A trio of original brass band compositions will accompany a major new exhibition at one of the UKs leading museums.
Creswell Crags is a limestone gorge honeycombed with caves and smaller fissures, and is part of the Creswell Heritage Landscape Area in Derbyshire.
Stone tools and remains of animals found in the caves by archaeologists provide evidence of human activity and habitation during the last Ice Age between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago — including Britain's only known Ice Age rock art.
45,000 visitors
From the 11th of September to 26th November, its visitor centre, which attracts around 45,000 people a year, will host an exhibition that also links the area to its proud mining heritage and the brass bands that played a major part in offering recreational musical respite to its workers.
In partnership with the First Art organisation, 'Echoes of Brass' will not only feature memorabilia and artefacts from bands from the North East Derbyshire, Bolsover. Mansfield and Ashfield areas, but will be accompanied by a soundtrack of music and images from community works specially commissioned and premiered in the past few years.
Art engagement
First Art is part of the Creative People and Places programme, initiated and funded by Arts Council England through the National Lottery, which takes the lead in choosing, creating and taking part in art experiences in the places where they live.
There are 21 independent projects, each located in an area where people have traditionally had fewer opportunities to get involved with the arts. Creative People and Places projects have reached over 1.2 million people, 90% of whom do not regularly engage in the arts.
'Portraits of Tibshelf' by Jonathan Bates, 'Childs Play' and 'The Final Voyage' (both by Paul Lovatt-Cooper) will be shown on a continuous loop to accompany the exhibition, whilst on Sunday October 1st, the centre will broadcast live the performances from bands competing at the Bolsover Festival of Brass competition.
Enduring appeal
Carole Hirst (Crompton), in her former role as Arts Development Officer at Bolsover Council, led the commissioning of the three works.
These were premiered by Black Dyke, accompanied by evocative films produced former Desford Colliery Band player Martyn Harris, and she told 4BR that she was delighted by the enduring appeal of the original projects.
"Linking up with other major projects and exhibitions was a major ambition in our minds when the works were originally commissioned,"she said.
"Each has a very human element at its core — from the children at play in the local mining communities and the industrial development of the local villages around the pits as they grew, to the miners who took to sea to serve their country on board the great battleships of the First World War."
Carole added: "This exhibition continues that link — right through to the present time with their fantastic offer to show live coverage of the Bolsover Festival of Brass at the visitor centre on the contest day of Sunday 1st October."
Important legacy
Meanwhile, Black Dyke Director of Music Prof Nicholas Childs was also thrilled by the news. "This is further evidence of the important legacy these projects maintain.
We were delighted to be involved with the premieres, and I'm sure the response from visitors to 'Echoes of Brass' will be as equally positive as those received when they were given."
He added: "I'm especially delighted as my father worked at Creswell Colliery for a number of years, so I know just how important the mining industry link is to the area."
Linking up with other major projects and exhibitions was a major ambition in our minds when the works were originally commissionedCarole Hirst
Museum loans
The museum is now looking for items of personal memorabilia from people or bands that have a direct link to the North East Derbyshire, Bolsover, Mansfield and Ashfield areas to be loaned to the exhibition.
If you have something that you feel would enhance the exhibition, please contact: Rachel Carter: Creative Producer — First Art, at: rachel@firstart.org.uk
