9 June 2012

'Brass the Baton' - A Jubilee Concert for Rotary

Our second visit to the United Reformed Church for the Nuneaton rotary proved to be yet again a great concert of music making. As part of the Jubilee celebrations the band was joined in concert with Kirsty Anderson recognised as one of the brightest and most promising Opera singers in the UK today.


As part of the concert the band took part in 'Brass the Baton' an exciting project for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad designed to increase participation in the Brass Band Music. A special piece of music commissioned entitled “Going The Distance” by Paul Lovatt Cooper is played at each concert venue conducted with a 'special conductors baton'. After each performance the baton is past to another band who then use the same baton during their next concert where this special piece of music is played.  


A relay race involving 5 conductor’s batons, each representing one of the 5 Olympic rings and coloured accordingly. The vent started at the prestigious European Brass Band Championships on Sunday 6th May where each of the 5 batons started their journey and past on to new bands until they will reach their final destination at the Durham International BRASS Festival on Sunday 22nd July. 


Here you see members of the members of the JLR Band passing over the Red Baton to members of the Birmingham University Band overseen by the Lord Major or Nuneaton.