Fodens Band have just returned from another successful trip to Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Hectic weekend

The hectic weekend of concerts and socialising was the ninth year in succession that the Fodens have been invited to Armagh as guests of Armagh Old Boys Band with whom they enjoy close links.

2010 will be the tenth anniversary of this relationship and plans are already under way to make next year an even more special celebration.

Flights over

After a week of worries over the weather, Fodens Band arrived in Belfast on three separate flights.

The first group to arrive were involved in a workshop for primary school children, some of whom learned their first notes and performed them all within the same session. There is a very high emphasis on youth at Armagh Old Boys and this is embraced whole heartedly by the Fodens visitors.

As has become tradition, Fodens spent Saturday rehearsing with and accompanying at a matinee concert young brass players from all over Northern Ireland4BR

Minutes to spare

Further members of the Band flew into Belfast early afternoon, with the final flight getting those players who couldn’t finish work any earlier to the Market Place Theatre with minutes to spare before the start of the Friday evening concert.

World Within

Friday and Saturday evening saw Fodens, conducted by Mike Fowles, reprising the new Andy Scott composition 'A World Wtihin' (Andy accompanied the Band on the trip) and 'Paganini Variations' from the RNCM concert a week earlier.

Soloists

Over the two evenings all the band’s soloists were featured – Lesley Howie, Mark Wilkinson, Alan Wycherley, Helen Williams, John Barber, Les Neish, Mark Landon and the multi talented Glyn Williams who not only delivered 'Carnival of Venice', but also entertained vocally with 'Have you met Miss Jones' and 'Another Star'.

Tradition

As has become tradition, Fodens spent Saturday rehearsing with and accompanying at a matinee concert young brass players from all over Northern Ireland.

A Fodens spokesperson told 4BR: "All the members of the Fodens Band would like to express their thanks to Ivor Stephenson who is the driving force behind the weekend and also to all his team who did a sterling job in taking care of everyone for the entirety of the weekend."