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History repeats at Padstow 

History will repeat itself at Padstow in Cornwall on Sunday 17^th September when the St Dennis Band will give the first performance of a new piece of music to mark the opening of the new Lifeboat House at Trevose Head and the naming of the new Padstow Lifeboat, Spirit of Padstow. A View From Trevose Head has been commissioned from the young composer, Michael Jennings, by the Contractors of the Lifeboat House, Edmund Nuttall Ltd.

Born in Southampton in 1978 Michael had his first taste of music as a Chorister at his Father’s Church before spending five years as a member of The Westminster Abbey Choir. After a period as a Music Scholar at Uppingham School in Rutland he went to Edinburgh University where he studied composition with Nigel Osborne and Marina Adamia. He has quickly made an impact as a composer with a wide range of music from film scores to pieces for the Royal Maundy Service at Liverpool Cathedral in 2004 and for The Chapel Royal Choir at Windsor Castle. 

A View From Trevose Head is Michael’s first composition for Brass Band, the inspiration for which came from a visit he paid to Trevose Head and the new Lifeboat Station. He said that the music depicts the journey of a small boat, first seen near the shore on a hazy day, which gradually travels away into the distance. Michael is full of praise for The St Dennis Band and their Musical Director, Brian Minear, for the care they have taken in preparing the music and for the enthusiasm and support they have given him in bringing the music to life.

The Ceremony at Padstow on Sunday 17^th September starts at 2pm on The North Quay, at the same spot where The St Dennis Band gave the first performance on 19^th July 1968 of Malcolm Arnold’s now famous march, The Padstow Lifeboat. This was the occasion of the naming of a previous Padstow Lifeboat by The Duke of Kent. At the time Malcolm Arnold, now Sir Malcolm, lived nearby at St Merryn and was a personal friend of many of the Lifeboat crew and was moved to pay this fine musical tribute to them.

On the day the Musical Director of St Dennis, the late Eddie Williams, handed over the Baton to the Composer to conduct the march, with the present Musical Director, Brian Minear and Michael Jennings, still a member of the present Band, also playing in that memorable performance. This time, as well as some items before the Ceremony, the Band will play both The Padstow Lifeboat and the new piece by Michael Jennings, A View From Trevose Head. They will also play several Hymns during the Ceremony. The Band has made a recording of the new piece, courtesy of the RNLI and PM Sound, which will be broadcast in Phillip Hunt’s Sounds of Brass programme the same evening, Sunday 17^th September at 7-05pm on BBC Local Radio Stations throughout the South West of England and Channel Islands.

All the work necessary to prepare the new piece comes at a busy time for The St Dennis Band as they are also preparing for their appearance in the Finals of The National Brass Band Championships in Harrogate on September 23^rd.  This is the fifth time they have qualified for the Finals in six years, having risen from the Fourth to the Second Section during that time. As a result of this success they have already been promoted to the First Section from January next year and hope to leave the Second Section with another victory at Harrogate.