Craghead on Miners Gala Morning

Miners Gala Morning 2007 at Craghead. The band plays Gresford outside the village hall then marches off playing in front of the banner. Finally playing Gresford again outside The Victory Club

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• brass_bands
• miners_gala
• mining_banners
• banners
• marching
• processions
• bands

[luxiguy]

IN STEP please, how hard is it to put yr left foot down on the first beat of every bar!!!!!

[DMMuseum]

If you have never been in the Armed Forces, marching correctly to music is incredibly difficult. Doing it while playing an instrument must be almost impossible without hours of practice. I remember when I joined the RAF it took a Flight of us a week of 4 hours a day to get it together. Bandsmen will maybe have one evening a year just before The Gala to practice. If you have been to the Gala you will see many bandsmen out of step

[MistaFozz]

I can quite imagine how hard it must be to keep in step in time with the music, near enough impossible without hours and hours of practice

[DMMuseum]

Exactly! Well said! When I was a member of Langley Park Colliery Band our only practice before The Durham Gala was the night before when we marched round to the Aged Miners Homes to give them a short concert. No where near enough practice!

[DMMuseum]

Yes, The Craghead Village Hall where the band & banner start out from is at "The Middles" which is between Craghead and South Moor.

[DMMuseum]

Come and see for yourself. This years Durham Miners Gala is on Saturday July 12th starting around 08.30. If you get to Old Elvet for about 09.15 you should bsee around 40 bands including a couple of Scottish Pipe Bands all on the march using regular recognised marches.

[AdvSL1]

Well said, we are a colliery band with may I add, a lot of young players. As for marching around empty streets, people were at their doors or windows watching us go by, and considering the time it was I'm not shocked that people weren't outside. Durham Day is about the heritage that mining brings and not how well we do or don't play. At the end of the day, the villagers enjoyed it as did we, so job done.

[lampwort]

The "old Man" is the conductor. Small coal-mining village brass bands do not rise to such things as a "proper drum major". They are normally led by the conductor. If you havd ever been to The Durham Miners Gala you would know this.  The only drum majors at the Gala lead Scottish Pipe Bands

[Roylambeth]

Look forward to seeing you all.

[durhamlad09]

looking forward to a good day at this years big meeting, yes murton will be out in force, you always get a good party with murton.

[lampwort]

Yes. This video starts at Craghead Village Hall which is at The Middles, just along the road from South Moor

[lampwort]

Murton ALWAYS turns out in force. It is a pity other banners do not have the support that Murton has.

[MistaFozz]

Roll on July 11....Miners Gala 2009, looking forward to it already, hopefully Murton will turn out in force for a party :-)