www.glennmillerorchestra.co.uk

The Glenn Miller Orchestra Appreciation Society

Christmas Edition

Hi De Hi, big band lovers!

Where has the year gone? It really worries me how quickly time seems to fly the older you get!! It seems like only yesterday I was welcoming you to our Jubilee Edition. Since then, the Orchestra’s been south to Jersey, then into the midlands in Leicester, Fareham in the home counties and west to Shrewsbury. It was so upsetting to see the floods around Shrewsbury barely a couple of weeks after we played there. It was unrecognisable on the news clips, from the beautiful town we played in. Our best wishes for a swift recovery go out to those affected.

Our travels have also taken us to North London, Aldershot, Dudley and Manchester - where we were honoured to have a special guest join us on stage - none other than the great Tommy Whittle who grew to fame in the Ted Heath Orchestra. More inside about this musical treat!

But for me, the high spot of the past three months has been the introduction - for certain shows only - of a string section! The first concert with Glenn’s AAF line-up was at the Derngate in Northampton, where we were also joined by Youth Brass 2000. “St. Louis Blues March” has never sounded so good! Read all about it in this issue.

As I write this, we’re on the plane returning from two shows in Spain. We have lots of snaps of the guys and gals to share with you.

For those of you I don’t have the chance of greeting personally before Christmas, may I offer best wishes for the festive season and, of course, a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Enjoy the magazine!

Ray

Contents Ray’s Message

Ray with BobbyDave Ford & Bruce Douglas

Ray’s Message 3

Jersey Bounce 4

Tommy Whittle 5

The New String Section! 6-7

The Glenn Miller Orchestra 8-9 accompanied by Youth Brass 2000!

Madrid and Barcelona 10-11

Spotlight on one of the Band Members - Loren Hignell 12

Members’ Page 13

Forthcoming Concert Dates 14-15

3

Last September, we were booked for two shows at the Opera House in Jersey in the Channel Islands. It was a super three days there.

The Band flew over on the morning of the first show - all except Danny Hammerton who decided to go over a day early and spent the evening chatting to the RAF Red Arrows team in the bar!

Ray and Sue took the ferry so they could bring the music pads and a few of the bulkier instruments in the car. On the way, Sue offered to help a lady with a guide dog who was trying to find her way from the car deck to the restaurant. It turned out that the lady was a guide-dog trainer, she wasn’t blind at all! Of course, we thought that was hilarious. Who did Sue think was driving the car? The dog?

The weekend was an RAF reunion and featured a spectacular air display. As well as Danny’s new friends, the Red Arrows, there was a fly-past by a massive period Boeing B29 Superfortress which had flown in from America and, after the show, flew on to Scotland looking for a runway long enough to land on!

As there were more than a few veterans in the audiences for the concerts, Ray included the Dambusters March in the programme. We felt honoured that a surviving member of the Dambusters squadron was in the audience on the second night.

Over a period of nearly 70 years, Tommy Whittle has earned himself the reputation of being the greatest British tenor sax player of all time, playing alongside Ted Heath, Cyril Stapleton, Jack Parnell as well as a number of small bands of his own. So it was a genuine thrill for audience and musicians

alike when Tommy, now aged 86, travelled to Manchester with us on the band bus, stepped up onto the stage to join the Glenn Miller Orchestra for a number. Tommy displayed his outstanding musicianship and playing technique as he led the band on How High the Moon.

Tommy also enjoyed it so much that Ray invited him to come back and join us again in Wolverhampton!

Tommy WhittleJersey Bounce

Boys meet outside the hotel before going off to see the air display.

Left to right ... Simon Andy Daniel Alan Dave Bobby Bunny and Martin

54

The New String Section! short while until it was decided that it was too expensive. Since then, fans of Glenn Miller have been denied the opportunity to hear the orchestra in concert with a string section...

...until now!

Ray decided that the fans deserve a chance to hear, live, some of Glenn’s finer arrangements. So he’s presenting a limited number of shows with the Glenn Miller Strings. The first of those shows was the concert at the Royal and Derngate in Northampton. And what a hit it was.

The audience were thrilled to hear the band playing the augmented versions of Miller standards like Moonlight Serenade, Story of a Starry Night, Rhapsody in Blue, Danny Boy and Cherokee.

In addition, a local young people’s brass band - they’re called Youth Brass 2000 - joined the Orchestra to form a considerably enhanced brass section for the second-act opening playing St. Louis Blues March.

Check our schedule of forthcoming concert dates (pp.14-15) to see when the Strings are performing!

Ray always tries to keep the shows fresh while not forgetting there are huge hits that regular patrons demand be performed year after year. So, blended in with In the Mood, Tuxedo Junction, Chattanooga Choo Choo and many other favourites, the Orchestra, in the past, has brought along stars like Patti Andrews of the Andrew’s Sisters, Joan Regan and the late Eric Delaney, not forgetting more recent favourites like “Britain’s Got Talent” winners: Irresistible.

So, what’s new for 2013?Most people associate big band music with line-ups that include 5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 3 rhythm and lots of noise!

However, Glenn Miller - while admittedly using the above line-up most of the time - did have a mellow side to his character too. And while the version of Moonlight Serenade that we all know and love demonstrated Glenn Miller’s incredible arranging ability with clarinet and saxes, there is also a lesser-known version using strings which is equally beautiful, if not more so.

Strings in Miller’s line-up were most apparent in his Army Air-Force band which he brought to Europe in 1942.

Following Miller’s disappearance in 1944, and the end of the war a year later, the band returned to the States and continued with a string section for a

76

Accompanied by Youth Brass 2000!

The Orchestra considerably augmented by Youth Brass 2000 - made up of school children and youths from around Wilbarston Village in Northamptonshire - all playing St. Louis Blues March.

98

Madrid and BarcelonaIt’s nice to be able to say we are building a fan base in Spain. We make two or three visits there a year and we were there just last month. This trip we took the Jiving Lindy Hoppers and vocal group Irresistible along with us.

We played the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid and Palau de la Música, Barcelona

We are looking forward to our next visit at the beginning of January to Malaga and then off to the Canaries!

The pictures are very ‘casual’ ones but we hope you like them!

Alan & Danny

Colin & Catherine

Moonlight Serenaders

Irresistible Sound Check

...with her bodyguards!

Jreena of Jiving Lindy Hoppers...

Dan, Simon & Brucevv

Jiving Lindy Hoppers...

...Running Wild with the Orchestra

Bob in a pot!1110

Spotlight on one of the Band Members - Loren HignellTake a good look at these two pictures of Loren Hignell and you’ll see a man who appears to have a split personality! In fact he’s just a guy who believes in getting the most out of life. He achieves that by playing the sax brilliantly and having fun.

This graduate of Anglia Polytechnic University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama has plied his craft in forms of music as varied as backing Jamaican reggae artists and backing Sir Cliff at the Royal Albert Hall. He’s played in all the best places - QEH, the Royal Festival Hall, the Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House, the Savoy Theatre, Buckingham Palace and the Palladium.

He learned the big band tradition playing with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra for four years.

Apart from being an invaluable member of the saxophone section, Loren always has a ready smile for everyone! By the way, we’re not sure where Loren picked up the unfortunate growth on his nose - it could have been Blackpool or Spain!

Members’ Page

“As a World War II baby, I grew up with radio, and I remember in those days hearing the Glenn Miller Orchestra so often and eventually, owning a record player, I purchased a Glenn Miller 10” LP. Moonlight on the Ganges, etc. The quality of that sound and music stayed with me. Over many years there has been dozens of bands who have imitated Glenn’s Sound and, even with modern recording techniques, they have never bettered Glenn’s original work. Ray and the Orchestra - and vocals - do a fantastic job... ”

Geoff Sheldon

“I recently had my 80th birthday and stlll dance to Miller music whenever possible. Have 18th November on my calender when you visit the Derngate Northampton.”

Hugh Geddes

“Congratulations on the new G.M.O.A.S. magazine, it’s a CRACKER! Lots of interesting bits and good pictures too, looking forward to the next issue.”

Bryan and Jenny

“We would just like to thank you

for such a wonderful evening of

entertainment, Rosemarie was

thrilled to bits, I was standing up

cheering and clapping it took me

completely out of myself. I looked

at Rosie who was a different

woman, to see her so happy was

music to my eyes.”

Rosie and Jim Howgate

1312

15

FEBRUARY 2013 SHOW TIMES

Sun 10th Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea SS0 7RA 3.00pm Box Office: 01702 351 135

Fri 22nd Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Spain If you want information on this concert please contact the office.

Sat 23rd Las Palmas, Canary Islands If you want information on this concert please contact the office.

Thurs 28th Malvern Theatres WR14 3HB 7.45pm Box office: 01256 844 244

MARCH 2013

Sat 2nd Civic Hall, Bedworth CV12 8NF 7.30pm Box Office: 024 7637 6707

Sun 3rd Wyllyotts Centre, Potters Bar EN6 2HN 5.00pm Box Office: 01707 645 005

Sun 17th The Anvil, Basingstoke RG21 7QR 7.30pm Box Office: 01256 844 244

APRIL 2013

Sun 14th Theatre Royal, Brighton BN1 1SD 5.00pm Box Office: 01273 764 400

Sun 28th The Mill at Sonning, Reading RG4 6TY 8.00pm Box Office: 0118 969 6039

MAY 2013

Wed 1st Octagon Theatre,Yeovil BA20 1UX 7.30pm Box Office: 01935 422 884

Sun 12th Churchill Theatre, Bromley BR1 1HA 3.00pm & 7.30pmBox Office: 08448 717 650

Sun 19th Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa CV32 4HN 5.00pmBox Office: 01306 881 717

Thurs 23rd Dorking Halls, Surrey RH4 1SG 7.30pmBox Office: 01306 881 717

JUNE 2013

Sat 8th Shanklin Theatre, I.O.W PO37 6AJ 7.30pmBox Office: 01983 868 000

Sun 9th Bournemouth Pavillion, BH1 2BU 5.00pm Box Office: 0844 576 3000

Sun 30th Embassy Theatre, Skegness PE25 2UG 5.00pmBox Office: 0845 674 0505

Concert DatesThose shown in blue include the new String Section

DECEMBER 2012 SHOW TIMES

Sun 16th The Sage, Gateshead NE8 2JR 7.30pm With guest artists Irresistible Box Office: 0191 443 4661

Sun 23rd The Queens Theatre, Hornchurch RM11 1QT 3.30pm & 7.30pm Two Christmas shows

Box Office: 01708 443 333

Thurs 27th Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool L1 9BP 2.30pm Box Office: 0151 709 3789

Fri 28th Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow G2 3NY 3.00pm Box Office: 0141 353 8000

Sat 29th Symphony Hall, Birmingham B1 2EA 2.30pm Box Office: 0121 780 3333

Sun 30th Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS 2.30pm Box Office: 020 7638 8891

JANUARY 2013

Thurs 3rd Malaga, Spain If you want information on this concert please contact the office.

Fri 4th Gran Canaria If you want information on this concert please contact the office.

Sun 6th Bridgewater Hall, Manchester M2 3WS 3.00pmBox Office: 0161 907 9000

Sun 13th The Orchard Theatre, Dartford DA1 1ED 5.00pm Box Office: 01322 220 000

Sat 19th Palace Theatre, Redditch B98 8AE 7.30pm Box Office: 01572 65 203

Sun 20th Civic Hall, Chelsmford CM1 1JG 6.00pm Box Office: 01245 606 505

Sat 26th The Castle, Wellingborough NN8 1XA 7.30pm Box Office: 01933 270 007

Sun 27th Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton WV1 1DE 4.00pm Box Office: 01902 429 212

Thurs 31st Assembly Rooms, Derby DE1 3AH 7.45pm Box Office: 01332 255 800

1514

Contact details:

Glenn Miller Orchestra Appreciation Society 6a Furzehill Parade, Shenley Road,

Borehamwood, Hertfordshire WD6 1DX

+ 44 (0)20 8905 1065suemcvay@btconnect.com

Which one is Andy Potts?

Please feel free to write or e-mail any ideas, photo’s or comments for future editions. We would love to

be able to keep the new members’ page going!