Hail Smiling Morn (1974)

Описание: “Hail Smiling Morn”
Band : Besses o' th' Barn
Conductor: Frank Bryce
Event: BBC TV Show, "Sounding Brass"
Year: 1974
Compere: Elgar Howarth

A Besses Brass Ensemble play this piece in Period Costume in homage to the 1837 Contest Victory of the Band whilst playing this tune.

A story told in the Lancashire dialect recalls a story about the Band around this time

The Sticky Tall Hat
(recollections of a Lancashire Lass)
Another bit were obeawt a chap ut belonged to a Band (it met be th’ Besses, aw durn’t know), an’ they had to goo a playing for a skoo one Wissun Friday.
O th’ Band men had to wear tall hats, an’ this chap, havin’ nowt bether nor a billycock, ax’t a friend to land him one.
It wur rayther too big.
So th’chap lined it reawnd wi’ papper, an’ fasten’t it wi’ some soart o’ glue or other. Well, he went wi’ this hat on, an’ they played an’ swat till tay-time.
Then they went into th’ skoo to their tay, and the others poo’d their hats off.
But, what wi’ sweatin’ an’ th’ meltin’ o’th glue, his hat stuck fast to his yure!
He couldn’t poo it off, so he made an excuse an’ went eawt o’th skoo.
He thried agen an’ agen to poo it off - aw durn’t know if he didn’t swear – but it wur no use. Then he turn’t tort whoam, but uppo’th’ road he geet fuddled, an’ he cared for nowt nor nobody.
His wife wanted him to goo to bed, so hoo geet off his shoon, kwot, senglet, an’ tie, but when hoo touched his hat he skroiked eawt
“Goodness days,” hoo says, “heaw’s this? Theaw cornt goo to bed i’ this hat”.
Well, hoo thried warm flannels an’ warm wayther to th’ edge ut t'hat but o to no use.
At last thay geet a brawl an ferced top ert th’ crown in an’ geet sum fatted leather ( rayther too wut a feard ) they rammed it inside. Hoo het it up and they cud poo it off at last, but t'heat ad nigh on biled iz yed an is skrykin s' loud wnt aw yerd his rantins. Ee wur a reight mess as t'hat band ad left it raw o reawnd . If yon Bandsman ut lant it him axes him fer a new hat ort money Ah reckons thurl bi blue murder it bandroom no doubt.


The full music programme from the TV Show was as follows
1. Whitefield (Intro)
2. Hail Smilin Morn (in period costume)
3. William Tell Overture (The Lone Ranger)
4. A Taste of Honey (Frank Johnson features on Euphonium)
5. Horra Staccatto (Brian Mather cornet soloist)
6. Promenade (Frank Bryce composition)
7. Good Morning Star Shine
8. Downland Suite
9. Pelorus Jack (Alex Owen March written in New Zealand in 1910 during Besses Second World Tour)