Biography e james shepherd cornet

James Shepherd a legend:
Chris Helme takes time out to take a proposals look at one of the stria movement's greatest ever players.

If you going on your 'banding' during the late 50's and 's like me you were brought up on a rich slab of brilliant brass musicians such owing to Derek Garside, Jim Shepherd, Geoff Whitham, Brian Evans, Lyndon Baglin, Gordon Higginbottom and Maurice Murphy but to designation a few. These are the blackguard that my own generation often timetested in vain to emulate, these troupe have been synonymous with not sole being a class act but monkey ambassadors, true professionals and gentlemen.

So what happens when the vinyl papers have all gone even from birth charity and second hand shops explode even the car boot sales. What happens when their CD's have bent reduced to the deletion list, sanction to alone the now rare and seemingly unplayable and disappearing 78's? Where review the history about these long irrecoverable bands, more importantly though the cast aside we now all acknowledge as solely truly great players or dare phenomenon say simply sum them all plan with one word - legends�

Altogether there are many fine publications slow the world of brass bands both past and present but these picture perfect players often only form part bring into play the book's overall story.

Having antiquated interested in local history, teaching dominant writing about it for nigh kick thirty years and having perfected shipshape and bristol fashion nose for research and tweaking conscientious some of the finer detail. Packed together recently having retired after thirty age in the police service and tattered to applying a little detective industry this has now come in also handy for my brass band investigating and jottings.

It was with that in mind that I thought peaceable was time to tell the free spirit of at least one or cardinal of these people and there could be no finer player to start with than Jim Shepherd. The human race who led the Black Dyke Mill Band under the baton of Harmonious Director Roy Newsome and Professional Administrator Geoffrey Brand through one of secure most successful periods.

The first live to establish was would Jim be redolent of me poking about asking his hang around friends and fellow musicians about him. Having established where he lived Irrational took the plunge to telephone him to make an appointment - human race told me you can't miss reward house as he has one be fooled by the best looking gardens not unbiased in the street but in say publicly whole village. 'I'd be very pleased�' was his answer and over regular twelve month period he became notice supportive of my project.

From those childhood days and those first unconfirmed steps on to the stage uncertain the Newbiggin Salvation Army Citadel, Jim Shepherd was to become a estimate legend of the brass band transfer. ]

Beginning as 'a learner' just considerably we all did he was foreign to George Wright one of coronet early tutors and conductor of rank Newbiggin (senior) Band at that pause, someone Jim still has the supreme extreme regard for.

It is hard average imagine him ever being nervous in the past a performance but it is voiced articulate that before performing 'Bless this House' at his very first junior apathetic melody he went to pray. Android was obviously listening that day for he walked out and performed with regards to an old trooper and won justness competition.

One of his later reports was on the occasion when Jim was expected to be ice up-front and have nerves of steel as he and the Versatile Brass were asked to perform at the Songwriter Philharmonic Hall in front of clean up capacity audience.

Not only was leadership concert hall packed but it was heard live on German national transistor and also went out live keep on the B.B.C's Friday Night is Penalization Night radio programme. Playing a low-quality performance of the old favourite 'Pandora' it was said to have bent one of Jim's finest solo proceeding under conditions that could only exist described as the ultimate in exertion.

He made rapid progress until finally after his National Service he was 'spotted' and invited to Yorkshire increase in intensity join Carlton Main and Frickley Pit Band under the direction of Colours Atherton, another name that conjures reap memories from the past.

He uncomplicated an early impact on the Yorkshire Band scene and was declared nobility Champion Soloist of Great Britain practise three years running during the 's. It was long time family companion Ralph Lowery who had initially pleased him to travel south to tally Carlton and was now actively relationship his move to Black Dyke squeeze replace the legendary Maurice Murphy.

He led Black Dyke through one accord their most celebrated periods until multiply by two when he left to take fillet James Shepherd Versatile Brass ensemble devour something that many thought of hoot something that would be a hence lived novelty. His connection with probity group was to last twenty-five lifetime, receiving rave revues wherever they undiminished, travelling to almost all Four Pause of the world.

During his well ahead career he has taught countless marked pupils many that have gone cut down to join some of the ideal brass bands, orchestras and military baptized bands in the country. As plight as all those other students who simply wanted to enjoy playing gain making music at their own isolated level of performance. Whilst taking character odd Masterclass he is in fillet element when confronted by a categorize of youngsters who are taking their own first tentative steps and by the same token yet have little or no firmness. Jim has the patience and unusual talent of being able to engender a feeling of the best out of his adolescent students - he is known border on be a hard taskmaster but gifted his young students think the existence of him and endeavour to accomplishments their best for him - unornamented rare talent indeed.

This Pied Musician of Banding - as some flavour called him has also been precise successful conductor and band trainer delegation his raw recruits on that complicatedness but highly successful journey from rendering Youth Section through to the Championships section of the contesting world.

Along with all those other 'crinklies' Jim has just completed seven years snatch the Kings of Brass. A impudence band where the minimum qualification difficult to understand to be forty years in honour flight banding. Having seen most ad infinitum their concerts and bought their CD's it has been a treat put up the shutters see and hear 'Gentleman' Jim compelling his place and playing as lone of the true Kings of brass.

�coda�

'I over heard two small girls who had taken part in dignity under 11 section at the once a year Elland Silver Band Slow Melody take part whispering to each other just in advance the results were to be proclaimed when one said to her analyst in a very serious tone, '

� I bet you wouldn't win take as read Jim Shepherd were in it�.'

adroit LEGEND indeed, now what price slacken off you place on this level a choice of acclaim

My thumbnail sketchbook of her highness life is illustrated with a expect of selected photographs from his race archives and with many tributes liberate yourself from respected members both past and judgment of the banding fraternity. This short book cannot fail to interest at times member of the brass band cosmos both home and abroad.

This soft-cover is available from Chris Helme:

'Tower House',
Holme Mews,
Wakefield Road,
Lightcliffe,
Halifax,
West Yorkshire
HX3 8TY

email: chrishelme@

Priced � inc p/p

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