Last night the Band presented awards for the year to it’s members.
These awards are voted for by the instructors and notice the hard work band members put in throughout the year.
There is one award (David Lucas Memorial Award) that the band members vote for each other and they recognise each others hard work and improvement.
The list of winners are:
Attendance – George
Turnout – Hayden
Drill – Toby
Percussion – Oliver
Flute – Sophie
Bugle – Peter
David Lucas Memorial Award – Oliver
Junior Bandsperson – Oliver & Toby
Bandsperson – Peter
Bandmaster Luke said, “All the band members have worked very hard this year, and wether they won an award or not they are all winners for getting out there and putting on great performances this year.”
It is with great regret that Syston Scout & Guide Band have had to cancel the performances of Sticks & Tones 2022, due to the lack of tickets sold for the performances.
As you are well aware, as much as Sticks & Tones is a good bit of fun for the members of the band, it is still a fundraising event. If we were to put the show on, we would be making a considerable loss, and as a charity it isn’t something that is an option.
Any tickets that have been purchased, will of course be refunded in full to the card that payment was made on over the few days.
Should you wish to have any questions, please get in touch via this email address and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Should you wish to donate, please visit https://sticksandtones.org.uk/donate
We are hopeful that we will be able to put on Sticks & Tones in 2023.
Thank you as ever for your continued support.
Syston Scout & Guide Band
In spite of the circumstances, the band have been meeting regularly for catch ups, quiz nights and joining together for a virtual drum display and to play the Last Post in commemoration of VE Day.
It is around this time of year that the band usually hold the annual Band Camp; a social weekend to begin learning the display for the coming season. The camp is also a good opportunity to reflect on the previous year and recognise the progress and performance of our junior members. A pandemic can halt many things, but our virtual band awards was not one of them.
Each award is presented to a band member under the age of 25 and, with the exception of the David Lucas Memorial Award, each is voted for by the band instructors.
The 2020 winners are as follows:
Attendance – most committed: Callum
Turnout – always looking smart, caring for their uniform and kit: Emma
Drill – most improved and best effort: Lucy
Flute – most improved and best effort: Sophie
Percussion – most improved and best effort: Heather
Bugle – most improved and best effort: Peter
Beginner – joined in the previous season: Scott
Junior Bandsperson – Younger than Explorer Scout age, always works hard and helps others: Jaime
Bandsperson – fits in with the band brilliantly: Emma
The David Lucas Memorial Award – voted for by junior band members for positive attitude: Scott
Here are some photos of the winners with their certificates:
The season may have been heavily disrupted, but we are all grateful to be able to catch up each week. We look forward to getting back to back again as soon as it is safe to do so.
Sound like something you would like to be a part of?
Syston Scouts are always looking for new members and adult volunteers to help make Scouting in Syston great. If you can spare a few hours a week, why not get in touch and help young people develop #SkillsForLife. Contact us on 0116 326 6908 or email info@systonscouts.org.uk
Members of Syston Scout & Guide band have been passing around ‘the magic drumstick’ to create their very own Virtual Drum Display.
Members of Syston Scout & Guide Band playing The Last Post to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
16 years old and going strong; the Syston Scout & Guide Band annual variety show took place at Wreake Valley School on the 22nd February 2020. Sticks & Tones is written, produced and performed by band members and always promises a packed programme of music, dance, comedy and sketches. For those on stage and behind the scenes, the afternoon and evening shows are the culmination of a few months of planning, practice and fun.
The band were sorry to lose their friend Dave Lucas in 2019. Dave joined the band as a young boy, played the bugle in the band, and taught many others as a bugle instructor. Our show this year served as a tribute to him, beginning with a video celebrating Dave’s involvement and friendships in the band. A recording of Dave playing the bugle introduction to the piece ‘High on a Hill’ signalled the start of the finale.
After a Greatest Showman themed dance, the band were welcomed on stage by supportive audiences. The running order was as follows: Glenfield 1, Soldier Soldier, Royal Green Jackets, Drum Display (2009), Buglers Fanfare, In the Mood, Mission Impossible, Robin Hood, Blaydon Races. Hayden and Tom played the introduction to Soldier Soldier, and Becky played well on the Bell Lyre in her first show. The bugles played their fanfare confidently and the drummers evidenced their enjoyment of the Blaydon Races piece through their increase in volume. Band members reported that they could feel the stage shaking!
The Drill Squad performed their routine. Normally under heavy scrutiny of a panel of competition judges, the 8 strong group of band members worked well together to march and stay in perfect sync. All under the age of 18, practicing the technical routine requires dedication and concentration, which didn’t go unnoticed by the audience. Breaking competition norms, next up was an alternative drill routine to pop music, which had the audience clapping along to the dance-like routine.
In the next number, the drummers were sitting an exam, under the watchful eye of strict school teacher Pam. When she left the stage, the students began tapping a beat on their desks, but had to put a stop to it on her return. Eventually, the full cast, teacher included, are drumming loudly, under the direction of Oliver. Perhaps the most fun had in an exam ever!
Following the popular display ‘Legs Eleven’ by the girls of the band last year, the group stepped up to the mark once again with their sketch ‘Band Babes’ Dressed as toddler’s with attached; a big well done to the costume teams for their hard work!
Syston were delighted to invite the other Leicestershire Scout & Guide Bands to perform in the show. In the first half, Thurmaston took to the stage and played a mix of drum displays and popular themes. Half of the band were away at a national Guiding event at the NEC, yet this didn’t stop them. The Wallace & Gromit, and Avenger themes went down particularly well with the audience.
Chris plays Mr Bean in the allelujah sketch to conclude the first half. The most difficult part for the band was not to laugh while Alan delivered a mumbling sermon about rivers and the natural world, and Chris had difficulty staying alert.
John was the compere once again for the show; introducing the acts and offering insight into the band’s activities for the past year. He was assisted along by a couple of juggling acts from Scott, who ate an apple whilst juggling and later gave impressions of juggling styles from around the World.
Back for the second half, we kicked off with the Not So Full Monty. Cue the rip off trousers and muscular t-shirts! This sketch was done in the very first show, and was directed by Dave, and so the piece served as a tribute. A good laugh for all involved.
Whilst the stage crew collected 8 pairs of trousers from the audience, it was time for our second invited band, Oadby & Wigston to showcase their own musical talent. A fully chromatic band, we were treated to a medley containing music from the Greatest Showman and Pirates of the Caribbean, then also played the time warp – a great mix of music for us to enjoy.
The next sketch was the Play that goes wrong. It was difficult to tell if when it went wrong it was through genuine error, or whether it was a planned mistake – such was the high quality of acting! The stage crew assembled the set for the next sketch in the background.
Have you ever wondered how chocolates are individually wrapped so neatly? We were left none the wiser after the Chocolate Sketch, which saw band members try to keep up with an accelerating production under the reprimand of Emma. Sweets fly all over the place, and Cadbury’s haven’t offered us any jobs yet!
In the final sketch of the show, we learnt of the wonderful gifts brought back when My Grandmother went to Paris. For some reason, this drove a few volunteer members of the audience absolutely cuckoo.
Onto the finale, we were pleased to be joined on stage by Thurmaston and Oadby & Wigston Scout & Guide Bands. Our thanks to Neil Wright, Chairman of the British Youth Band Association (BYBA) for conducting the massed band through pieces High on a Hill, December 1963, Bugler’s Nocturne, Olympic Spirit, and Mechanised Infantry. The Olympic Spirit was a new piece to many of us, and one which we especially enjoyed playing. Syston’s trademark piece of Mechanised Infantry made a return in the encore, played at the light infantry pace of 140bpm… to start with. Pushed by an enthusiastic pair of bass drums (sorry bell lyres) we finished a little faster than this!
We are grateful to the cast, the crew, and to everyone who came to watch Sticks & Tones 2020. We’ll be back next year with more musical entertainment. The band‘s focus now turns to learning this season’s display, ready for competitions to begin in the Summer.
Written by Scott Jenkins, Band Member.
Sound like something you would like to be a part of?
Syston Scout Group are always looking for new members and adult volunteers to help make Scouting in Syston great. If you can spare a few hours a week, why not get in touch and help young people develop #SkillsForLife. Contact us on 0116 326 6908 or email info@systonscouts.org.uk
Join the adventure here – systonscouts.org.uk/join
Saturday 9th November 2019, London
Of all the parades in the British Isles, few are held in such high regard and enjoy such an illustrious history as the Lord Mayor’s Show. The parade, which takes place in central London each November dates back 0ver 800 years, serves to celebrate the day when the successive Lord Mayor is sworn into office.The parade, which snakes a 3.5 mile route across the capital, showcases a wide selection of floats and groups: charities, military units, companies, universities, youth groups and marching bands.
16 members of the Syston Scout & Guide Band paraded with the Corps of Drum Society. Together, we totalled upwards of 60 musicians drawn from ourselves, the Chesham All Girls Band and the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick among others. With our competition season wrapped up in September, we had been practicing the marches for several weeks, attending a Corps of Drums practice session a fortnight earlier and running through the music in our Wednesday practice evenings at the Scout hall.
After a 5am start, and several z’s from the rear, the minibus arrived into London well in time for our 9am sign in. in the car park beneath Smithfield Market, hundreds of members of both civilian and military bands were concealed, ready for the off. For the next few hours, the old adage “Hurry Up and Wait” was followed to the letter. The order of the parade placed marching bands periodically throughout, with 1 band to 4 or 5 regular floats. As each band filtered into the parade, the remainder of us would march forward to fill the space, then wait for another few floats to pass by, before marching forward a little more. With the Corps of Drums Society placed 86th in the running order, this sequence repeated itself no less than a dozen times. We were glad to get going!
The order of play was as follows:
Killaloe, Heraldry, Adjutant, Retreat Marches, Bugle Bells, Legs Eleven, Mud Cabin, Mechanised Infantry, Hazelmere, Jellalabad, Galanthia, Children’s Love.
The route itself began by passing under the bridge outside the Museum of London,then turned left onto gresham street. Taking the right hand bend outside Mansion House, Drum Major Chris Bodycot saluted the incoming Lord Mayor William Russell whilst the band played the march Children’s Love. We took a left down New Change, then turned right to head past St. Paul’s Cathedral. Making our way down Fleet Street, and then onto the Strand, we passed the Royal Courts of Justice and the statues of Samuel Johnson and William Gladstone, then we directed towards the embankment for lunch.
After a sandwich lunch we formed up alongside HMS Wellington for the second part of the parade. There was time for photos and it was at this point that it started to rain. The chilly November air led to some regret about leaving the coats on the bus, but we agreed that our uniform was the smarter choice. The route back was straightforward, past the London offices of the Financial Times and HSBC to Mansion House, and then retracing our steps to the Museum of London. 4.5 miles of marching in total over a 4 hour period, we then headed to the Rising Sun to hydrate ready for the journey back. The band arrived back to Syston at around 8:30, a long day, but enjoyed by all. With many of the band playing in the Remembrance service the following morning, it was time for bed.
Our thanks to Jess for organising the day and to Chris for getting us and our instruments there safe. Next year, it would be great to have more of an explore, staying over in London to enjoy the evening firework display.
Report by Bass Drummer, Scott Jenkins
Syston Scout Group held a family camp on the 7-8th September.
A welcome back camp after the summer break and a great opportunity for families from all of the Groups sections (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts & Band) to come together for a fun weekend.
The Families arrived on a sunny Saturday morning ready for a fun weekend of camping and activities. Each member of the family got a chance to choose the activities they would like to do. These ranged from Archery, Mini Cross bows, a caving experience, Climbing, Rope Making, Survival Bracelet making, Pyrography (burning a letters or pictures in to Wood) Pioneering (tying wooden poles together to make a bridge), Assault Course, Circus Skills and also Axe Throwing!
Once the Activities have finished everyone enjoyed a BBQ and then settled round the camp fire for the groups AGM, Songs, awards and comedy which kept all ages entertained during the evening.
On a cool Sunday morning, and after a hearty breakfast it was time for more activities. The activities then ended which led to the closing of Camp which saw all families leave with smiles on there faces and also some great memories and experiences.
To view photos from our Family Camp, visit our website: systonscouts.org.uk.
Sound like something you would like to be a part of?
Syston Scout Group are always looking for new members and adult volunteers to help make Scouting in Syston great. If you can spare a few hours a week, why not get in touch and help young people develop #SkillsForLife. Contact us on 0116 326 6908 or email info@systonscouts.org.uk
Syston Scout Group have lots planned for this new year from Camps in and outside of Leicestershire, great trips to explore new places and even a chance to sleep on HMS Bristol at Portsmouth!
Also the Group will be putting on Fun Events for Friends, Families and the general public to take part in. Starting with Syston Scout and Guide Bands Show Sticks & Tones on the 23rd February, Family Race Night on the 23rd March and a Fun Walk/Run around Watermead County park in June.
As well as fun trips out, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Syston Scout & Guide Band will continue to provide a a weekly programme for Young People aged from 6 – 25 Years in our Scout Hall on Oxford Street in Syston.
The Scout Hall has been on Oxford street since Mr Moore and Mrs Maclearn Todd back in 1936 and over the years has had some improvements made.
Over the next year we are looking to bring the Hall more up to date and improve access including an access ramp to the rear, new toilets with easy disabled access, new front gate for a more secure but friendly new look.
We have now a new storage extension and now looking for help and support to make this useable to store kit and equipment. Also we are looking at improving and upgrading items in and out of the hall, such as re-paint Painting the hall, improving the lighting, paving and gardening the rear grass area to name a few.
If you would like to volunteer, help improve our Scout Hall or get your son or daughter to join the adventure
Please contact Chris Bodycot - 0788 4245 089 GSL@systonscouts.org.uk
Syston Scout Group is open to girls and boys aged from 6 years upwards
If you would like tickets to the Band Show “Sticks & Tones” @ Wreake Valley Academy Theatre
please contact David Lucas t. 07719 553847 or Lesley Smith t. 0116 260 9701
tickets@band.systonscouts.org.uk
So, what has happened since our last article in September? How did we get on in our last two competitions of the year? Did we make it four wins out of four?
Firstly, we performed our competition display at Syston Carnival to the people who came to watch, showcasing the talent of the young people we have in the band.
Then it was onto our 3rd competition of the year which was held in Manchester at the Longford Park Stadium, Stretford on Sunday 16th September. The weather conditions couldn’t have been anymore different from the two previous contests; unfortunately, we didn’t have glorious sunshine like before. This time we had heavy rain. But despite the weather, the band went out and gave another brilliant performance, but would that be enough to claim another victory, or have the other bands improved enough to stop us?
Well the band again were awarded 1st overall and took away another seven trophies for their hard work, but the work didn’t stop there as they had one more competition to go and it was the big one; It was the TYMBA (Traditional Youth Marching Band Association) National Championships, being held at Lawrence Sheriff School in Rugby.
Could the band make it four wins out four? Well again the weather wasn’t nice to them as it was raining, but that didn’t bother the band. They went out and gave another great performance.
The band knew it was going to be the hardest contest, as it was being judged by Royal Marines.
After drying off, the band took to the arena with the other bands to find out where they had come.
They had only gone and done it, four wins out of four! Taking home another six trophies, but that wasn’t it.
The band were also crowned TYMBA Championship Class League Champions 2018.
With taking the league title, it means the band will be promoted to the TYMBA National Class (Premier League for all the football fans), so it means lots of hard work to prepare for next season.
Even though the competition season had ended it didn’t mean the band could relax, as they had been invited to play at London’s Lord Mayors Show along with the Corp of Drums Society on 10th November. This was a fantastic event to take part in, with all the youngest members marching through the streets of London showing the masses of people lining the streets what they could do.
The next day the band couldn’t have a quiet day either, as it was back to Queniborough and Syston for the Remembrance Day parades, which were both led by us.
The next thing for the band will be their very own annual variety show ‘Sticks & Tones’ on 23rd February 2019 at Wreake Valley Academy Theatre. We will again be doing a Matinee show at 3pm & an evening performance at 7pm.
Tickets are on sale now for £5 for each show. For more details or to book your tickets, contact David Lucas on 07719 553847.
