The old saying that goes “find a penny, pick it up, all today you’ll have good luck” will take on greater significance this year as a group of young musicians attempt to collect 1p for every British soldier who lost their life in the First World War. By raising 956,703 pennies, Cornwall’s champion youth brass band hope to commemorate the sacrifice of their forebears by taking part in a concert tour of the Belgian battlefields in August.
Camborne Youth Band’s fundraising effort is expected to receive a boost on April 26 when the young players lead two parades for their home town’s annual Trevithick Day festivities, followed by a “Pennies In The Square” concert in May.
Michelle Smith, a member of CYB’s management team, said: “The tour to Belgium will visit a number of First World War battlefields, cemeteries and memorials. The youth band will play in a number of the commemorative ceremonies taking place to mark the centenary and it has just been confirmed that they will perform at the Menin Gate, which is obviously a great honour.
“A lot of the musicians are hoping to take part and because the majority are children we are trying to raise funds independently rather than asking them to pay for their own place. The trip will cost several thousand pounds and we don’t have very long in which to raise the money – hence the idea for collecting the symbolic 956,703 pennies.”
The four-day trip, which is expected to involve a party of 50, is being sponsored by the Community Cashback Award Scheme and Burncoose Nurseries, which is donating the proceeds from its popular garden tours.
Camborne Youth Band has been led by musical director Alan Pope since 1999. Beginning with just seven young and enthusiastic players, Alan borrowed instruments, gave presentations and lessons at local schools and increased membership to 80 players in the first year. CYB won their first national title five years later and followed it with wins in both 2005 and 2006.
“This hat-trick was unique in the history of the national contest,” said Michelle. “But not content with such an achievement, the band returned to Manchester for the following three years and won on each successive occasion. Even though they took a break in 2010, they returned in 2011 to take an unprecedented seventh title.”
Alan, who was made a bard of Gorsedh Kernow for his contribution to music-making in Cornwall, also runs Camborne Brass, a junior contest band, and two training bands.
“Such success doesn’t come without a good deal of hard work on the part of Alan and all of the band members,” said Michelle.
The band has the support of two high-profile professional music advisers. Alan Morrison, formerly of Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band, and David Childs of the Flowers Band, who both make regular visits to Camborne to give the young musicians the benefit of their experience.
Michelle added: "As well as offering tuition and contest opportunities to young people in a disadvantaged area, membership enables them to learn to work together as a team. The band is a vital part of the local community and is recognised both locally and nationally for its exemplary ethos and its many successes. Many young people go on from the youth band to play in Cornwall Youth Brass Band and Camborne Town Band, and some go on to join national youth bands, top championship section bands, or to study music at university. We hope the visit to Belgium will be both educational and musically rewarding.”