Programme Notes WIGAN METRO STAGE BAND Musical Director: fan Darrington Guest Soloist: Don Lusher Soloists: Andy Prior, Richard Halliwell, Richard Winpenny Engine No. 9 Les Hooper Night Birds W. Sharpe/R. Odell Up Front Lennie Niehaus Wigan Metro Stage Band is one of the senior ensembles of the instrumental music services of Wigan. It was formed on 1 March 1976 with the aim of offering more advanced pupils the opportunity to play big band music. During the six years that the band has been in existence, all 30 secondary schools within the Wigan Metro have been represented. At this time, 12 schools and three sixth-form colleges are represented in the band. T he band has been particularly busy over the last 1S months, taking part in the National Festival of Music for Youth in 1981 and 1982, making a l2-day visit to Elkh:trt, Indiana (USA) and playing many concert dates - including an open-air concert with Georgie Fame and rh", Blue Flames. In eptember laSt year a junior band was formed to act as a " feeder" band and has proved to be very successful. Ian Darrington took over the duties of Musical Director of the band in 1978. High Greave Junior School Band, Rotherham
KING EDWARD VI COLLEGE STRING QUARTET, STOURBRIDGE String Quartet (4th movement)
Shostakovich
This college quartet came together in September of last year. All the members were in their first year at the college and studying music as one of their 'A' level subjects. It had been hoped to keep the quartet together for two years, but unfortunately (fortunately for him!) the leader, Matthew Scrivener, was offered a place at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he now studies. String Quartet- Shostakovich Shostakovich wrote his first String Quartet in 1938 in the months following the composition of the Fifth Symphony. Although the Quartet has the customary four movements, it is not a long work, taking only 15 minute.s in performance. The final Allegro is a boisterous and h.a ppy movement with frequeot changes of time signature aud cl ynamics, the use of the high registers of the instnrrnents, in particular the firSt violin and cello, aggressive triple and quadruple stopping of the strings and, above all, rhythmic and percussive vitality which carries the movement along to an e->cciting conclusion.
Stockport Schools Stagesoun.
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Wigan Metro Stage Band
12
STOCKPORT SCHOOLS STAGESOUND Conductor: Derek Nash Blaydon Races Getting Sentimental Over You Birdland
arr. Pat Nash Bassman, arr. P. Nash J. Zawinul, arr. P. Nash
The orchestra was formed in November 1977 by their Musical Director, Alan Tomkinson, under the auspices of the Education Division of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, to provide an outlet for young musicians from Stock port and the surrounding area who wished to play and enjoy orchestral jazz and big band music. The traditional swing band line-up has been augmented by woodwind and strings, producing an extra dimension to the music and giving experience to the young players to contrast with their more classical music. Stagesound have appeared in the National Festival of Music for Youth for the last four years and appeared in the Schools Prom in 1979 and 1980, where their particular style of music has been greeted with great enthusiam by the 'prommers'.