Music in the parks 1930s style

Members of Downshire Brass took part in a performance of historical brass band music alongside players from CWA, 1st Old Boys, Wellington, Ballyduff, Laganvale, 3rd Carrick, Sydneham Salvation Army and Temple Salvation Army.  

It was a great excuse to break out the full Downshire uniform which haven't been used since summer 2012.

The programe included: 

Hymn - Abide With Me,

March - The Elephant

Selection - The Student Prince

March - Colonel Bogey

Waltz - Amorette

Selection - Memories of Ireland

Hannah all set for the European Youth Brass Band

On 22nd April, Hannah Copes, Downshire’s Principal Cornet, will be representing Northern Ireland in France, in the European Youth Brass Band for an exciting week of music making with an awesome array of talented musicians from across Europe. This will give her the opportunity of playing in venues including Valenciennes, Roubaix, Douai and, of course, Lille; where the European Championships are taking place. Our best wishes go with Hannah as she approaches, what will be a very challenging, but rewarding experience.

Cornet and Bass Vacanices at Downshire Brass

We are currently seeking to recruit back row cornet players and a Bb Bass player to join Downshire Brass.  Our friendly band offers a good mix of contest, concert, and recording work and welcomes players both young and old.  The Band enjoys excellent attendance at rehearsals and has a steady schedule of events lined up over the next year.

If you interested in joining this ambitious group, then please contact Gary Dodsworth on 07939 986813 or via email gary.dodsworth@downshirebrass.com for more information about these vacancies, or to arrange to attend one of our rehearsals.  Downshire Brass rehearses on Mondays and Thursdays from 8.00pm - 10.00pm in Malone Presbyterian Church Halls, Lisburn Road, Belfast.

New Associate Conductor at Downshire Brass

Downshire Brass is delighted to announce the appointment of Wesley Thompson as Associate Conductor.

Working alongside the Band's Musical Director, Michael Alcorn, Wesley will be helping the band prepare for a busy schedule of concerts, contests and recordings during 2016 and beyond.    

Wesley has been Musical Director of Comber Silver Band since 2010 and until recently, euphonium with the 1st Old Boys Band.  In recent years he has also been much in demand as a brass teacher.

Wesley said "I am looking forward to working with Michael Alcorn and Downshire Brass, and I'm excited by the opportunities and challenges which lie ahead."

New Year - New Opportunities

Downshire Youth Inititative is on a major recruitment drive in 2016 to expand its Youth, Junior and Learner Bands.  

Downshire is actively seeking to recruit children for its beginners class on Monday nights - children from 7 years and up who are interested in learning a brass instrument will receive free tuition and a free instrument during the remainder of the academic year.   Expert tutors will provide group and one-to-one tuition over the first 12 weeks before children progress to the Junior Band.

We are also recruiting young players of around grade 1standard for our Junior Band and more experienced players of around grade 3 standard and above for our Youth Band.  The band is based on the Lisburn Road in Belfast with more than 30 children involved in the current Youth Programme and a further 35 players involved in the senior band.

Please get in touch via this link if you want to find out more about participating in any of our Youth Ensembles. 

See below for a recent performance by our Youth Band at the Festival of Brass at Queen's...

Downshire goes Digital

The latest Downshire CD is now available to download on iTunes and Amazon.  The new disc marks the band's 25th Anniversary and is the 3rd CD that Downshire has released since 2011. 

The new CD includes the following tracks:  Strike Up The Band, When Thunder Calls, Blaze Away, Cry Me A River (Flugelhorn Soloist: Amy Wilson), Lady Stewart’s Air, Sway, My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose (Cornet Soloist: Hannah Copes), Aces High, Mr Sandman, Shepherd Song (Euphonium Soloist: Edward Wilson), Copacabana, The Witch of the Westmerlands, O Magnum Mysterium, Goldcrest, and the testpiece, Salome.

Downshire Brass releases a new CD to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Band

Excerpts from Downshire's new CD which is available to purchase through the Band website or at any Downshire performance in the coming weeks and months.

Tracks: Strike Up The Band, When Thunder Calls, Blaze Away, Cry Me A River (Flugelhorn Soloist: Amy Wilson), Lady Stewart’s Air, Sway, My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose (Cornet Soloist: Hannah Copes), Aces High, Mr Sandman, Shepherd Song (Euphonium Soloist: Edward Wilson), Copacabana, The Witch of the Westmerlands, O Magnum Mysterium, Goldcrest, Salome.

Bb Bass Vacancy

We are currently seeking to recruit an experienced Bb Bass player to join Downshire Brass.   Our friendly band offers a good mix of contest, concert, and recording work and welcomes players both young and old.  The Band enjoys excellent attendance at rehearsals and has a steady schedule of events lined up over the next year.

If you interested in joining this ambitious group, then please contact Gary Dodsworth on 07939 986813 or via email gary.dodsworth@downshirebrass.com for more information about this vacancy, or to arrange to attend one of our rehearsals.  Downshire Brass rehearses on Mondays and Thursdays from 8.00pm - 10.00pm in Malone Presbyterian Church Halls, Lisburn Road, Belfast.

Downshire Brass Youth Band at the 2015 NIBA contest

In memory of Harry Dalzell

The members of Downshire Brass are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Harry Dalzell, one of the band's most popular and endearing members.  Harry joined Downshire Brass in 2009; he was a stalwart of the Bb bass section and played a major part in the band’s progression to the championship section and its various successes in recent years.  

Harry began his brass band playing career at the age of ten on 2nd cornet with Rathfriland Silver Band. At 14 he progressed to the front row, and continued playing with Rathfriland until he moved to Belfast for work and college and joined Whitehouse Silver.

Later in life Harry moved to Crumlin and became a member of the Pakenham Band for nine years. During this time he also got great pleasure from playing trumpet with a big band for several years; he often recalled memories of wonderful arrangements and talented musicians. In 1980 Harry joined the Hillsborough Band, staying for seven years before his work and business commitments took him out of banding for 18 years. However, Harry wasn’t lost to the world of banding and made a comeback with the Wellington Band in 2003; later, he played with Laganvale Band for five years and then joined Downshire Brass.  He continued to enjoy contesting right up to Downshire's win at the 2015 BBL and the band's trip to the 2015 European Brass Band Championships in Freiburg.

The Conductor, Committee and members of the band convey their sincerest condolences to Harry’s wife, Isobel, and the wider family.  

Harry passed away this morning (25 August 2015) and his funeral will be held in Maze Presbyterian Church on Friday at 1.30pm.   

Congrats and Farewell...

Congratulations to Brendan Coyle on his appointment as a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Aberystwyth.  

Alas it means that Brendan and Amy will be moving on from Downshire to begin their new life in Wales.  Amy, previously the Band's principal cornet and more recently flugelhorn player has been a key member of Downshire in recent yeatrs.  Brendan's achievements with the band have included many prizes as a trombone soloist, and solo performances for radio and CD.  He has also led the Youth Band since its inception two years ago.  

Fingers crossed they will be back working in Northern Ireland again in the near future.   But for now, we wish them well on their move to Wales.

In the meantime, the band will be seeking to fill these important seats as quickly as possible and the Youth Band will continue its fine work under Downshire Brass Musical Director, Michael Alcorn.
 

Life Membership for Cliff

The 25th Anniversary Formal on 27 June 2015 was the perfect moment to recognise one of the driving forces behind the establishment of Downshire Brass. Clifford Morton has been a key figure in the band over the last 45 years and was the first Chairperson of the newly-formed Downshire Brass in 1990.

Cliff joined Reid Memorial Silver Band in 1970 as 2nd euphonium, and also played solo cornet, euphonium & drums on various parades. He was Secretary and then Chairman of Reid Memorial Silver Band from 1972 until 1990, and then moved on to become a founder member and first Chairman of Downshire Brass. He played principal euphonium with Downshire from 1990 until 2004, winning 3 BBL and 5 NIBA Championships plus the Irish National Championships in 1992.

Cliff emigrated to Spain in 2007, but retained his involvement with Downshire, being appointed Vice-President in 2008, and travelling back to compete with the Band until 2009.  In February 2008 he joined LA Concert (Rojales) playing percussion, and joined Just Brass (San Miguel) in April 2011 playing percussion.

The Band presented Cliff with an engraved silver pocket watch with the inscription "Downshire Brass, Honorary Lifetime Member, Cliff Morton 2015". Cliff joins Billy Harbinson as a Lifetime Member of the Band.

Speaking of the award, Cliff said:

"I am absolutely thrilled to be recognised in this way, I have always considered Downshire to be my band and the friendship I receive from members, quite a number of whom weren´t even born when the band was formed, is fantastic. I am truly honoured and very proud to have been made an Honorary Life Member of the Band.  But don´t worry, I´ll continue to pay my dues each month..."

 

Congratulations, Dr Coyle!

Huge congratulations from everyone in Downshire Brass to solo trombone player Brendan Coyle who graduated from Queen's University, Belfast with a PhD in Criminology on Saturday, 4th July 2015.   Well done, Dr Coyle!! 

End of Year Concert

The collective forces of the Junior, Youth and Senior Bands were on display at Downshire's annual end of year concert on Monday, 15 June 2015, performing to an audience of families, friends and supporters of the three bands. 

This year's concert shifted from Downshire's usual base at Malone Presbyterian Church to the church hall at St Nicholas' Parish Church on the Lisburn Road, and the move seemed to find favour with  performers and audience alike.  

Downshire Brass provided the warm-up act to the Junior Band and Youth Bands.  The Junior Band, under conductor Roger Doherty, played five short, contrasting pieces including 'When the Saints go Marching In' and 'Super Trouper' - super sounds all round!   The Youth Band with conductor Brendan Coyle then took centre stage with performances of 'March of the Cobblers', 'Viva la Vida' and the ever-popular 'Hawaii Five-O'.  

The short concert was rounded off with three pieces by the Senior Band including the theme music to Jurassic Park and Paul Lovatt Cooper's big band-inspired 'You've Been Warne'd'.  

The evening included a short awards ceremony with David Bird, Downshire's Youth Development Officer, announcing the winners of certificates and prizes.  This provided an opportunity to acknowledge the hard work done by all the children in the youth and junior bands.

 

The Sam Doherty cup was awarded to all the children in the junior band in recognition of their collective contribution and progress.  Each one was presented with a medal by Michael Alcorn and each will get a chance to keep the trophy for a few weeks over the next year.  The Doreen Alcorn cup was awarded to youth band tenor horn player Knox Wilson.   

Our thanks to St Nicholas' Parish Church for the use of their hall, and to the parents and guardians who do so much to support and encourage the young musicians in the two bands.  

Warm Welcome to Jonathan Boyd

We are delighted to welcome Bb bass player Jonathan Boyd to Downshire Brass.  Jonathan, who played his first engagement with the band at Castle Upton in Templepatrick today is looking forward to getting back into playing after a period away from banding.  

Successful Fundraiser in Downpatrick

Thank you to everyone for making this a great afternoon....and thanks from the Lions for your generosity in giving to the collection for Nepal.

Posted by Downpatrick Lions Club on Monday, May 25, 2015

Bass Vacancy at Downshire Brass

We are currently seeking to recruit a Bb Bass player to join Downshire Brass.   The Band has had considerable success in recent months with championship section wins at the Festival of Brass Contest at Queen’s and at the Brass Band League contest in Strabane and a strong performance at the 2015 European Brass Band Championships in Freiburg.   Downshire has an exciting schedule of concerts and events in the remainder of 2015 and plans for further CD recordings and contesting trips in 2016 and beyond.  

If you interested in joining this ambitious group, then please contact Gary Dodsworth on 07939 986813 or via email gary.dodsworth@downshirebrass.com for more information about this vacancy, or to arrange to attend one of our rehearsals.  Downshire Brass rehearses on Mondays and Thursdays from 8.00pm - 10.00pm in Malone Presbyterian Church Halls, Lisburn Road, Belfast.

Busy concert schedule

Hot on the heels of performances at the European Brass Championships in Freiburg, Germany, Downshire move straight into a busy period of rehearsals, concerts and a BBC recording.   Forthcoming concerts include: Festival of Champions at Lady Dixon Park  (10 May 4.15pm), Joint concert with Ardee Concert Band  (17 May, 8pm in Ardee), Champagne Brass at Ballydugan Mill, Downpatrick (24th May).  Please see our Concerts and Events page for details.  

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Success in the Spring Festival Contest

Five years on from winning the second section of the Brass Band League contest, Downshire Brass claim top spot in the Championship Section in 2015 in a tightly fought contest with 1st Old Boys, Laganvale and Strabane Concert Brass.  

Downshire, who have been very busy preparing for their trip to the 2015 European Brass Band Championships used this as an opportunity to run their own-choice test piece for Freiburg.  The performance gave Downshire the top prize, conductor's trophy and the best percussion section prize.  Well done to all the other bands and prize-winners at the event, including John Murdock (soloist prize) and 1st Old Boys (best trombone section).  

Downshire Brass was also awarded the 2014 Championship section trophy for the Band of the Year competition.  Congratulations to 3rd Carrick for winning overall Band of the Year.

Mixed fortunes in Fivemiletown

Downshire Brass finished 3rd overall in the 2015 Fivemiletown Brass in Concert competition at the Valley Hotel.  In a competitive top section, the Band were delighted to win the prize for the best march (for our performance of Blaze Away) and thrilled that Brendan Coyle won the prize for the best soloist in the top section.   

The Band performed: 
Sing Sing Sing  (percussion interlude from Alan, Ashley and Andrew)
Blaze Away
Feeling Good (soloist Brendan Coyle)
The Witch of Westmerlands (solos from Gary Dodsworth and Hannah Copes)
Nightingale Dances

Congratulations to all the participants and winners in all sections.  We look forward to Fivemiletown 2016.