New Musical Director for Hathern Band
Jun. 1, 2019
Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Barnwell BBCM, psm
Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Barnwell was born in Nottingham and played the trumpet with the City Wind Band and Orchestra, and the bugle in the local Boys’ Brigade (44th Clifton Methodist Company), winning the Nottingham Battalion Silver Bugle Competition three times in a row.
He joined the Army in 1975 as a trumpet player and his career began with two years’ initial training in the Junior Musicians’ Troop, Royal Artillery, at Woolwich, where he took up the viola as a second study instrument. In January 1985 he was selected for the three-year Student Bandmaster course at Kneller Hall. He graduated in December 1987 having gained the highest marks in the Ministry of Defence examinations for Bandmasters in that year. His first appointment as Bandmaster was with The Band of The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment.
Following the reorganisation of Army music in 1994 he briefly (for a period of three months) became Bandmaster of the Band of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers before taking up the appointment of Bandmaster with the Band of the Irish Guards. On 1st May 1996 he was commissioned and posted to Kneller Hall for two years as the Deputy Chief Instructor before being appointed Director of Music of The Band of The Prince of Wales Division (Clive) in June 1998. He was deployed with them in March 2003 on Operation Telic (to Iraq) in support of 34 Field Hospital.
He returned to the Band of the Irish Guards in June 2005 to take up the appointment as the Director of Music and in November 2008 he exchanged shamrock for leek, rearranged his buttons and stepped through the connecting door to the adjacent office as Director of Music of the Welsh Guards. The band formed part of the Guard of Honour at Buckingham Palace for the Marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton.
He became Senior Director of Music Household Division in November 2011 and was soon facing the challenges of the following year with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympic Games. Very much respected by the musicians across all five bands for his integrity, Lieutenant Colonel Barnwell retired from the Army on Sunday 10th November 2013 after conducting the Massed Bands at the Cenotaph and the Band of the Welsh Guards at the Regimental Memorial Sunday in the afternoon.
Stephen will be relocating from London to his house in Leicestershire in 2020 and until that time will be working with David and taking Contests and as many Concerts as possible until his relocation.
Notable engagements include:
The Guard of Honour Band at Buckingham Palace for the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton. Barack Obama’s address to Parliament. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Service of Commemoration at St Paul’s Cathedral. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert on the Mall. The Closing Ceremony of the London Olympic Games. The Funeral of Baroness Thatcher. The 60th Anniversary Service of The Queen’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey.
Regular Engagements:
Trooping the Colour – The Queen’s Birthday Parade. The State Opening of Parliament. State Visits. Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Investitures at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle Buckingham Palace Garden Parties. The National Act of Remembrance at the Cenotaph. The Royal British Legion’s Annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.
Hathern Church Concert
Apr. 6, 2019
Hathern Band giving a concert in Hathern Church with all the proceeds going to the Church, with grateful thanks from the Band to the Church for all their support and the ongoing use of their lovely building for Band events.
As this will probably be his last ‘official’ engagement conducting the Senior Band we decided we wanted the Band photo taken with David Newman still in charge. He is the one smiling in the centre of the photo!! and we thought as his brother Geoff was helping us out it would be nice to see them sitting together, Geoff is the younger one to the left of Dave!
Thank you Colin for coming along to take the phot’s and lovely to see Marion.
When we do appoint a new MD thankfully Dave won’t be going far as he will continue to conduct and teach the Training and Youth Bands, putting many hours in for the future of the Band. He is of course the Hathern Band President and you may see him playing from time to time. He may even be the new Band Librarian, but has yet to have an audition.
Quilted Banner
Jan. 26, 2019
Hathern 2018 was a series of events to commemorate the visit of King Edward II to the village in 1318, the casting of the oldest church bell in 1618 and the end of World War One in 1918. One of the activities during the year was the production of a quilted banner with 33 panels illustrating organisations and places in Hathern. Many crafters were involved in the project and the impressive Hathern Band panel was made by patron Liz Persse. The banner is permanently hung in Hathern Community Library and was unveiled by the Mayor of Charnwood, Cllr. Christine Harris at the celebration of the library’s third birthday on 26 January.
LOROS Charity Concert
Jan. 12, 2019
£2,195.30 – another fantastic amount raised for the Hospice. Thank you to all who attended to support this wonderful organisation.
This is the 19th Concert the Band have given to raise money for LOROS and with the support of Barclays Bank £4£ scheme, last nights concert brings the total raised to date to £39,531.
A write up will follow but the photo shows the Chief Executive of LOROS, Mr John Knight, receiving the cheque from Band members.
Hathern Band got the New Year off to a splendid start on with their annual concert (12 January) in aid of LOROS, the Leicestershire & Rutland Hospice. The Charity has special significance to the Band as three members of the Hathern organisation received care from the Hospice.
The capacity audience at the Parish Church in Hathern soon had their feet tapping to the march Great Little Army, which opened the evening’s entertainment. The Band and Musical Director, David Newman, then took us on a trip to the movies to see The Magnificent Seven; Cabaret and a very fast performance of Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld had people dancing in the aisle – well almost! The pace slowed a little for the number I Will Follow Him from the film Sister Act, which featured the trombone section of Simon Baum, Tom Dyer-Hill, John Baum and Joe Southgate. Joe’s talent is not restricted to playing the bass trombone as the Band demonstrated with their energetic rendition of his excellent arrangement of the Curse of the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean.
The concert also featured the solo talents of James Kerfoot who expertly presented The Trouble with the Tuba, appropriately on the tuba; and George Baum (17) played Helter Skelter on the xylophone at the break neck speed!
David Newman thanked the audience for their continued support of this concert, which this year has raised £2,195.30 including £750 from Barclays Bank under their match funding scheme. The Bank has been providing this funding since the first concert in 2001 and Barclays on-going support is very much appreciated. David also thanked everyone who had helped with the organisation of the concert, but particularly Hathern Church for the free use of their splendid building and also Band Secretary, Lesley Bentley.
John Knight, LOROS Chief Executive, said he had thoroughly enjoyed the concert and was delighted to accept the cheque on behalf of the Hospice. He also explained that the Hospice is continuing to expand its services and now has a new Out Patient and Day Therapy Centre, plus the recently opened Education & Research Building. Mr Knight thanked everyone very much indeed for raising such a magnificent amount.
A rousing rendition of the Radetzky March brought the excellent concert to an end and sent everyone home with a spring in their step.
Louise Haworth
Publicity
Christmas round the streets of Hathern
Dec. 23, 2018
Thank you to the lovely people of Hathern the Band raised just over £900 which will go towards buying instruments for our Training and Youth Bands.
Despite the awful weather!! well done all the players and most importantly the collectors, who turned out and spent 3 hours walking around in the pouring rain.
Happy New Year!
David Newman to retire as Musical Director of Hathern Band
Nov. 25, 2018
Hathern Band has announced that David Newman is to step down as their Musical Director. David said:
“I am told that next year will be my 40th with Hathern Band. It is with that in mind that my thoughts turn to the future.
I believe that the Band needs fresh inspiration and to this end I have informed the Committee of my intention to retire from the Senior Band and have given 12 months’ notice. I hope to advise and help with my successor, I have said 12 months, although if the right person is found in the near future, we need not wait the whole year.
I am honored to be the President of Hathern Band and will not be going anywhere. I am even thinking about playing again! so I will still be around.”
David’s commitment to Hathern Band has been outstanding over what we believe could be a record of a 40-year directorship. He took on a struggling 4th Section Band and built, guided and directed the band taking them through to where they are today in the Championship Section.
David was one of the master minds with the setting up of our fantastic Youth & Training Bands, spending many hours teaching to ensure the future of the band. David’s dedication, work and commitment to Hathern Band has been absolutely outstanding and we can’t thank him enough for everything he has done, and I am sure will continue to do, for the Band.
David will stay on as Conductor of the Training and Youth Bands, something he loves, where he will continue as he has done for many years, to teach and mentor young talent, a number of his pupils are already making their mark in the Senior Band.
- Lesley Bentley