London and Provincial Music

It is exactly a year since I made the short trip down to Bradwell to hear the Bradwell Silver Band play at St James Church. That occasion presented me with my first ever chance to hear a band which has been inexplicably ignored by Northampton Borough Council for decades, despite being less than twenty miles away. The people of Bradwell made a big impression on me, and the band itself produced an effort which was worth a lot more than the modest entry fee. At that stage, we had just come off a very disappointing season in Northampton, although we were just relieved to get the bands back. Anyway, I wrote that Bradwell would have been ranked in the top three had they played in Northampton in 2008.

Lo and behold, Northampton Borough Council actually brought Bradwell Silver Band to Abington Park in 2009, and they were responsible for one of the performances which contributed to the best season for at least a decade. I hadn’t seen them since, so this was a welcome chance to go back to the place where I heard them for the very first time. Last year, I arrived in Bradwell just after 12pm, only to find that the coffee morning in the church had just finished. This year, I made sure I was there earlier, to experience the company of some of the friendly Bradwell locals who have made this place one I look forward to coming back to many times.

Bradwell Silver Band may be a fourth section outfit in the world of contesting, but there is a lot more to banding than that. Performance, as I’ve said so many times, is a completely different art. There are some outstanding players in this band, and I was especially struck by the trombone section. I noticed again the guy who played a brilliant solo last year – only this year he was on bass trombone while another player produced an equally virtuosic solo on principal tenor trombone! Once again, the trip to Bradwell on a beautiful sunny spring day was more than worth the effort. The flowers around the war memorial can never have looked better than this, and again we were more than satisfied by the performance of the Bradwell Silver Band.

This is not a trip for the faint hearted in England’s desolate transport-starved modern era. The omnibus service to Stoke Bruerne, the charming and picturesque village where the Boat Inn is located, is not exactly frequent. This is not a serious problem, as I only need one bus to get there. The problem is that the service going back is completely non-existent. Piccadilly this is not.

Last year, I did the ten mile walk home on unlit and unpaved roads, which was actually quite a pleasant experience. Everything in the countryside was still and clear, and the air smelled fresher than I am accustomed to. This year, such a nocturnal sojourn would have been even more enticing, as the full moon is only four nights away. However, tomorrow’s trip to Bradwell and the tough schedule ahead means I need to fork out £18 for the Private Hire solution which is at least more comfortable and will get me home sooner.

The Boat Inn in Stoke Bruerne is absolutely crowded for one of their busiest and most awaited days of the year. On the evening of St. George’s Day every year, twelve teams of Morris men take to the car park stage for a night of celebration by sparse floodlight. At least the gibbous Mistress of the Night was on hand to shed additional light on to what is an event very much with a difference. Morris Men are similar to Brass Bands in that they maintain a long standing tradition despite being totally ignored by the brainless media in our still-proud country.

I confess to having only a very rudimentary knowledge of Morris performance. I see them at some of the village fetes where the bands play, usually in much better light than this! I have made a special effort to be here tonight, because I probably shan’t be able to make it next year. Unless Bradwell Silver Band move their Saturday event, the two will clash next year, and the brass band must always take priority.

England is a troubled country, there is no doubt, but the media are quick to lavish attention on everything which is bad about our nation, while forgetting to mention that which is good. Yes, there are hooligans, criminals and thugs. Yes, there are disgraceful incidents happening in every town and county every day. But, there are also a great many wonderful people keeping alive the traditions of the REAL England which the creed of nastiness will never break down.

It has been a joy to be in Stoke Bruerne tonight to witness something which is very different from my usual fare, but which I feel is inexorably linked. I am an Englishman, and I feel no need for shame because of it. Only time will tell whether the anticipated fixture clash will take this one off the calendar, or whether I will once again be celebrating St Georges Day At The Boat Inn.