EAST RIDING & NORTH YORKSHIRE REGION EVENTS 

SKIPTON SERVICE CLUB INFO

  Band Article written in the Dalesman

by

Tim Clarke

 

IN HONOUR OF THE UNEXPECTING

 

If you're one of the many who delight at the sight and sound of a marching band in galas and parades, seek out  Skipton Royal British Legion Band – a thriving corps of drums in this southern Gateway to the Dales.  The British version of a corps of drums is equipped with drums, bugles, Bb flutes/fifes and in some cases also marching glockenspiels (bell-lyres) and a corps was historically intended not just to motivate the troops but to send instructions on the battlefield, originally with drum beatings, and later with flute and bugle calls.

 

Although the roots of a corps of drums are of course military, the Skipton RBL Band is a civilian outfit.  They are however particularly keen to hear from experienced former military musicians to strengthen the band in all sections as well as other musicians interested in the stirring sight and sound of a good corps of drums.  The band  has a constantly replenishing engagements diary of events across the region - from the ceremonial to fêtes, garden parties and re-enactment events.  

 

The buglers perform several marches, fanfares and sacred pieces, which in the past have included a moving performance of Last Post  in York Minster and Sunset  from the top of the control tower at the Yorkshire Air Museum - when nobody fell off!  There is a vast established repertoire of marches and popular tunes for flutes and drums, including the march The British Legion which the band plays at every event, and the band can also draw on arrangements written specially for them.  The drummers accompany both bugles and flutes – but the sound of drums can set pulses racing just on their own!

 

We Dalesfolk don't like change, that's a well-known fact: yet with economies being made to the national defence budget over the years bringing the “amalgamation”, “restructuring” or “reorganisation” of the Forces music services, this historic form of music-making is being covertly destroyed as regimental bands and corps of drums quietly disappear.  So all the better that there are still people who will commit to performing music, totally unpaid, in honour of our military heroes, past and present. The band has to be entirely self-financing, reliant upon donations and the goodwill of its members: as it falls under the umbrella of the Royal British Legion's national bands policy it cannot take any financial support from the Legion whose funds are needed for the serving and ex-service community, as well as their family dependents.

 

There must be something good happening in Skipton – they also have regular contingents from out-of-town whose commitment confirms this.  What's more, the Skipton Branch of the Royal British Legion are setting up a pipe band, so that the Dales can enjoy the glorious strains of the Highland pipes and Scottish drumming.  Both bands deserve your support.  Please visit the website of the Skipton branch www.skiptonlegion.co.uk for full contact details or ring the Branch chairman Alex Bentley on 01756 228275 in the first instance.  Make 2012 the year you do the unexpected - in honour of the unexpecting!