Abraham Darby Band have arrived back to Telford after wowing the crowds at Carnegie Hall, writes Rotarian Roger Mitchell.
The band from Abraham Darby Academy flew to America in March after being offered the prestigious role of participating in the show at the festival.
The trip cost the band more than £70,000 to take the 65 students over there after months of tireless fundraising.
Although Abraham Darby Academy, as the school is now called, has become well-known in Shropshire as having this long tradition of band music, the Show Band has achieved such a high standard of performance that it is generally regarded as one of the best young bands in the world.
It recently received the ultimate accolade of being invited to play at Carnegie Hall New York for a second time. This came about after the band went on a previous trip to the USA in 2007 to play in the New York Wind Band Festival competition where they won the gold award.
The organisers were so impressed at the performance that organisers invited the Show Band to go to Australia in June 2009 to play at the Sydney Opera House.
This was impossible because of GCSE and A Level Examinations and so the invitation was extended to enable the
Show Band to participate in the prestigious “Show Case” Concert which brought the 2010 NewYork Festival to an end.
Such an opportunity and indeed the kudos were too good to refuse. So despite the logistics and the need for substantial funds for the transportation of personnel and their instruments they accepted.
Following their performance the Artistic Director of the Festival – who is also Professor of Music at California Polytechnic State University–wrote to Rachel Morton in glowing
terms.
He wrote: “I know I speak for the large crowd in attendance at Carnegie Hall when I tell you that your performance was nothing short of stunning and inspirational, as evidenced by the tremendous ovation you received.
“Personally I was very moved not only by the magnificent musical product you created but also by the great love and integrity you demonstrated in its preparation.” While year after year the band has achieved top results in competitions in the UK, particularly at the Royal Albert Hall, the Carnegie Hall guest appearance was very special.
The wind band was bornwhenthe Headmaster at the time, Ken Pattinson, gave Colin Jones carte blanche to develop his preferred style of music at Abraham Darby School. When Colin Jones retired the band was carried on by Simon Platford
The current Director of Music is now Rachel Morton. There will be many, indeed several generations of readers who will be grateful to those musical directors for providing them with the opportunity and encouragement to learn to play various instruments to a very high standard.
On Saturday, May 8, at Selwyn Theatre at Abraham Darby Academy, Hill Top, Madeley, there is a concert featuring not only the Show Band but also other ensembles.
This is a fundraiser where half the proceeds will be given to the Motor Neurone Disease Association’s Shropshire Support Group and the other half to be added to the band funds.
Tickets for numbered seats are available at £10 each by telephone from 01952 223548 (office hours) or 01952 254340 (leave a message if necessary for a call back).
The concert has been organised by Wrekin Rotary Club in memory of the late Rotarian Bob Bolton who was the local
NFU Secretary for many years and a past President of the Club.
