Small but rewarding

Having played for the Buckton Vale Institute in 2006, to help raise money for new premises, we were delighted to be asked back to play once again to this friendly and welcoming audience. It may only be a matter of months before work starts on the new building for the club (see earlier blog) and so this gig provided an opportunity to play to an audience that was reluctant to let us out of the building after our last appearance.

This relaxed evening covered many eras of music from Miller, through Basie to Cole Porter and Dean martin. Three sets of favourite big band music was delivered to the appreciative audience of around 70 club members.

Very often the small venues can be the most rewarding. The Buckton Vale Institute is a great example of this and we look forward to being asked back in the future to play again the to a group of people that can really enjoy the power of the Big Band.

The Founder's Feast

He wasn't able to attend but had he been at Ribby Hall on 23rd February 2008 to attend a celebration in his honour (the day after his 151st birthday), Baden Powell would have had the time of his life.

The West Lancashire Scouts put on a fabulous black tie dinner dance to mark Founders Day, 100 years after B-P formed the scout movement. With entertainment throughout the four course meal highlighting the history of scouting over the last 100 years, the 191 guests, ranging in age from 18 to 80 had an evening to envy any other scout group's celebrations.

No sooner had the New Lights Big Band started to play, the glamorous crowd took to the dance floor and filled it throughout the band's two 50 minute sets. There was some fantastic dancing from those with the formal experience but plenty of tempos suitable for everyone with many of the younger guests enjoying their first taste of a waltz and everyone filling the floor to dance to every number we played.

Our vocalists, John and Gaynor fronted the band with crowd pleasing duets such as "Baby It's Cold Outside" and "Things". The evening was rounded off with "Mack the Knife" and "New York, New York", the only complaint being that the dance floor was too small.

This was a fantastic way to mark the achievements of an amazing man and may well mark the start of an annual event.

Christmas at Haresfinch

Frost, ice and extreme cold could not put off quite all of the patrons of the Haresfinch Sports & Social Club for the New Lights Big Band's last appearance of 2007. The relatively small audience made up for their lacking in numbers with natural applause intensified by the congruous vocals of John and Phil. The self named "Value Pack" (a play on the "Rat Pack") represented no cheap deal to be found at Aldi, but a comedic double act bringing spice and excitement to a cold and menacing December evening.

Both Phil and John performed superbly to rapturous applause with particular favourites being John's rendition of "If I never sing another song", the duo's "Me and my shadow" and Phil's "Clementine". "Can't take my eye off you" and "That's Amore" also proved massive hits.

The band performed several Christmas numbers to get everyone in the spirit of the season and played many hit instrumentals such as "Dancin' easy" (The Martini Theme), "Love for sale" and "When the Saints come marching in".

Once again the band have been rebooked for two new dates in 2008 at the Haresfinch Sports & Social Club; 9th May and 14th November. We look forward to seeing you all there!!

Merry Christmas.

Remember, Remember......

Saturday 10th November 2007

The New Lights Big Band celebrated Remembrance Day with an unforgettable party on 10th November 2007. Steve Garner of the BBC introduced the band and our songs having just flown back from Hollywood.

Our two fantastic singers brightened up the mood with a few songs from Bobby Darrin, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald to name just a few.

There was a lot of singing along and foot tapping within the audience who thoroughly enjoyed the evening once again.

This year the nostalgia of those bygone years was enhanced with the wonderful style of vocalist, Lola Lamour who, dressed to match the era, sang songs of yesteryear to the warm audience while the band took breaks.

With some great dancing, the evening once again was truly a night of remembrance and the Poynton British Legion can as always be complimented for putting on perhaps the best remembrance night in the region.

St. Mary's Church, Stockport

A Big Band and a church are two things you would not normally associate with each other. On Saturday 8th September however, the New Lights Big Band joined forces with Harmony Revival, a stunning Barbershop group, to create an eclectic evening of "singing and swinging".

St. Mary's church in Stockport was packed with over 200 people coming to see this unique combination of musical styles and Harmony Revival began the evening with some wonderful vocal numbers. The New Lights Big Band later played up to the interval, entertaining the very receptive audience with a combination of songs and instrumentals covering all eras.

After the interval, the New Lights Big Band entertained once again with Harmony Revival taking the slot up to the finale. During this session, the founder members of the chorus, sang a few songs under the name Four in Accord.

The finale offered both groups the opportunity to play and sing together as "When the Saints Come Marching In" took the audience to a rousing climax, leaving more than 200 smiles to slowly disperse from St. Mary's Church.

The church is undergoing some major refurbishment, not quite as extensive as that in 1813 when the nave and tower were rebuilt after a partial collapse which was blamed on a marathon bell ringing session to celebrate Nelson's Trafalgar victory! The website for the church can be found here. Further information on Harmony revival, otherwise known as Stockport Barbershop Harmony Club can be found here.

Silver & Sophisticated.

It’s always good to be invited back to play for a client that has enjoyed the band before. Tonight was such an example as the New Lights Big Band were invited to play for a silver wedding anniversary. It was only three years earlier that the band played for the wedding of the couple’s daughter and once again the event took place in the Prince of Wales hotel, Southport under the heat of the grand ballroom’s glass ceiling.

The party was well attended with over 100 guests, many of whom had never seen a live big band and as always the response was amazing. Phil Sherrington was a substitute for John Jenkinson, the band’s regular singer and Phil worked wonders for us working with Gaynor to offer an eclectic mix of jazz, swing and rat-pack style numbers ensuring that the guests all enjoyed themselves.

This was not intended as a dance and the clients specifically asked for no ballroom and no Miller. However, the response from the guests was superb with nearly everyone on the dance floor by the end of the night and the band played at full strength providing a solid and precise sound.

Once again, this was a great night in Southport and hopefully will result in further business from this very appreciative crowd.

It isn't very often that a band gets the opportunity to play at one of it's member's weddings. For the third time in nearly 20 years though, on Saturday, 28th July 2007 this opportunity became a reality. Hazel Grove Golf Club became the venue for the wedding and provided an exclusive setting for the event of the year. The bride, Rachel delighted everyone, taking to the dance floor with her flugel horn. Looking stunning in her wedding dress, she provided a visual and aural feast with her magnificent rendition of 'Marianne'

The band didn’t let Rachel down either and filled the room with a full and powerful sound throughout three sets. Many of the guests had never seen a big band and were pleasantly surprised at what this sort of band could offer.

Not one seat was occupied at the end of the night as all the guests took to the dance floor to round off the evening dancing to John’s floor-fillers; Mack the Knife and New York, New York. Rachel chose all the numbers that the band played, making the evening even more special

We were pleased to find the recent heavy rains had given way to ensure that Rachel and Adrian’s big day was the perfect day that they had planned for so long.

Following this magnificent event, the New Lights Big Band wishes the happy couple a lifetime of happiness.