I had the absolute pleasure of watching The Marple Band play at The Northumberland Arms Community pub recently, what a beautiful musical experience it was.

The sun was out, the garden was full of eager audience members like me, eager to sit and chill and listen to their beautiful melodies. What was lovely was seeing people of all generations, sat enjoying their beautiful music.

What an amazingly talented group of individuals, playing music from across the eras, there was something for everyone, and you could clearly see the bond they have as a band.

So, if you chance upon The Marple Band, let their harmonious notes wrap around you. You will not be disappointed!

Article written by Max Julian

We are delighted to inform you that we have appointed Nick Birch as our new Musical Director.

Nick Birch is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, where he achieved his Master’s degree on Trombone and Bachelor’s degree on Euphonium. Nick is a well-known face to many across the brass banding community and has enjoyed tenures with several North-West bands, including Pemberton and Fairey’s. Most recently, he has been 2nd Trombone with Foden’s Band since 2015, enjoying great success with the band including winning the three National Championships and the British Open last summer. Nick leaves Foden’s to become the MD of The Marple Band.

Alongside his playing career in brass bands, Nick is an experienced Musical Director. He has been the MD at Nantwich Concert Band since 2014 and became MD of Keele University Concert Band in 2022. Nick is looking forward to working with the talented members of The Marple Band, building on our prestigious history.

On Sunday 21st April we played in the Memorial Park in Marple in the Senior Citizens hall.

Sunday’s concert, led by Jim, the resident conductor of Tintwistle, showed how we have shaped our band musically together, showing off the serious work that we’ve done while also showing how much fun we have as a band together.

Jim conducted us flawlessly and also gave the audience much fun between pieces with witty comments and entertaining the audience so much that it created a wonderful atmosphere of laughter and palatable joy to be enjoying ourselves. It shows how much the audience really enjoyed the show because though the entrance, as always in these Marple Memorial Park concerts, was free, the donations were so very generous. It would seem that thanks to music, the audience and the atmosphere we all went home smiling.

Article written by Julia Robinson

Howard Groves

It all started for me around 1970 when my primary school (Western Junior, Grimsby) purchased 2 Clarinets and 2 Trumpets.

I was chosen to play one of the trumpets, don’t ask me why, I don’t know. I remember my Mum was quite supportive of the idea, however Dad’s reaction was along the lines ‘not within my hearing!’ which he kept up until the time I left home. Not that it mattered anyway as we weren’t allowed to play the instruments at any time other than during our lunch break under the supervision of a teacher. Looking back it was all very strict and we had to practice every school day. However, the end result was by the time I went to senior school I was quite a good player for my age.

Ok, so what about Brass Banding? Well during my time playing in the various youth bands and orchestras I was lucky enough to be taught by 2 exceptionally talented peripatetic teachers. Duncan Connors {trumpet] and John Ventris [Eb Tuba]. Both encouraged me to play with a Brass Band as they said I would find the music more challenging and ultimately more rewarding and something I could continue with way beyond my school years. So, following their advice, I first went to Grimsby Brass Band in around1974. Grimsby at the time were an up-and-coming 2nd Section Band with Denzil Stevens being their MD. I played 2nd Cornet with them for a short while. However, having played and rehearsed the test piece ‘Suite Gothique’ I was dropped in favour of another player for the Nottingham Championships in 1974. This was the first time anything like this had happened to me and I was devastated. I decided to pack in anything to do with Brass Bands and concentrate on playing Trumpet and Flugel in the various jazz and swing bands in my local area. This kept me interested and I got paid as well, plus the occasional visit to Germany. Then some friends persuaded me to have another go with a local Brass Band. So I found myself once again back on cornet and playing this time for 3rd Section Cleethorpes Band. I remember my best time with Cleethorpes Band was around 1979, when we came 5th in the Regionals at the De Montford Hall Leicester playing ‘The Shipbuilders’. I continued playing in the local area in the local Youth Orchestra Swing Band in which I had now become lead trumpet going on several visits to Germany. By this time also doing an amount of depping in some of the local semi pro club bands in the seaside resort part of Cleethorpes. During this time, I was fortunate enough to play along with Humphrey Littleton and Dizzy Gillespie.

This was in 2013 and the following year at the Regionals Marple came 2nd playing ‘Chaucer’s Tunes’ and qualified for the National Finals at Cheltenham. At the National Finals under our new MD Sarah Groarke-Booth we played’ Traversada’ by Oliver Waespi and became the 2014 Second Section National Champions.

I’ve continued playing for Marple up to this very day. The only difference being that I’ve well and truly joined the ‘Dark Side’ of the band scene as I now play Bb Bass.

Note: Some of the dates in this profile may not be entirely correct. All due to the lengthy time over which I’m trying to recall distant memories.

The Marple Band played a charity event at St Christophers Centre in Romiley on March 8th, in aid of the Romiley & Marple Lions Club.

The Bierkeller event, now an annual event for the band gave the audience a super evening of entertainment. They were supported by the Varivocals choir.