festival 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995

Bookings: Karina Atkinson 0798 685 6783 karinaatkinson@hotmail.com

Musical Dir: Dave Edwards 0775 360 4281 dave@steelbandsnorth.org.uk  
Sec: Debra Betham 0191 252 9853 iain.betham@hotmail.com

PRESS RELEASE    

8 March 08          NATIONAL MUSIC FOR YOUTH FESTIVAL

                              Regional Festival Blaydon

North Tyneside Steelband continued to storm to success in local festivals this month with a show stealing performance at the Music for Youth Regional Festival at St Thomas More School Blaydon last Saturday. The festival saw some brilliant musicianship from under 19 musicians from across the north east, such as the Tees Valley Big Band, St Thomas More Chamber Choir, and English Martyrs Big Band (Hartlepool), but the NTSB set of Joplin’s ‘Maple Leaf Rag’ and The Stranglers ‘Golden Brown’ which finished the morning session, was the highlight, winning approval from several steelband aficionados in the audience, as well as the other performers. The average age of the NTSB players, who come from Churchill, Whitley, Burnside and Monkseaton High Schools and Tyne Met College, is just 15 and they were conducted on the day by Jennie Gilberg, herself only 20, who also arranged both pieces.

Kirsty Watters, 13, from Churchill Community College said after the performance ‘We knew we could put on a good show and it all came together just right; it was great!’

Waiting to go on stage Laura Atkinson, 17, also from Churchill was heard to mutter ‘Those big bands were fantastic, I hope the adjudicators like steelbands too.’

Musical Director of NTSB, Dave Edwards, said ‘This was probably our best performance for some time, I was really proud of all 13 players. The adjudicator’s comments were not far from perfect and we hope that we will be invited to play at the national stages of the festival in Birmingham’s Symphony and Adrian Boult Halls in July – it’s the least they deserve. Our young players give a great deal of time and effort in rehearsals and performances throughout the year and their schools and parents should be really proud of them.’

NTSB have recently recorded a new cd which they are very pleased with, and plan a local launch event as soon as it is printed.

This week sees NTSB entering the Wansbeck Music Festival for the first time with U13, U16 qnd U18 bands in the Instrumental ensemble classes; there will be at least two other steelbands among the more traditional string, wind and choir groups. NTSB’s music will include Handel’s ‘The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’, jazz numbers ‘Little Suede Shoes’, In The Mood’ and ‘Barry’s Blues’, and steelband composition ‘In Your Timing’.

MORE INFO/PICS FROM DAVE EDWARDS dave@steelbandsnorth.org.uk

 Members of and/or supported by

North Tyneside Steelband is a registered educational charity promoting tuition, rehearsal and performance opportunities for young people and others on steelpan and related instruments. We run weekly beginners, intermediate, adult and performance sessions in Wallsend, supported by North Tyneside Council, and have 4 outreach facilities across the north east enabling a total of over 300 players to access steelband activities

Chair: Lesley Darling, Secretary: Debra Betham, Treasurer: Mike Gilberg, Committee: Karina Atkinson, David Beasley, Carol Brown, Phil Darling, Jenny Gilberg, Sue Higginbottom, Ewan Mood, Lauren Stead, Mandy Watters