28th December 2004

Glyn and Julie Tie The Knot

Foden's Richardson Band's Glyn Williams is to marry Julie Ann Bedder on Tuesday 28th December at St. Chads Church, Uppermill at 2.00pm. The band will play for the wedding with conductor Richard Evans at the helm.

We would all like to wish Glyn and Julie all the very best for their future happiness.

21st December 2004

Presentation By Congleton Borough Council

Alan Wycherley receiving a cheque from Councillor Neville Price and Pamela Price, Mayor and Mayoress of Congleton Borough Council.

A reception was held tonight at the Foden's Richardson Band rehearsal room with Alan Wycherley receiving a cheque for £5000 on behalf of the band donated by Congleton Borough Council. Later band members were presented with engraved momentos of their historic win at the British Open Brass Band Championships 2004. Representatives from Congleton Borough Council were present together with members of the Band's Trustees and Patrons Committee. Councillor Neville Price and Pamela Price, Mayor and Mayoress of Congleton Borough Council presided over the presentations.

17th December 2004

Professional Conductor

Foden's Richardson Band are pleased to end all speculation and are delighted to announce that Garry Cutt has accepted their invitation to take up the post of "Professional Conductor" with the band as from January 1st 2005.

Alan Wycherley - Chairman

1st November 2004

Fodens and the Babes!

The Opera Babes, Karen England & Rebecca Knight

Foden's Richardson Band will be appearing in concert on Monday the 13th December at the Sloane Square Concert Hall London with the world famous Opera Babes and the Sylvia Young Dance School.

The opera babes have sang at the FA Cup and Champions League final in 2001 as well as performing at the Commonwealth Games and at Buckingham Palace for the Jubilee Prom. Their first album entered the classical charts at no. 1 where it stayed for 11 weeks. The Opera Babes have also performed with the Halle Orchestra, Philhormonia Orchestra, Berlin Symphony, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra as well as just returning from a tour of the USA.

Amongst those who have attended the Sylvia Young School in Marylebone London are Nick Berry, Billie Piper, Denise Van Outen, Appleton sisters, Jon Lee from S Club 7, Emma Bunton etc.

Tickets for the concert can be obtained from the Sloan Square box office telephone number 020 7730 4500.

Foden's Richardson have a number of other exciting concerts booked for 2005 with the Opera Babes and other world famous artists that will be advertised in due course.

28th September 2004

Foden's Receive Bonus From Sponsors

Winning the prestigious brass band Open Championship has not only earned Foden's Richardson Band national acclaim, but also a £5,000 bonus from sponsors Don and Roy Richardson, the successful Midland-based property developers.And at a civic reception to welcome the band back from their success, the brothers announced that if the band won the Open Championship again next year, that reward would be doubled.
Roy told the guests at the event held in Congleton Town Hall that everyone must be proud of the band and its achievements. "They put in a lot of effort and deserved the win, and now they have something to practice even harder for," he said.
He explained that he and his brother, who hadn't a penny to rub together when they left school at 14, were now successful businessmen and felt that by supporting the band they were putting something back into the community.
Don read a letter from the band's professional conductor, Bramwell Tovey, congratulating the band and describing the win as equivalent to winning the Wimbleden title, the Ashes or the World Cup. "Foden's Richardson Band is now the premier band in the land," he wrote.
The Mayor, Councillor Neville Price, explained that the reception was organised even before the band's win. "I knew they would do well and had every faith in them," he said.
The band's name was synonymous with Sandbach but now he wanted the whole of the Borough to be proud of them, to welcome them into their midst and offer its support.
He thanked the Richardson brothers for helping the band to get where they are. "With more support the band will go from strength to strength," he added, and, looking at the two brothers he commented: "I think you can write that cheque now!"
Members of the band, who had toured the Borough in an open-top double deck bus before arriving at the Town Hall, played for the guests who included band officials and patrons, town Mayors and Chairman of Congleton, Sandbach and Alsager, and local authority representatives.
Also present were two musicians who played with the band when it last won the Open in 1964 at Belle Vue. Jimmy Charles, from Wheelock, was a member of the band until 1997 and has played with it on occasions since then, and Alex English of Church Lawton, was principal trombonist and carried on until the seventies. Both were employed at Fodens

23rd September 2004

Triumphant Return Home!

The band return home to Sandbach with the British Open Challenge Shield. They made the trip from Congleton Town Hall on an open top bus to be greeted by the Mayor and Mayoress of Congleton Borough Council Councillor Neville Price, Mrs. Pamela Price and The Chairman of Sandbach Town Council Michelle Smith. The band then played a few short pieces for the assembled audience before returning to Congleton Town Hall for a Civic Reception.

18th September 2004

Fodens and Garry Cutt Take The Open!

Foden's Richardson Band conducted by Garry Cutt are the 2004 British Open Brass Band Champions.

It has been forty long years since the world renowned Fodens Band lifted the famous shield. Rex Mortimer was the conductor on that occasion. The1964 test piece was Lorenzo, the venue, Belle Vue.

Speaking about the win Principal Cornet Mark Wilkinson said "the band are over the moon at winning what is classed in brass band terms as the most major and established brass band contest in the world. The band would like to thank Gary Cutt for his hard work over the past 2 weeks and also Bram Tovey for his continued support of the band."

The only band in the top six to have played Wilfred Heaton's Contest Music, Foden's Richardson were able to pip Buy As You View Cory to this years title.

Place	Test Piece	Band	Conductor	Draw
1	Contest Music	Foden's Richardson	Garry E. Cutt	12
2	St Magnus	Buy As You View	Dr Robert Childs	2
3	St Magnus	Scottish Co-op	Ian McElligott	18
4	Montage	Kirkintilloch	Steve Bastable	16
5	Montage	Sellers International	Phillip McCann	13
6	Montage	Black Dyke	Dr Nicholas Childs	6
7	Contest Music	Desford Colliery	Major Peter Parkes	17
8	St Magnus	Reg Vardy (Ever Ready)	Ray Farr	19
9	Contest Music	Grimethorpe Colliery UK Coal	Frank Renton	9
10	Montage	Dalewool Auckland (NZ)	Nigel E. Weeks	4
11	Contest Music	Brighouse & Rastrick	James Gourlay	5
12	Contest Music	Fairey FP (Music)	Allan Withington	11
13	Contest Music	Whitburn	Andrew Duncan	10
14	Contest Music	Yorkshire Building Society	Prof. David King	8
15	Contest Music	Rothwell Temperance	David Roberts	14
16	Montage	Cwmaman Institute Silver (Tower Colliery)	John Hudson	1
17	Contest Music	Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel	John Hinckley	3
18	Contest Music	Carlton Main Frickley Colliery	Brian Grant	7
19	St Magnus	Tredegar	Russell Gray	15
Solo Prize: Sellers International Cornert Player

Adjudicators: Phillip Sparke, Michael Ball & David Read.

The bands chose to play one test piece from:
Contest Music, Wilfred Heaton; Montague, Peter Graham; St. Magnus, Kenneth Downie.

7th September 2004

Garry Cutt To Take Fodens At The Open

The Foden's Richardson Band has announced that due to unforeseen circumstances Bramwell Tovey will not be conducting the band at the forthcoming contest later this month. This is due to a previous commitment in Luxembourg being brought forward a few hours which has meant it would have been impossible for him to have conducted at both the British Open and then make a connecting flight to Luxembourg in time. The Leyland Band's professional conductor Garry Cutt has been asked to take charge for the Open. Garry Cutt has been very successful at this contest with wins in 1989 and 1996.

Garry Cutt

22nd July 2004

Fodens Northern Ireland Armagh Summer School

The 4th Northern Ireland Armagh Summer School run by Ivor Stevenson from the Armagh Old Boys Band takes place between the 9th and 14th August. The course is open to all brass musicians from Ireland irrespective of age or standard. The tutors for the course are conductor Mark Wilkinson, Richard Poole, Anna Hughes, Martin Armstrong, Helen Tyler, John Stevens, Toby Hobson, Mark Landon all from the Fodens Richardson Band who will be holding sectional and private rehearsals as well as a number of master classes over the week.

Over 70 musicians attended the course last year which proved a huge success and anyone who requires more info on the course is asked to contact Ivor on ivorbob@hotmail.com