FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Trinity Concert Band announces exciting 2022 concert season to mark milestone anniversary
- The band will take to the stage at Forbury Gardens bandstand for their Jubilee Children’s Concert as the nation comes together for The Big Jubilee Lunch.
- In July, the band will pay their own tribute to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a special concert featuring music from her 70 year reign.
- In a bid to address the staggering gender inequality in classical music, TCB will be featuring music by a female composer at their anniversary concert in September.
- The band’s new annual charity campaign gets named following a poll of band members.
- In a further celebration, TCB’s Music Director, Paul Speed, celebrates ten years leading the band.
For further press enquiries, please contact: Joanne Neale Publicity & Marketing Coordinator publicity@trinityband.co.uk 0118 4492099
Reading-based Trinity Concert Band (TCB) invites audiences to join them for their celebratory 21st anniversary concert season. The band was formed in 2001 by Michael Steele to enable musicians of all ages to pursue their passion for making music and to share the joy of live music with others. In that time, TCB has become a much-loved part of the Reading and Wokingham communities, performing concerts featuring a wide range of musical styles that enables them to reach a broad audience. Over the years, the band has received multiple national awards, carried out hugely successful tours to Europe, and actively supported many local charities. In addition, they have been fortunate to work alongside world-class musicians and composers, including virtuoso euphonium player David Childs and renowned composer Nigel Hess, best known for his television, theatre and film soundtracks.
The band’s very first engagement was at the Hurst Horticultural Show in August 2001, with their first indoor concerts taking place at the Park United Reformed Church and Trinity Church, Earley (the band’s home base to this day). Bearwood College Theatre (now Reddam House) was the home of TCB’s concerts for many years until they took the decision to broaden their reach by performing at multiple venues across the area. These days the band is often seen at All Saints Church in Wokingham, the Great Hall at Reading University, the Michael Malnick Centre at Leighton Park School and Reading Minster. During the summer months, you’ll often hear the band performing light programmes at Forbury Gardens in Reading, and Wokingham Market Place.
TCB Music Director, Paul Speed, has created a 21st anniversary season filled with music as momentous as the milestone it celebrates.
“We’ll be kicking off the celebrations at the stunning Michael Malnick Centre at Leighton Park School in Reading on Saturday 2nd April with a fantastic song and dance-themed concert. From Riverdance to Benny Goodman and everything in between, this incredibly choreographed programme of music is going to be something really special. As we head into summer, our Platinum Jubilee concert will feature music spanning the seven decades of the Queen’s reign, including pieces from the coronation. As we move into the autumn months, our official anniversary concert at the Reading University Great Hall will take the audience on a musical journey back through the band’s history, as well as featuring music from female composer, Julie Giroux. We’ll bring the season to a close with our ever-popular, family-friendly Christmas concert at Reading Minster”.
Paul Speed – TCB Music Director
As if one anniversary wasn’t enough, TCB will also be celebrating Paul’s 10th anniversary as their music director.
“I am fortunate to have been Trinity Concert Band’s musical director for nearly ten years now and have followed on from some fine conductors. We are lucky to have experienced players throughout all sections of the band, which adds real strength and depth to the overall sound they produce. Every concert for me is a celebration of my time with the talented musicians that make up the great Trinity Concert Band. I do hope you’ll join us for this exciting anniversary year”.
THE BIG JUBILEE LUNCH – READING’S PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATION
Every year since the idea began in 2009, The Big Lunch has encouraged communities across the UK to celebrate their connections and get to know each other a little bit better. This year, The Big Jubilee Lunch will take place on Sunday 5th June and forms part of the official celebrations for HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. In Reading, members of the community are being invited to head to their local parks and open spaces to participate in The Big Jubilee Lunch. TCB’s Jubilee Children’s Concert will provide the perfect atmosphere for The Big Jubilee Lunch at Forbury Gardens, with the band performing a concert full of family-friendly music from The Lion King, Despicable Me 2, Brave, The Greatest Showman, and much more! Not only is this fun-packed afternoon the finale of the borough’s Jubilee weekend events, but also the culmination of the three-week-long Reading Children’s Festival.
PROMOTING WOMEN COMPOSERS
A study of 100 of the world’s top orchestras’ 2020-21 seasons has revealed a staggering level of gender and racial inequality. According to the latest research by Donne Foundation, women compose only five percent of the pieces scheduled in classical music concerts today. In a bid to make a positive change and to readdress the disparity, TCB will be featuring a piece by Emmy Award-winning Julie Giroux at their anniversary concert in Reading.
Born in Massachusetts, Giroux has over 100 film, television and video game credits, collaborating with dozens of film composers, producers, and celebrities including Samuel Goldwyn, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Madonna, Liza Minnelli, Celine Dion, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, Paul Newman, Harry Connick Jr. and many others. Projects she has worked on have been nominated for Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Golden Globe awards. In 1992, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction, the first woman and the youngest person ever to win the award in that category.
TCB will be performing Giroux’s composition To Walk with Wings at their anniversary concert in Reading on Saturday 24th September. Commissioned and premiered by the United States Air Force Academy Band, To Walk With Wings is a musical epic of man’s quest for flight. From the early beginnings of cloth and wooden wings through the exploration of space, this highly programmatic piece takes the listener on a musical tour through aeronautic history.
To Walk with Wings captures mental images of men jumping off cliffs with fabric wings, the first true flight, trials and errors, the comical age of contraptions, the cold, brutal strength of fabricated metal machines, the whirring of the computer age, the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger, and the overall spirit of man and his desire to travel through space and beyond.
Though the piece tells the tale of the mastering of flight, the real driving force behind the music is found in the questions: “Who are we?” and “What is out there?”.
Julie Giroux
LOCAL CHARITY SUPPORT
In conjunction with the anniversary celebrations, TCB have launched their ‘More than Music’ campaign, which will see the band forming an annual partnership with local charities. It was felt that the campaign name, chosen following a poll of the band’s members, perfectly captures the spirit and aims of the appeal.
“We are living in unprecedented times, and it’s essential that we look after those who need it most. As a community band and registered charity ourselves, we understand how important it is to support our local community. This is why we’ve decided to form an annual partnership with a local charity, helping to raise donations for them and supporting their cause in whatever way we can”.
Patricia – TCB Box Office Manager & Founding Band Member
The band’s chosen charity for 2022 is Hurst-based The Cowshed, which provides support to people of all backgrounds in a time of personal crisis. Their aim is to provide good quality cleaned and ironed clothes and other essentials free to anyone in need.
“We are so thrilled that TCB have chosen the Cowshed as their charity partner. Support like this makes such a difference and will help us continue with our mission to help those most in need within our community”.
Rebecca – Fundraising Coordinator, The Cowshed
Prior to this annual partnership, TCB have supported many local charities, but their proudest moment came when they raised over £1000 to purchase a portable defibrillator. This life-saving equipment is available for use at the band’s weekly rehearsals and all of their formal concerts in the area. Having this device on hand could save critical time in an emergency. When the device is not travelling with the band to their concerts, it is housed at their base, Trinity Church in Earley, where it is available to everyone using the church.
AGE FRIENDLY CONCERTS
Over the years, TCB have done their best to ensure that the widest possible audiences can enjoy live music by offering discounted concert tickets for students and free tickets for children under 16 years old, while the band’s commitment to making their concerts inclusive for older audiences is evident from their Age-Friendly Standards quality mark.
“We strongly believe in the benefits of live music to people of all ages, and the isolation experienced by so many during the pandemic has highlighted this more than ever. Our concerts are regularly attended by family groups of all ages, with young children often attending with both their parents and their grandparents. We value all generations and want to provide a welcoming and positive experience for visitors, regardless of their age”.
Joanne – TCB Publicity & Marketing Coordinator
TCB’s members are thoroughly looking forward to the exciting year ahead and taking a trip down memory lane. If you’re on the band’s mailing list or follow their social media pages throughout the year, you’ll find historical photos, previously unseen videos and ‘Meet the Band’ profiles.
TESTIMONIALS
“It is an utter joy to watch the band perform and over the years, they have gone from strength to strength, performing music to an extremely high standard. The band members are very friendly and welcoming, and their concerts are always varied, entertaining and give great pleasure. Well done on celebrating 21 glorious years!”
Jenny – Supporter of TCB since 2003
“I’ve been going to Trinity Concert Band’s concerts for nearly 20 years. They play a vast range of music, although I enjoy the classical pieces the best. Their standard of musicianship is at an incredibly high level, and you can always see how much they enjoy performing at their concerts. Congratulations on your 21st, TCB, and very best wishes for the future!”.
Roger – Supporter of TCB
TICKETS
Tickets for TCB’s Song & Dance concert on 2nd April are on sale now. Since being released on 19th February, over 100 of the 300 tickets have been snapped up. With their last two concerts being sell-outs, audiences are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment.
Details of all of our 2022 concerts can be found on our Concerts page.
-ENDS-
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Advance* | £12 |
| Full Price | £14 |
| Students (ID may be required) | £7 |
| Under 16s | FREE |
Notes to Editors
ABOUT TRINITY CONCERT BAND
Founded in 2001, the award-winning Trinity Concert Band is a non-professional community wind band based in Earley, Berkshire. Its name comes from its home and rehearsal venue, Trinity Church. Michael Steele formed the band to enable musicians of all ages to pursue their passion for making music and share the joy of live music with the local community.
TCB’s 45 members range in ability, from talented amateurs to professional musicians. The high quality of their concerts is a testament to their enthusiasm and dedication.
We have also formed several smaller ensembles that perform at locally organised events and private functions.
Being a full symphonic wind band, Trinity Concert Band can play music from a wide variety of genres. Our repertoire includes:
- Classical transcriptions.
- Original concert band compositions.
- Music from stage and screen.
- Light popular music.
This broad spectrum of styles provides enormous scope for producing the rich and varied programmes our audiences love so much.
We perform up to five formal concerts a year throughout Reading and Wokingham. Recent venues include:
- Reading University Great Hall
- Leighton Park School, Reading
- All Saints Church, Wokingham
- Reading Minster
Of course, summer provides the opportunity to present free concerts at bandstands across the area.
In recent years the band has attended the National Concert Band Festival. During this day-long music festival, judges grade each band on their performance. We have received several Gold Awards and three Platinum Awards. In April 2018, the band travelled to Manchester to participate in the national finals. They were thrilled to be only one of two community bands to receive the coveted Platinum Award.
Our annual workshops aim to challenge the band with unfamiliar music under the direction of a guest conductor. At the end of a long day of rehearsing (and eating cake!), we perform everything we’ve worked on to the public in a free mini-concert. They help finish off any cakes that may be left!
ABOUT PAUL SPEED – MUSIC DIRECTOR
Paul started playing the trumpet aged ten and went on to get a degree in Music from Goldsmiths University. He is now a highly-respected music teacher at various schools. These include Wellington College, St Swithun’s School, Pangbourne College, the Royal Grammar School and The Abbey School.
Paul has played for many orchestras as a freelance trumpeter, including the Hong Kong Philharmonic, London Concert Orchestra, New London Sinfonia, and the Philharmonie der Nationen in Germany. He recently played live on radio with the Italian chamber orchestra Musica Saeculorum, performing on period instruments. Paul currently plays with the Chiltern Brass Quintet and the Brazilian ensemble, Polcas e Boas.
Paul started conducting at college, helping with various chamber ensembles. He also took wind and brass sectionals for the University of London Orchestra and the University of Exeter Orchestra. Not only is he the musical director for Trinity Concert Band, but also a brass band, an additional wind band and the annually formed Big & Brassy event. Paul is also co-conductor of the Brass for Africa Brass Band.
Locally-based charity Brass for Africa is a cause close to Paul’s heart. He is proud to have helped develop and deliver a teacher training programme for orphanages in the slums of Uganda and Liberia. His time in both countries is something that will stay with him forever.
WHAT IS A WIND BAND?
Wind bands (also known as concert bands) are made up of various instruments and are evolved from military bands. The woodwind section comprises flutes, oboes, clarinets, saxophones, bassoons, etc. The brass section includes trumpets, french horns, trombones, tubas, etc. Finally, the percussion section utilises drums, xylophones, etc. You can think of them either as an orchestra without strings or a brass band with woodwind! This range of instrumentation allows access to a wide range of musical repertoire, from pop to classical, swing to folk, film and show music, and original compositions in different styles.