Pam Reeks Memorial Concert
The Verwood Hub was full as family and friends of Pam Reeks came together for what was a very fitting and special tribute concert organised by Pam’s family, which was held on Sunday 22nd September 2019.
Pam’s contribution to Verwood Concert Brass has been significant over the years in so many ways but she was especially involved in the Verwood Training Band.
Without a Training Band there just wouldn’t be the opportunities available for people, young or not so young, to start playing and hopefully go on to enjoy a lifetime of music making, just as Pam had done.
It is a tribute in itself that there are now regularly over 40 players attending Training Band rehearsals and a continues stream of brand new starters joining the Acorns group. What a legacy!
It was therefore appropriate for the Training Band and Acorns to perform the first half of the concert. The opening number was ‘On The Wings of Glory’ which is their most challenging piece of music to date but a demonstration of just how well the players have developed under conductor, Mike Dunnings.
Other pieces included some of Pam’s favourites, like Highland Cathedral, and a blast from the past by playing some tunes from ‘The Zoo Ball Suit’ from 30 years ago, and closing with what might be described as the band’s signature tune of ‘Toccata’.
This was followed by a set from the new starter group, the Acorns. Pam was renowned for encouraging people to come along and give playing a brass instrument a go so she would have been over the moon to have seen the eight new starters perform, including a couple of solos. It’s great to see how conductor Bill Ferrier is bringing out the best in them.
The concert was superbly compered by Chris Antell who not only introduced the pieces being played but also gave lovely anecdotes of Pam’s life as a picture slide show was projected on the big screen.
The second half opened with the Verwood Ensemble playing three pieces before the Massed Verwood Bands, being a combination of Verwood Concert Brass Band and Verwood Town Band played their set.
Pam was president of the Verwood Concert Brass organisation and so was extremely proud of the achievements of both bands and its players. Again, she would have been over the moon that Verwood Concert Brass Band in May came 3rd in the prestigious national Spring Festival Senior Trophy Contest and earlier in the year the Town Band had gained promotion to the 3rd section of the West of England region.
Once more the massed band, under conductor Kevin Smith, played some of Pam’s favourite tunes, with ‘Love Changes Everything’ an absolute must. It also included a wonderful duet by Graham Carter on tenor horn and Archie Musselwhite on flugel horn of ‘Pie Jesu’ by Lloyd Webber.
In closing, conductor Kevin Smith explained that a lot of thought goes into selecting the right music to play at such an important and moving event, picking pieces that meant something to Pam. The finale piece of ‘A Southern Gospel Suite’ was chosen not only to reflect on Pam’s religious outlook but to end with the up beat third movement being ‘Down By the Riverside’ to reflect the joy that Pam had brought to so many people’s lives.
R.I.P. Pam.
On behalf of Verwood Concert Brass and Pam’s family we would like to thank all those who attended.