Christmas came early to Coleshill
6 months early in June as Coleshill Town Band recorded it’s first Christmas CD!
Everyone had barely finished putting Christmas decorations away and finished off the turkey sandwiches and turkey curries before the Christmas music folders were dusted off and preparations begun for a summer Christmas! For three months in spring/early summer the seasonal sounds of Christmas echoed from the band room and the homes of band members, confusing friends and family. But Coleshill Town Band was preparing for its long awaited Christmas CD recording, something supporters and listeners of the band have been wanting for a number of years.
The actual recording weekend begun on Thursday as the band assembled for it’s final full rehearsal, adding the finishing touches – the extra sparkle and glitter, as the usual Friday rehearsal was scheduled to be a ‘setting up’ session.
Early on Friday evening band members helped transport and set up equipment in our recording location – St Edwards RC School. With this done there was the opportunity to play and adjust to the acoustics of the school hall, running through a couple of carols and pieces. Towards the end of our rehearsal session our friends, Keith, Rob and Rick, from KMJ arrived. After the welcomes, KMJ emptied their van and begun the setting up process with band members leaving for an early night or an early drink!
Day one begun early (very early) for KMJ as they completed the laying of cables and setting up of microphones. Band members arrived in good time ready for the first session but DISASTER… We were then informed that the school had booked for a tree right outside the hall to be chopped down! We were asked ‘would the noise cause us a problem?’ Well, not if we were playing ‘the Woodchoppers Ball’ or ‘the Lumberjack Song’. This was a major frustration for everyone as our start time of 10.00am came and went. At 11.00am not a note had been recorded but at least the tree was down. Now it only had to be chopped up – argghhh! After many cups of tea to sooth the nerves, the chainsaw and tree shredder had gone and work could begin. Sound checks were completed and the first piece, a carol, could be recorded. The late start to the day now meant we had time to make up and so we had to work hard. A sensible schedule, lots of help and encouragement from KMJ and a fantastic approach to the task by the band meant that by 5.00pm on day one we had seven pieces (Christmas Festival, Jingle Bells, Lullaby, Mary’s Boy Child, Merry Christmas Everybody, Schneewalzer, When A Child Is Born) and a carol recorded. Good work!
The decision to start day two (a Sunday – father’s day) early at 9.00am was well accepted by band members and everyone was ready to start without interruptions from chainsaws etc. We had six more pieces plus a couple of carols to record so the hard work begun. Highlights of day two were the recording of Claire’s solo (In The Bleak Midwinter), a beautiful performance that will be a fantastic track on the CD and also the first ever recording of Rob Collinson’s Christmas March Medley. The band had enjoyed rehearsing this new piece and wanted to put on a good show with Rob in the other room listening through his headphones. At lunch on day two excellent progress had been made with just two pieces and a carol left to be recorded. The lunch break provided the chance for a photo call with band members donning Santa hats for a number of photos taken by Tina and Rob. After lunch the band knuckled down for the final session and by 3.00pm everything was done and, after the late start the previous day, who would have thought we would finish ahead of schedule! All that was left now was for band members to put down and then transport the equipment back to the band room and for KMJ to disassemble their rig. With this done, tired band members headed home for what was left of the weekend and our friends from KMJ headed home to begin the next step of the CD production process.
Coleshill Town Band, as always, were fantastic. A tiring but thoroughly enjoyable weekend has resulted with the band having its first Christmas CD recorded – an ideal Christmas present.
Everyone had barely finished putting Christmas decorations away and finished off the turkey sandwiches and turkey curries before the Christmas music folders were dusted off and preparations begun for a summer Christmas! For three months in spring/early summer the seasonal sounds of Christmas echoed from the band room and the homes of band members, confusing friends and family. But Coleshill Town Band was preparing for its long awaited Christmas CD recording, something supporters and listeners of the band have been wanting for a number of years.
The actual recording weekend begun on Thursday as the band assembled for it’s final full rehearsal, adding the finishing touches – the extra sparkle and glitter, as the usual Friday rehearsal was scheduled to be a ‘setting up’ session.
Early on Friday evening band members helped transport and set up equipment in our recording location – St Edwards RC School. With this done there was the opportunity to play and adjust to the acoustics of the school hall, running through a couple of carols and pieces. Towards the end of our rehearsal session our friends, Keith, Rob and Rick, from KMJ arrived. After the welcomes, KMJ emptied their van and begun the setting up process with band members leaving for an early night or an early drink!
Day one begun early (very early) for KMJ as they completed the laying of cables and setting up of microphones. Band members arrived in good time ready for the first session but DISASTER… We were then informed that the school had booked for a tree right outside the hall to be chopped down! We were asked ‘would the noise cause us a problem?’ Well, not if we were playing ‘the Woodchoppers Ball’ or ‘the Lumberjack Song’. This was a major frustration for everyone as our start time of 10.00am came and went. At 11.00am not a note had been recorded but at least the tree was down. Now it only had to be chopped up – argghhh! After many cups of tea to sooth the nerves, the chainsaw and tree shredder had gone and work could begin. Sound checks were completed and the first piece, a carol, could be recorded. The late start to the day now meant we had time to make up and so we had to work hard. A sensible schedule, lots of help and encouragement from KMJ and a fantastic approach to the task by the band meant that by 5.00pm on day one we had seven pieces (Christmas Festival, Jingle Bells, Lullaby, Mary’s Boy Child, Merry Christmas Everybody, Schneewalzer, When A Child Is Born) and a carol recorded. Good work!
The decision to start day two (a Sunday – father’s day) early at 9.00am was well accepted by band members and everyone was ready to start without interruptions from chainsaws etc. We had six more pieces plus a couple of carols to record so the hard work begun. Highlights of day two were the recording of Claire’s solo (In The Bleak Midwinter), a beautiful performance that will be a fantastic track on the CD and also the first ever recording of Rob Collinson’s Christmas March Medley. The band had enjoyed rehearsing this new piece and wanted to put on a good show with Rob in the other room listening through his headphones. At lunch on day two excellent progress had been made with just two pieces and a carol left to be recorded. The lunch break provided the chance for a photo call with band members donning Santa hats for a number of photos taken by Tina and Rob. After lunch the band knuckled down for the final session and by 3.00pm everything was done and, after the late start the previous day, who would have thought we would finish ahead of schedule! All that was left now was for band members to put down and then transport the equipment back to the band room and for KMJ to disassemble their rig. With this done, tired band members headed home for what was left of the weekend and our friends from KMJ headed home to begin the next step of the CD production process.
Coleshill Town Band, as always, were fantastic. A tiring but thoroughly enjoyable weekend has resulted with the band having its first Christmas CD recorded – an ideal Christmas present.
