Besses Boys’ Band perform new work to celebrate 75th Anniversary
Besses Boys’ Band officially reached its 75 year anniversary on the 11th October 2018 and the band has been busy with a suite of events marking this milestone. At the beginning of the month, the band shared the stage with Brighouse and Rastrick as part of the celebrations and there are more highlights to come.
In line with tradition, Besses Boys’ Band have commissioned a new piece for their special birthday. Percussionist and talented composer Andrea Price took up the brief to produce the composition, ‘The Bee Hive’. MD James Holt commented: “We are delighted Andrea could join us to compose this piece for such an important event. Andrea is a huge talent and we are privileged to be able to display her work as part of our celebrations. It is particularly significant as Andrea Price is also an alumni of Besses Boys’ Band.”
The name of the work was selected following a collaborative process involving the composer and the band members, linking aspects of the band’s heritage with the composition. As a Manchester based band, the bee is a significant symbol to the band. The beehive contains three types of bee – linking in the abbreviated ‘BBB’ the Besses Boys’ Band go by. Finally, the ‘Bee Hive’ is a nod to the unique heritage of the band and its connection to Whitefield and Prestwich. In the early 40’s, the band had great successes at the Youth Championships each year. On winning, the band would travel back from King’s Hall at Belle Vue Zoological Gardens by bus to Whitefield. There crowds of people waiting at Whitefield Junction would meet the band, and the junior band would play for the Boys’ Band on the bus. The celebrations would finish with the Boys’ Band marching through the town past ‘The Bee Hive Inn’, to Besses Mission where they were rewarded with pie served to them by Mrs Galloway in the hall.
The piece was given its debut performance at the 75th Anniversary Gala concert on the 13th October to superb response from the audience. BBC Presenter David Guest compered the anniversary event, with a reunion band of 50 players concluding the evening’s entertainment.
