Desford’s Postcard from the East
October 2005
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On arrival to Thailand the Desford Colliery Band were met by their guide for the 1st leg of the tour and were promptly taken for a slap up meal in the Airport Hotel, whilst their baggage was checked in for a transfer flight to Phuket. The band’s accommodation in Phuket was The Royal Crown Hotel, sat upon a high hill overlooking Patong beach and along with a pool (complete with obligatory poolside cocktail bar); this top class hotel restaurant gave breathtaking views of the surrounding area. The rehearsal room for the Thailand leg of the tour was the hotel restaurant; it must have been quite a sight for the various customers being serenaded by the World Famous Desford Colliery Band playing Verdi’s Force of Destiny at full steam. The band even caused a family argument when one member wanted to stay on and watch the band after the meal. |
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| As part of the tour the Desford band were invited to the old town of Phuket to perform as international guest artists for a festival in aid of the Phuket Street Revitalization Project post Boxing Day tsunami. The band featured on the main outdoor stage, in front of various Thai dignitaries, sandwiched in between the Thai version of Anastacia and an Indian bhangra troupe. Before each performance locals were greeted on both nights with the vision of a suited and booted Desford wandering the streets of Phuket’s old town in concert uniforms searching for a building with air conditioning and a cool drink, a scene strangely reminiscent of the opening of Reservoir Dogs. |
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Further to the Festival performances the band were invited to perform at a traditional Thai wedding. The band expected to play for just one couple, but was surprised to discover 27 couples getting married simultaneously. It was a concert ensured to live on in the memories of all the couples present, as well as several younger members of the wedding party who had never seen a brass band before resulting in a plethora of photo opportunities. |
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| Leisure time was spent fishing in the crystal clear sea, eating freshly caught tuna with tropical fish swimming over to see what was going on, followed by a swim to desert island beaches collecting coconuts. Some members of the band with a more extreme nature enjoyed jet skiing and go-karting, whilst the more placid members of the band were content to lie on the beach contemplating life, the universe, and the Nationals. There was also a good deal of time spent wandering around the town, window shopping for cut price goods and haggling good naturedly with the local shop owners. A glimpse upwards however told a different story as the eye alighted on tide marks from Boxing Day 2004. The band were humbled by the reaction of the townsfolk after what must have been a tragic time, but were amazed by their ability to rebuild their lives and still present visitors with a warm and welcoming smile. |
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The band didn’t escape without incident though. The Soprano player for the tour, Steve Bailey, suffered serious sunburn during the fishing trip and had to visit hospital a number of times, leading to him not looking dissimilar to a bandaged mummy from the waist down.
The Singapore leg of the tour involved two concerts, one at the United World College of South East Asia, and one at the Victoria Concert Hall. The UCW school concert featured a very informative, flowing commentary from Garry Cutt, detailing the history of the brass band movement, how brass instruments work, and giving examples of the various instruments of the band. Concluding with a conductor-less William Tell, the concert provoked a wild response from the school’s pupils and surely improved the take up of brass in the school. |
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After a day off, the final day’s itinerary included a performance at the Victoria Concert Hall, directly followed by the flight back to England. By now, the band was used to the intense heat and was ready to sign off the tour with a blistering concert. The concert was very well received and featured a programme which included the Force of Destiny Overture, Nimrod, the Irish Blessing, and Valero. One highlight of the concert was a fantastic rendition of Over The Rainbow by solo horn and ‘top bomber’ Murray Borthwick. It was a very happy audience that left the auditorium that night, having been thoroughly entertained by the “UK sensation,” the Desford Colliery Band. |
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| After a swift post-concert drink where many goodbyes were said, the band checked in to Singapore’s Changhi Airport for their flight back to England. After a very long flight it was with a heavy heart and even heavier eyelids that the Desford Band arrived back at Birmingham Airport content in the knowledge that there was a banding job well done. However, they weren’t particularly thrilled with the prospect of work the next day. |
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