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May News

Check out HaMar Percussion - Paul's music is now published by this New York based publisher. HaMar have published quite a few of his original pieces for percussion and many arrangements for percussion ensemble and there's more to come!

April News

There's some exciting news coming soon to these pages - contracts have been signed with an American music publisher who plans to publish Paul's percussion ensemble music! We're looking forward to seeing it all in print - more details later on.

March News

Woodfalls played well at the area contest in Torquay but were just pipped at the post into 3rd place.

Championship Section:
Sunday 14th March

The Forum
Draw: 1pm
Commences: (not before) 3.30pm
Adjudicators: David Horsfield & Stan Lippeatt

Result:
1. Flowers (Paul Holland), 7*
2. Camborne Town (Ian Porthouse), 4*
3. Woodfalls (Professor Nicholas Childs), 1
4. Mount Charles (Phillip McCann), 10
5. St Dennis (Philip Harper), 2
6. Lydbrook (Tom Brevic), 6
7. Sherborne Town (Paul Cosh), 9
8. Helston Town (John Hitchins), 3
9. Poole Borough (Phil Randell), 8
10. Yeovil Town (Kevin Robbins), 5

*Top 2 bands qualify for the Finals

The testpiece was English Heritage by George Lloyd - at one point the music requires a large ships bell (see above) and we used the bell above hired from Bell Percussion in London (- cheers guys).

January News

It's been a busy January in Dorset with quite a few gigs and a major birthday party to contend with.

Woodfalls competed at the Butlins Mineworkers Contest in Skegness a few weeks back - it's a gruelling weekend of playing with the band learning a hard testpiece on Saturday and a 30 minute entertainment programme on Sunday. Both performances went well but sadly the judges didn't like us - but that's life.

I haven't seen any pics of us playing yet but here's one from last year's Butlins when the percussion section where featured playing an American style rudimental solo on stools during Sing Sing Sing (don't ask us why)!

Also a massive thanks to the Glowglobes, Bird Jaguar and Alternate Function for playing at my birthday party - it was ace lads and lasses!

Finally, for all those in bands - a couple of decent Battle of the Bands competitions coming up - Blandford and Star Sensations - enter and have fun, who knows, you could even win!

December News

December News

As you'd expect December was a hectic time for Paul, with many Messiah's and Christmas concerts to perform in.

The ones to remember included a superb performance of the Messiah with the Bournemouth Bach Choir at a packed-out Christchurch Priory.

Also memorable was the Portmouth Church carol concert in Pompey's Guildhall. Audience queues for the evening snaked all the way round the Guildhall Square and the hall was packed out with thousands coming along. 

Woodfalls Band shared the stage with some great acts including a fab steel band, African choir, dancers and actors. Our band played three new arrangements of carols written by myself - Silent Night, Hark the Herald and O Little Town of Bethlehem - all played wonderfully by the band and choir.

Have a great Christmas!

Recent News'

November Happenings...

The last week of November was a busy time at Poole Grammar School. Dr Jack Stamp, percussionist, composer, conductor and chair of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania visited the local school for a week of music making.

Fellow PGS percussion tutor Graeme Thew and myself gave the UK premier of Jack's new Concertino for Percussion and Band.

Dr Stamp also put several people (including myself) through our paces at a conducting workshop in Blandford with the Band of the Royal Signals. It was an intense experience and we all learned so much.

And just to top a busy week off, I got to play timps in Neilson's notoriously difficult 4th Symphony on the Saturday with the City of Southampton Orchestra!

Take a peek at what we played below: