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News
March 14th 2009: Emmanuel With Us - Coming Soon to RTÉ The Helix theater at Dublin City University was the venue this year for the award winning 'Emmanuel With Us' choral show. The sheer numbers of those taking part this year meant it had to be moved from its former home in the National Concert Hall. Over 1,000 secondary school children lent their voices to the annual event this year and it proved to be an immense success. 7 members of the Blanchardstown Brass Band formed part of the orchestra for the evening and added marvellously to the occasion. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Liam Lawton and RTÉ were the most prominent attendees of the event. RTÉ filmed Thursday night's show for their Capital D programme, a programme the Blanchardstown Brass Band have previously appeared on. The highlights will be broadcast after the Six-One news on RTÉ One on Thursday 19th of March so check it out! December 24th 2008: Happy Christmas & New Year from the Blanchardstown Brass Band The Blanchardstown Brass Band would like to wish all its listeners and those who've visited this site a very Happy Christmas & New Year. The band has had a very successful year this year, performing 22 times in all in 2008, not band for an amateur band! In addition many of our members branched out and performed with different bands in a variety of different locations throughout the year. This year saw the band peform on TV three times, RTÉ, TV3 and TG4. The band also performed with a few different groups throughout the year including a Dutch male choir and an award winning Welsh band. Another first for the band this year was performing German music at an Oktoberfest celebration in November!! All in all it was a very successful year for the band and we hope that 2009 will be equally so. We hope it will be a very successful year for all our listeners too, Happy Christmas! December 5th 2008: Blanchardstown Brass Band on Ireland AM Yesterday morning the Blanchardstown Brass Band appeared on television for the third time this year when TV3's Ireland AM came to one of Dublin's most historic buildings, the Mansion House. The residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin was the venue for a Christmas special on the programme and the Blanchardstown Brass Band were on hand to add a little oomph to the proceedings! The band arrived at the Mansion House at 6.30am to begin preperations for the show. After a quick warm-up and run through the band met with the TV3 staff & The Lord Mayor before assuming starting positions. Although viewers at home would not have seen or heard anything of this - the carefully laid plans fell in disarray as the mics malfunctioned and the 7am starting time was missed. The studio moved on to another feature and luckily the technical guys got the equipment working and we went live at 7.15am. The band played Jingle Bells while the presenter introduced what would happen on the show, the cameras then cut back to the band and finally back to the broadcast studio. This was the third time this year that the Blanchardstown Brass Band have appeared on television, each time with a different network! Back in January TG4's Sile programme aired footage of the band filmed at the Christmas Market at George's Dock in the IFSC. In September RTÉ's Capital D programme filmed a short documentary on the band as part of a wider documentary on Blanchardstown. Next year the band's aim is to crack Hollywood!!! September 21st 2008: Capital D comes to Blanchardstown! RTÉ One's popular evening show Capital D visited Blanchardstown recently to see what makes one of Ireland's oldest bands tick! The Blanchardstown Brass Band were featured on the show which aired on Thursday last (18th September) at 7pm. The band's chairman John Bates introduced the band and gave the producers a brief synopsis of their 180 year+ history. Interviews with band members Joe McGregor, Eugene Tully & Avril Roche were also aired and performances from the band in rehersal and in concert at Farmleigh were also showed. The documentary on the band lasted for approximately 10 minutes and was a great showcase for the band. Positive reviews from RTÉ, Capital D's producers and the general public have been warmly received. If you would like to book this now very famous band, visit the Contact Us section quick as they are sure to be in great demand. September 13th 2008: Brass Band and Dutch choir join forces The Blanchardstown Brass Band and a visiting Dutch male choir, het Schorrekoor, joined forces recently for a wonderful lunch time concert at the Blanchardstown Centre. The Dutch choir made contact with the band during the summer and asked if they would be interested in performing together towards the end of their whistlestop tour of Ireland. Naturally the band jumped at the chance and a wonderful 2 and a half performance was the result! Each group performed their own repetoire for about an hour each, taking turns every half hour or so, and towards the end of the show het Schorrekoor joined with the band in performing 'Roll Out The Barrel' and 'Blaze Away'. Raptourous applause ensued from the large, gathered crowd. The band's new Dutch friends have extended an invitation to the band to make a return visit to Holland. August 30th 2008: Spring/Summer review Apologies for the lack of updates of the site recently, our webmaster was on an extended holiday around the world but he's back now so here's an update of what we've been up to over the Spring and Summer months. Back in Spring the sun was beating down as the band took to the bandstand in Kilcock to provide the music for the town's annual St. Patrick's Day parade. The day before a group from the band made the trip to Carrickmacross to join with the Stedfast Shoes Brass Band in celebrating the festival in the busy Co. Monaghan town. Around Easter time the band were filmed in rehearsal and, a week later, in performance, by the makers of RTÉ's Capital D programme, to be broadcast sometime in September. RTÉ captured the band's regular Easter performance at Farmleigh. An award winning Welsh band, the Newtown Silver Band, joined the Blanchardstown band at Farmleigh to help turn the concert into a day long festival. The two bands performed their own individual programmes and then combined for a half hour long joint performance. During the Summer and early Autumn the band performed their usual haunts of St. Stephen's Green, The Hollow bandstand in the Phoenix Park, Farmleigh House (again!) and Castleknock College. January 3rd 2008: Blanchardstown Brass Band appear on TG4 Ireland's oldest band, the Blanchardstown Brass Band, made a special appearence on Ireland's Irish language television station, TG4, yesterday evening. The band appeared at 7.30pm on the station's popular "Sile" programme. Sile & co were on hand to film the band at one of their performances in the IFSC over Christmas. Sile gave a brief history of the band and after a quick introduction the band performed "Winter Wonderland", all of which was broadcast on national television!
This wasn't the band's first appearence on television, the band were guests of Mike Murphy on RTÉ's "Live Mike" show in the 80s on a few occasions. The band have also featured on many news bulletins on RTÉ & TV3 over the years and appeared in the final scene of the Peter Ustinov classic fillm "The Purple Taxi". December 24th 2007: Band busiest Christmas schedule draws to a close
Last night at Westmanstown in Clonsilla the Blanchardstown Brass Band brought their Christmas concert schedule to a close. This year was the band's busiest Christmas ever, with the part-time musicians giving 11 performances over the period, up from 5 in 2004!! As per usual the band kicked off their Christmas concert period by performing with local choirs at the Blanchardstown Community Christmas Concert in Blakestown Church. In attendance this year was the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Dr. Diarmuid Martin, who gave a warm address to the crowd and thanked the band for their contribution to the service.
This year saw the band returned to the IFSC for the 12 Days of Christmas market, which was a huge success last year. The band were booked for two shows last year but were brought back for 6 performances this time around! The market was a huge success and was busier than ever before. TG4 were on hand to film the festivities and a performance from the band, which will be broadcast on the station on the 2nd of January, around 7.30pm. The band invited their friends from Carrickmacross, the Stedfast Shoes Brass Band, to join for two of the performances, which were once again a great success.
The band also performed at the Blanchardstown Centre where they raised funds for The Irish Association for Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus. Members of the band were also involved in the annual concert given by the Dublin Airport Singers, a sold out show in Drumcondra!! Once again the band finished up their programme with a performance in Westmanstown, where the band entertained their Blanchardstown fan base with an entertaining festive programme.
Now they plan to put their feet up and enjoy the holidays. All the Blanchardstown Brass Band wish you a Happy Christmas and New Year. November 20th 2007: Michael Harford wins Fingal Person of the Year
The conductor of the Blanchardstown Brass Band, Michael Harford, two prizes at the annual Fingal Council 'Person of the Year' awards recently. Having received the first award of the evening in the Arts, Culture & Heritage section of the competition, Michael was selected by the adjudicators for the overall Mayor's Award for 2007. Michael received his award in recognition of over 60 years commitment and involvement with the Blanchardstown Brass Band and his work within his local parish of Porterstown, where he is the full time sacristan of the local Catholic Church.
Michael's involvement with the parish and the area stretches back many years. He was born and bread in Dublin 15 and has assisted in the writing of many books and articles about the history of the area. He led the scouts through the troubled times of the Emergency, he was involved with local sports for many years and he has been at the forefront of educating the youth of Greater Blanchardstown in the rudiments of music for many many years.
This was the first time that a Dublin 15 resident has won the Overall Award and it is very fitting that award was given to such a tireless man, who at 86 years of age still manages to maintain a huge involvement in his local community.
For further information please read Community Voice's news article here: http://www.dublin15.ie/pages/CV104/CV104c01.htm
October 9th 2007: Dominican Order's 800th anniversary celebrations
Members from the Blanchardstown Brass Band recently took part in the Domincan Order's 800th anniversary celebrations at the National Concert Hall. The concert saw choirs from Domincan schools all over Ireland converge on Dublin along with reknowned soloists, actors, a band and special guests to turn the celebration into a very memorable night.
The Domincan Order can trace its roots back over 800 years and Dominican sisters, Dominican school teachers, students - past and present - and well wishers converged on the National Concert Hall to celebrate this amazing achievement. The celebration took the form of a concert, broken by speeches and short plays charting the Order's history. The key note address was delieverd by former Dominican student, Mary Banotti, niece of Michael Collins and a former MEP and Presidential candidate. The celebration was a huge success with special praise reserved for the outstanding choir who lifed the rafters of the NCH.
Members from the Blanchardstown Brass Band played no minor role in the nights success with 7 of the band's members forming part of the backing band for the night. The entire event was recorded to check the Audio Gallery soon for some clips from the show. September 12th 2007: Brass bands combine forces!
Following on from their performance at last autumn's Carrickmacross Brass & Concert Band festival and the renewal of an old friendship between the bands. The Blanchardstown Brass Band & The Stedfast Shoes Brass Band, Carrickmacross decided to join forces this year for a few concerts.
Vague promises had been made in the wake of the Stedfast Shoes Brass Band's festival in Monaghan last year to undertake some joint ventures. However the ball was rolled properly when the Blancharstown Brass Band were booked to play at the prestigious Carrick-on-Shannon Water Music Festival. Owing to some pre-booked holidays the band were concerned about depleted numbers and extended the invitation to their Monaghan friends. Rehersals were arranged in both counties and a concert programme was decided upon. The concert itself, which was exceptionally well attended and received live coverage from local radio and considerable coverage on the National Media, was a huge success and the combined brass band performance received excellent feedback.
The success of their concert performance gave the bands the impetus to arrange further joint performances. They didn't have to wait long to peform together again. This time it was the Stedfast Shoes Brass Band who extended the invitation to their Dublin colleagues. A concert by the sea in the picturesque town of Carlingford, Co Louth was the showcase for their second joint concert. Again, it proved to be very successful with both bands receiving great feedback from the organisers. Further concerts over the Christmas period will undoubtedly be arranged very soon so stay tuned!! June 17th 2007: Summer at Farmleigh Summer 2007 at Farmleigh promises to be the most diverse and exciting since the cultural programme began in 2001. Projects and events across a range of disciplines are included, from literature to the visual arts, from music to food and gardening.
"The programme stems from the unique ambience of Farmleigh and is aimed at sharing this extraordinary property with the broadest possible audience." A number of new collections of art are on display in Farmleigh this summer including a portrait of George Bernard Shaw by Sir John Lavery on loan from the Hugh Lane Gallery. This year CIE's 'Art on the Move' pulls in at Farmleigh, which features very important works such as William Leech's 'A Cottage Window'. As always the Bandstand Pleasure Grounds will play host to the country's finest brass and concert bands. In July the Stedfast Brass Band, Navan Silver Band and Ireland's oldest band the Blanchardstown Brass Band will be performing their varied programmes. In August it will be the turn of the choirs with The Gospel Project and the Ballymun Gospel Choir performing. November 28th 2006: Band announce Christmas concert scheduleThe Band have announced a diverse series of concerts over the Christmas period. In one weekend they'll be playing back-up to an up and coming local band, playing at a fair in Castleknock and in a school in Roselawn. They'll hardly have time to catch their breath! But catch their breath they'll have to as they'll also be playing in the Blanchardstown Centre in aid of two charities (names to be announced). They'll also be playing at the Dublin Docklands and I'm sure there'll be more to be announced shortly! The band have introduced a number of new pieces of music into their Christmas repitorie, including the famous 80s No. 1 hit 'Last Christmas' and the traditional 'Irish Carol'. If you'd like to come out and hear these pieces, in addition to the many traditional carols and popular Christmas songs that the band performs, please check out the 'Engagements' section for out concert details. September 11th 2006: Stedfast Shoes Band host a festival of music
Carrickmacross's Stedfast Shoes Brass Band hosted a festival of brass and concert band music in their home town in Co. Monaghan yesterday. The festival was staged to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the band. Bands from across the country turned out to lend their support the event, which turned out to be a great success.
The concert kicked off at 2 o'clock with a march and seated performance from the Stedfast Shoes Brass Band, two other local bands followed them. The Blanchardstown Brass Band took to the stage at 3.30pm to a rapturous applause and their half hour programme went down very well. Following the band were the St. Mary's Brass & Reed Band from Kingscourt and the Ardee Concert Band, both of whom turned in excellent performances. A mass performance from all the bands took place around 5.30. The huge ensemble performed three popular marches to round off the festival. A great day out was enjoyed by performers and the public alike. May 24th 2006: Fingal Council honour the band
Fingal Council presented the members of Blanchardstown Brass Band with a crystal vase in honour of the Band's 180th anniversary. The event took place during the recent Memory Makers' Senior Citizen awards ceremony, which was held in Westmanstown Sports Complex on Thursday 17th May 2006. This is a yearly award ceremony run by the Councils Arts Section that celebrates the arts & crafts produced by the Senior Citizens throughout the Fingal area. This year the Council decided to present the Band with a special award to honour it 180th year and Chairman John Bates accepted the award on behalf of the Band. May 15th 2006: Band announces summer schedule
The Band have announced their concert schedule for the summer period. It kicks off this week when the band peform on their home patch of Blanchardstown for the Fingal Seniors Arts Festival. The band will be playing a wide variety of concerts over the summer, ranging from their usual haunts of Castleknock College, The Hollow and Dun Laoghaire to the new recurring favourite that is Farmleigh House. Also during the summer the band will host their own festival to celebrate their 180 years of playing. The band are currently in talks with Fingal Council and other bands from around the country and beyond to help make the day a great celebration. When details are finalised they will be posted here so check back soon.
Although the band have a busy schedule arranged for the summer they could still fit in an extra concert or two. If you would like to book the band for any occasion, big or small, then please visit the Contact Us section of the site. To view the band's summer programme then please visit the 'Engagements' section. April 17th 2006: Easter Sunday at Farmleigh House
Easter Sunday saw a flurry of activity take place at the Government owned estate of Farmleigh. The markets at Farmleigh were back in action with a host of exotic foods and drinks on sale, Bosco came out of retirement to delight the young and old alike and the Blanchardstown Brass Band treated the audience to a walk down memory lane with a fantastic performance of music charting the band's 180 years in existence.
The sun beamed down on a glorious day in the Phoenix Park which saw the start of the band's 180th anniversary celebrations. The crowd responded very well to the band and many were delighted to hear some old favourites that haven't been played by the band for many a year. A mixture of modern and classical music thrilled the audience for approximately two hours. The band plan to continue marking their 180th year with concerts and fun events both in Blanchardstown and further afield. Remember to keep checking the website for further details. January 7th 2006: Brass band celebrates 180 years!
This year the Blanchardstown Brass Band, thought to be Ireland's oldest band, are celebrating their 180th anniversary. The band are planning a series of concerts and events, most of which will take place over the summer, to mark this significant milestone. The band are currently in discussions with RTÉ's Nationwide television programme with regard to covering some of the festivities.
The organisation of our 180 year celebrations are in the hands of a special committee who'll be responsible for delivering an action packed, exciting programme of events over the summer. Our first concert marking our 180th year will be held on Easter Sunday at Famleigh House in the Phoenix Park, where the band will be delving deep into their archives to bring you some of the music that has made the band so popular, a kind of Greatest Hits of the past 2 centuries!! So come along to Farmleigh on Easter Sunday and check back soon for further details on the anniversary year. November 14th 2005: Band announce Christmas schedule The Blanchardstown Brass Band have announced their concert schedule for the forthcoming festive period. Alongside venues the band have performed at many times in the past are some first time concerts for the band such as the Medieval Carol Concerts in Swords, which I know the band are looking for.
The Band are performing again at the Blanchardstown Centre, this time they will be collecting for 2 charities, the Laura Lynn foundation and the Dublin 15 Hospice, both very noble causes, so please give generously. Once again the band will be performing at the highly successful Blanchardstown Community Christmas Concert, which was a rousing success last year. The event was covered by all the local papers and was broadcast by local radio station, 92.5 Phoenix FM. This year's event promises to be bigger and better than ever so don't miss it! The band has quite a busy Christmas programme already booked but are still available for other dates. If you would like to book the band for a concert over Christmas or beyond please visit the 'Contact Us' section of the site for further information. In the meantime check out the 'Engagements' section of the site for a full list of the concerts that the band will be performing at over the Christmas period. August 22nd 2005: Band perform at Farmleigh House
Yesterday afternoon the band gave a very enjoyable concert to a large crowd who braved the rain and wind at the Stately home of Farmleigh House. The rain didn't manage to put a dampner on the music and the crowd were treated to a great mix of the band's best tunes, Abba's "Money Money Money" and a selection of Strauss's hits proving the most popular.
The concert marks an end to the band's organised summer programme but you can still book the band if you wish for any occassion by visiting the 'Contact Us' section. The band will shortly begin rehearsals for the Christmas season of concerts, introducing some new pieces into their popular Christmas repetoire, which includes solemn religious hymns and rosuing carols and songs such as "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree". So stay tuned for further updates and remember to check the 'engagements' section. June 28th 2005: Band perform at Garden Heaven Event & appear on RTE News
The Band performed at the excellent Garden Heaven Event at the RDS last weekend. The event showcases the best of Ireland's design talent and has been running for five years now. The event is very popular with garden enthusiasts and beginners alike and a wide range exciting gardens and ideas were on show to suit every budget. The band performed in the heart of the outdoor exhibition and gave two memorable programmes of music, on Saturday and Sunday. The band received very positive feedback from the audience and organisers alike and an inviation to play at next year's event was extended to the band.
The event was covered on RTÉ's Six One News on Sunday the 26th and the band were featured in the report. The Band could be seen and heard performing to a packed audience at the RDS in Dublin.
The event was a huge success and the band look forward to performing at the event next year. May 15th 2005: Clip from concert added to Audio section A clip from the Blanchardstown Community Christmas Concert, which took place at Blakestown Church last December, has been added to the Audio Gallery section of the site. Just follow the links above to access.
May 6th 2005: Band's summer concert schedule announced
The Band have announced their concert schedule for the coming summer. The band will be playing at a wide variety of venues around Dublin, from the usual places such as the Hollow in the Phoenix Park and St. Stephen's Green, to the RDS and Farmleigh House.
The summer season kicks off as per usual at the Blanchardstown Centre for the Dublin 15 Arts Festival on Tuesday May 17th at 7.30pm and we've a further nine engagements throughout the summer months. If you would like to book the band for any event or concert, large or small, then please visit the 'Contact Us' section of the site. For a full list of our summer concerts please visit the 'Engagements' section. Feb 20th 2005: New Audio Gallery added to the site
A new Audio Gallery has been added to the website. The section contains clips from an interview on Phoenix FM and clips of the band in performance will be added shortly. To access the new section just click on 'Photo & Audio Gallery' at the top of the screen.
Feb 15th 2005: Band perform at Tsunami Benefit Concert
The National Basketball Arena played host to a fantastic evening of brass & concert band music in aid of the Tsunami Disaster Appeal on Friday evening last. Many concert & brass bands turned out to lend their support to the Asian Tsunami Appeal. In addition to the Blanchardstown Brass Band, performences were heard from the Stedfast Concert Band, the Rathfarnham Concert Band & the Tallaght Youth Band to name but a few.
The National Basketball Arena was packed out by an audience enjoying the high quality performances and over 5,000 Euro was raised for the appeal by the event. Congratulations to all who took part in a memorable evening. Jan 5th 2005: Charlie Conlon passed away
A retired member of the band passed away on the 1st of January. Charlie Conlon joined the band 70 years ago, when he was just 13, and played the drums until he fell ill about two and a half years ago. He was the longest serving member of the band and will be sorely missed by those who knew, and played, with him.
Charlie was removed to St. Matthew's Church, Ballyfermot, on the 4th and was buried in Palmerstown Cemetary the following day. The band would like to extend their sympathies to Charlie's family on this sad occasion.
Charlie Conlon 1921-2005, R.I.P. Dec 15th 2004: New photos added to the site Two new photographs of the band at the South Eastern Region Bands' Competition have been added to the Photo Gallery section of the site. Just click the 'Photo Gallery' link at the top of the page to be taken there.
Nov 7th 2004: John Harford appeared on Phoenix FM
John Harford, of the Blanchardstown Brass Band, appeared on Phoenix 92.5FM's Saturday afternoon show, "Soundbites", yesterday. It was a wide and varied interview in which John discussed the history of the band, the future direction of the band, the band's recent victory at the 2004 South Eastern Region Bands' Championships in Arklow and much more. Highlights from the interview will be posted here shortly so please check back soon.
Phoenix FM is Ireland's only fully volunteer run licensed radio station and broadcasts on the frequency 92.5FM, from 7pm to 11pm Monday to Fridays, from 3pm to 11pm Saturdays and from 5.30pm to 11pm Sundays. Nov 1st 2004: John Harford to appear on Phoenix FM
The band's solo cornet player and youth instructor, John Harford, will be appearing on Dublin 15's local community radio station, Phoenix FM, on Saturday the 6th of November. John will be a guest on the popular 'Soundbites' programme, which airs from 3pm to 5.30pm each Saturday. A range of topics will be discussed with the presenters including the bands' plans for their 180th anniversary, their plans for a new youth band and much more. John will be appearing on the show at 3.30pm, so don't miss it!
Phoenix FM is Ireland's only fully volunteer run licensed radio station and broadcasts on the frequency 92.5FM, from 7pm to 11pm Monday to Fridays, from 3pm to 11pm Saturdays and from 5.30pm to 11pm Sundays. Oct 20th 2004: Band opens the show at the PATS Award 2004
The Band opened the show at the annual PATS Award 2004. The recipient of the 'Entertainer of the Year' award for 2004 was former Eurovision winner Johnny Logan. The award recognises outstanding achievement by Irish performers and this year was the 35th year that the award was given out. Past winners of the award include the late Maureen Potter, Sonny Knowles & Dickie Rock.
The Band took to the stage in the Burlington Hotel at 7.45pm and started with a short march called 'Death or Glory'. They followed this with an arrangement of music from 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', 'Money Money Money', 'Only Time', '(Everything I Do) I Do It For You' and finished up with a rousing rendition of 'Blaze Away'. The response from the audience was terrific. They were followed Niamh Murray and then rising star George Murphy. Other performers included Al Banim, Noel V. Ginnity, Cathy Nugent and Sonny Knowles before Johnny Logan stepped forward to pick up his award for 'Entertainer of the Year'.
All performers gave their time and energies for free as all proceeds from the night were going to the Performers' Benevolent Fund. Oct 9th 2004: Band wins the 'Unregistered Section' of the South East Brass & Reed Band's competition
The Band, in their first foray into the world of competitive performing, scooped first prize in the 'Unregistered Section' of the 21st South East Region Brass and Reed Bands' competition. The competition took place in Arklow town and was attended by many bands from all corners of the country. The competition was judged by Derek Broadbent, one of Europe's leading arrangers of brass music, who was full of praise for the achievement of the Blanchardstown Brass Band.
The winners of the categories were as follows:
Unregistered Section: Blanchardstown Brass Band
Intermediate Concert: Midleton Concert Band
Intermediate Brass: Ennis Brass Band
Senior Concert: Dublin Concert Band
Senior Brass: Arklow Silver Band Sept 30th 2004: News section launched!
A new section has been added to the website. This part of the site will be devoted to news concerning the Blanchardstown Brass Band, if there are any broken links to this section please report them to the webmaster
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