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1924 proved to be a most
important year in the band's history. This was the year the Mortimer
family moved to Sandbach. Alex first, followed six months later
by his father Fred and brothers Harry and Rex
Mortimer. Fred Mortimer was appointed Band Master with William
Halliwell remaining as Professional Conductor. The band had not
won a major honour for ten years so some changes in playing personnel
together with a lot of hard work was undertaken to improve standards.
These improvements paid off as the band won the British Open Championship
in 1926 for the sixth time. This was followed with wins in 1927
and 1928 bringing the total number eight.
In 1929 William Halliwell
retired as Professional Conductor after twenty years service.
Fred Mortimer was then appointed to the position of Musical Director
and his son, Harry Mortimer, became bandmaster.
1930 saw the band win
its second National Championship. Another win in 1932 brought
the band's third win in the competition followed by wins in 1933
and again in 1934. The last three consecutive wins resulted in
the band being barred in 1935. This did not give the band an opportunity
for rest. The summer months were usually spent touring seaside
resorts followed by weeks in the London Parks and tours of Scotland.
There were also radio broadcasts and recording sessions to be
fitted in.
New ground was covered
by the band during 1935 when they became screen stars, featured
in a film entitled "The Small Man". The film was made at the Stoll
Studios, London, for Universal Pictures.
The band entered the
National Championships in 1936 when the contest was won
for the sixth time. After the contest the band undertook its first
overseas tour spending five weeks in South Africa. The highlights
being appearances at the 1936 Empire Exhibition in Johannesburg.
Whilst the band was on tour disaster struck at home. The Crystal
Palace, home of the National Championship since 1900, was gutted
by fire. Arrangements were made for the Championship to be staged
at the Alexandra Palace. In 1937 and again later in 1938 the band
again won the National Championship.
Earlier in 1938 the band
received its second royal honour when it was summoned to appear
at Windsor Castle on the occasion of the annual parade of King's
Scouts. Traditionally held during the afternoon of the Sunday
nearest to St. George's Day. The band was commanded to provide
a concert during the morning of the 24th of April, this being
presented on the famous quadrangle in the presence of King George
V1 and Queen Elizabeth and their family.
1939 brought the beginning
of the second World War. As in 1914 the National Championship
was abandoned. In 1941 King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth made
a tour of the North-West to visit bomb damaged areas during which
they attended a rally held on the Crewe Alexandra Football Ground
where the band provided the music.
Early in 1945 the band
was asked to tour the liberated countries to give concerts for
the troops. The scarlet and gold uniforms were replaced by plain
khaki ones and after documentation and a final rehearsal at the
Drury Lane Theatre, London, the band set off, in its own bus,
on active service.
The band followed in the
wake of the victorious army through France, Belgium and Holland,
covering over two thousand miles and giving concerts in hospitals,
convalescent camps and camps for liberated prisoners of war. Towns
that had recently been in the centre of the fighting such as Lille,
Melbrook, Louvaine, Antwerp, Eindhoven, ghent and Bruges were
visited, sometime the band giving as many as three programmes
a day and everywhere the performances were received with high
appreciation and overwhelming enthusiasm.
With the return to peacetime
in 1945 the National Brass Band Championship was re-established,
being staged at the Royal Albert Hall where, with the exception
of a couple of times when the Empress Hall was the venue, it has
been held since.
In 1950 the band won the
National Championship for the ninth time. During 1951 as part
of the Festival of Britain celebrations a special brass band contest
was arranged at Bournemouth which the band added to its list of
successes by gaining first place, receiving the title of Festival
of Britain Champions.
The coronation of Queen
Elizabeth II took place during 1953, the band being in great demand
to take part in the many celebrations held that year, included
in which was a series of concerts in the London Parks. At one
of these concerts, given a few days after the Coronation, the
sad news from Elworth, that Fred Mortimer, who had been unable
to accompany the band, had died. Harry Mortimer took over, although
he was not appointed to the position of Musical Director, later
in the year led the band to its tenth victory in the National
Championships.
In 1955 Harry Mortimer
formed the famous "Men O'Brass", a massed unit of seventy five
players. In this the band joined with Fairey Aviation and Morris
Motors bands to create an all star combination with which it has
taken part in many prestige concerts and recording sessions.
In the following year
Harry Mortimer was appointed to the post of Musical Advisor to
the band, his brother Rex Mortimer
taking over as Musical Director. The position of Bandmaster became
obsolete although it was reintroduced for a short time between
1968 and 1971 during which the post was held by E. Gray.
In 1958 the band won
the National Championship for the eleventh time which led to an
appearance on the television programme "This is Your Life". The
celebrity in question was the celebrated dance band leader Ted
Heath. One of his life long ambitions was to conduct a brass band
so who better than the National Champions! At the end of the programme
this ambition was realised when he conducted the band through
a rousing march.
A unique event in brass
band circles occurred in 1970 when Harry Mortimer celebrated sixty
years of music -making, forty five of which had been in association
with Fodens. A special Diamond Jubilee Concert was arranged in
his honour at Belle Vue, scene of so many triumphs, at which the
band ws proud to have the honour of taking part. Nostalgia flowed
freely on that evening and many old bandsmen, long retired, joined
in reliving memories of earlier achievements well after the concert
had ended.
In 1974 Harry Mortimer
resigned as Musical Adviser. The following year Rex
Mortimer retired as Musical Director, his retirement marking
the end of fifty one years continuous leadership of the band by
the Mortimer family. In recent years the link with the Mortimer
family has been re-established with Rex
Mortimer & Margaret Mortimer accepting the posts of Honorary
Vice Presidents.
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