I
received a telephone call from the Clerk of the Worshipful Company of
Basketmakers in February this year asking whether my Brass Group, Thames
Fanfare Brass Ensemble, would be available
to play for their 443rd Anniversary Dinner which was to be held on
the 19th September 2012. Fortunately we were available he told me it
was to be held at the Mansion House in London, the home of the Lord Mayor of
London during his term of office. Everything was agreed in principle over the
phone and all that was left to do was send a formal contract and the engagement
would be sealed. Thames Fanfare Brass was formed in 1987 and I am still using
some of the musicians that were with me back then, some have moved away from
the London area but still travel to do engagements with me, which they
sometimes combine with shopping trips or catching up with old friends. My Tuba
player Matthew likes to book his ticket in advance as it’s cheaper and bearing
in mind he travels from Cardiff for me who can blame him. My pianist travels from the Isle of Wight to
carry out these engagements so he likes to make his travel plans early too.
Sometimes he comes up a day in advance so we can get a game of golf in and have
a nice meal. Bob who is also a very good Trumpet player played in the Royal
Artillery Band with myself and after seven years of service left for a
professional Trumpet position with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra where
he stayed for 13 years after which he moved to the BBC Concert Orchestra as
principle trumpet.
Back to the Mansion House engagement there
is a lot of preparing to do for these occasions the choice of music to be
played throughout the evening has to be carefully put together to combine old
and new and maybe even a few pieces relevant to the organization itself which
can prove quite difficult with some of the old Livery Companies. The uniforms,
music stands, music pads, lights, changing arrangements, parking and even
arranging a meal for the group has to be carried out. I normally leave home at
4:30 when I arrive I then meet the Clerk or the Beadle to check all
arrangements and find out the signal I will be given to let me know when to
begin the fanfares for the arrival of the Lord Mayor and to top and tail all
other procedures that will be needed throughout the evening. This particular
even was a very grand affair men dressed in tails and ladies in their best
gowns. The banquet was a great success and Grace – Loving Cup and the Toasts
all went off without a hitch to end the evening we finished with the very
popular Double Post Horn Gallop which went down a storm. By the time the dinner
was over it was our turn to eat and the Clerk had arranged a lovely meal for us
all and a couple of bottles of wine, we all chatted about the evening and how well
it went which finished it off nicely. By the time I get home it is between
11:00 and midnight so these evenings are very long affairs but when all goes
well it is worth every minute.
I am
very lucky to have a very professional and loyal team of musicians behind me
who have never let me or any of my clients down.
