Mike Bunt

THE KERNOW BRASS BAND EXPERIENCE - Mike Bunt.

After a total of 55 years in the brass band movement I thought it might be
‘interesting’ to commit my recollections of my personal involvement for
anyone who wishes to share them …… here goes;

The FormativeYears.

My first introduction to a brass band occurred when I was eight years old.
I was then living in the village of Polgooth, near St. Austell with my Mum
and Dad and younger brother and sister. I ‘discovered’ that when I called
on my mates to come out and play I was told by their respective parents
that they were “at band practice”. I adopted the policy that ‘if you can’t get
them to come out and play, then join them’. So I did!
My uncle (Frank Hitchens) was the bandmaster of the Sticker Band and
he held practice sessions every Sunday morning on his farm overlooking
Polgooth village. We invariably practiced outside in the open air, much to
the curious enjoyment of most of the villagers. I went to see Uncle Frank whereupon he taught me the fingerings and ‘pinching and relaxing’ of the lips to achieve the C major scale. Within just a few short weeks and a corresponding short number of lessons (nothing to do with my startling progress in any way but rather more to swell the number of players in our band) I was playing the 3^rd Cornet part in the sticker band. Wow!
I think that was fortunate enough to have a small amount of ‘natural ability’ as I never received any formal training and had no knowledge or understanding of “theory” Never mind! I just loved playing a brass instrument and helping to make music. We played at local carnivals and Sunday School tea treats and so on, but did not aspire to the contest stage.
The Sticker Band eventually broke up after about eight years and the instruments were put into a Trust, I believe.

The Band With Clay Boots.

At just about this time I started working with E. C. L. P. & Co., the local Chins Clay company (now Imerys) and I was registered with the St. Dennis band who were ‘unofficially’ sponsored by the aforesaid E. C. L. P. In those days it was ‘fashionable’ to suggest that you had to wear boots with china clay on them to win the local Bugle Band Contest. This wasn’t true, of course. It was just that the St. Dennis Band (under their conductor, the late Eddy Williams) was the most successful amongst the local bands during that era.

From Cornwall to Devon - and Back Again!

I stayed with the St. Dennis Band for about three or four years and the left E. C. L. P. to join the Civil Service (where I am still employed) and received my first posting to Totnes. I was soon approached to join the then nearest band at Newton Abbot, still playing the B flat cornet. I was asked if I would like to try the Soprano cornet, as the Newton Abbot band had no one playing soprano. So I did! I then visited the Exeter and Dartmoor prisons (accompanied by the members of the band, I hasten to add) to give concerts at the respective establishments - truly CAPTIVE audiences - who were very generous with their applause, I remember. (Or was that when we left??)
On my return to Cornwall when my employers transferred me back to the Truro office, I joined the Mount Charles Band (they were then in the second section, one below the Championship section as there was no first section) and reverted to playing the B flat cornet. Their resident soprano player (the late Mr. Morley Bennetts, a great personal friend of mine) said one day that he had heard that I played the soprano cornet when in Devon and asked me if I would ‘take over’ from himself as he didn’t like playing the soprano. I agreed - we were then being conducted by Mr. Alan Jenkin.

My Move to the Championship Section.

I had only been with the Mt. Charles band for a couple or so years when I was made aware that the Bodmin Band (who were graded in the championship section) were ‘showing an interest’ and I soon received a visit from their representatives (including their drummer, Ike Jennings, Dennis Bunt and John Berryman, their then resident conductor) making a formal approach for my services. I insisted (or I THOUGHT I did) they make contact with Mt. Charles - I learned later that Bodmin hadn’t actually done so - and I thought long and hard about such a move. On the one hand it was my opportunity to join a championship section band and on the other it would be a major step up in the standard of playing that would be expected of me. I remember leaving my home this particular Mt. Charles’ band practice evening when I was expected to give my decision and thinking that I had no idea what I was going to do - and said so to my wife. Obviously I did join the Bodmin Band - perhaps the Bodmin band knew something that I did not? In 1973 when competing against ALL the other championship bands (the first time in years that one or more of the St. Dennis, Bodmin, Camborne and St. Austell bands wasn’t missing), I was awarded the coveted ‘Best Player’ trophy that day.
I remained with Bodmin for a number of years and then, in 1980 I suffered a vitreous haemorrhage to my left eye.

Déjà vu - or what?

An operation followed in 1981 at the Moorefield Eye hospital in London and I was advised (even instructed) never to play a wind instrument again. He suggested that I should learn to play percussion! So for almost eighteen years I gave up playing altogether. One day an advertisement appeared in the local press placed there by the St. Austell band asking any ex-bandsmen to attend the next rehearsal as the number of players in their band had diminished to such an extent that the Band was in danger of ‘folding’. I went along taking my old soprano mouthpiece with me; and the rest, as they say is history. I seemed to suffer no ill effects to my eyes and I checked with my same consultant who had advised me to give up all those years before. He advised this time that if I was suffering no ill effects to carry on. But STOP immediately if I experienced any adverse reaction.

No Substitute for Experience.

So there I was - back playing the soprano cornet after all those years. In June 2001 the St. Austell band, who were then graded in the section below, entered the Championship section at Bugle and although the band did not win the contest, I was given the accolade of ‘best soprano cornet of the day’ surprising quite a few of my peers and, myself, needless to say. I stayed within the St. Austell organisation (including a move to the amalgamating Kernow band) for the next three years and even became the Club chairman for a short period when organisational changes left them with no Chairman.
I left the St. Austell set-up at the beginning of 2002 due to some misunderstandings concerning their Youth Band policies with which I did not ‘see eye to eye’. I then received a call from the Bodmin band (they were experiencing a reduction in registered players) asking me if I would join them playing the B flat cornet (they had a resident soprano at the time - and a very good one) and I agreed. Shortly after this their soprano and solo trombone players transferred their services to the St. Dennis band and I was asked to ‘step into the breach’ to play soprano (again).

Full Circle.

I agreed - at the ripe old age of 61 years I actually started receiving my first lessons. The Bodmin band appointed a new musical director - a Mr. Wayne McCarthey- who was living in St. Austell. He is\was an ex professional cornet player and ‘took me under his wing’ so to speak to coach me regarding playing techniques including alternative fingering, posture, using the diaphragm to breathe and, most of all helped me with my mental approach. Even I noticed the positive difference.
Mr. McCarthey was then ‘asked to leave’ and this seemed to coincide with a number of unsettling issues occurring within the ‘band management’ structure. A number of my friends within the organisation left and this ultimately led to my own severed connections with the band.
To be involved with brass bands is special. Commitment is essential and the ‘rewards’ are like the very subject of music itself - they are infinite.

The next move.

I received a telephone call from Mr. Peter Minear who said that he was continuing to play in the St. Austell band but was also conducting the St. Pinnock and was hoping that I may be persuaded to join him and the playing members of the band as they did not, at present have a resident soprano player. I had no hesitation in saying that I would be pleased to attend their next rehearsal and could see no reason why I should not become a registered addition. I was very impressed with their practice facilities, the band’s overall quiet ambition and Peter’s own enthusiasm and conducting skills. I was equally impressed by the terrific camaraderie and overall friendliness of the set-up. I grabbed the chance to join and have never regretted doing so, even for a moment.

Mike Bunt. 20^th June 2005.
Moving on.

Since recording the above thoughts, I am now attempting to bring matters up to date. I am still with the St. Pinnock Band and have gone through some difficult times in the intervening years. Pete (Minear) was taken from us back on 8th June 2007 and we (the Band) experienced a number of well-intentioned Musical Directors who got us through to the present day and to whom we are very grateful. Jeremy Wilcox is now our resident musical director (he joined us 2008 ) and, together with some very experienced and capable players coming into the band, we feel we are now well on the way to becoming a well established 2^nd section ‘outfit’ and look forward to continuing success and progress. I am now occupying the repiano seat (due, not least of all to a changing embrochure with my advancing years) and sitting alongside Brendan Caddy a very youthful 14 years and talented soprano replacement. In addition, my own son Marcus, now 12 years of age is now registered with us as a percussionist with the total support and encouragement of John and Shirley Hodkin (resident percussionists), Jeremy, the M.D. and all members of the band itself who have given him compliments on his progress. He receives weekly drum lessons privately from Debbie Johnson (who also teaches him at the Poltair School) who, herself is of s brass band background. We are now looking forward to the Torquay contest that we hope will be a springboard to our future achievements.

Mike Bunt !st October 2009