TV stardom brings the brass rolling in for band

Nov 7 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

A COLLIERY band which was brassed off and broke three months ago is now blowing its way to a star-studded future.

Ever since Easington Colliery Brass Band from County Durham featured on TV’s The Secret Millionaire in August, they have been inundated with bookings – including an offer to play on New York’s Broadway.

And their latest, and most unusual job, is to open the opera Carmen at Sunderland’s Empire Theatre.

Opera director Ellen Kent said the band was chosen to appear in Bizet’s opera on Saturday, November 22, to recreate the atmosphere of a Spanish bull ring.

She said: “It is tradition in Andalucia in Spain for a brass band to lead the parade into the bull ring.

“We want to transform the theatre into a Spanish bullring, complete with flamenco dancers, matadors and a brass band.

“I asked a friend in Sunderland to put me in contact with a brass band and she suggested Easington Colliery Brass Band.

“The band is an integral part of the opera, as they will set the scene for the entire production.”

Band secretary Scott Meikle said the booking was indicative of their change in fortunes since appearing on The Secret Millionaire, when they met marketing millionaire Carl Hopkins from Leeds.

Posing as a community warden, he turned up to the band room to listen, but was soon persuaded to take part as a percussion player beside Scott, who at that point had no idea he was going to change their fortunes.

On the last day of his stay, Carl produced a cheque for £10,000 for Scott as he recognised the importance of the band to Easington, whose colliery was the last to close in the Durham coalfield in 1993 with the loss of 1,400 jobs.

Although the cheque was handed over in March, The Secret Millionaire was not screened until August, after which, said Scott, the band has never been so busy.

He said: “The feedback has been amazing, we are fully booked until September and we have had to turn work down.

“We have even been booked to play at half a dozen weddings and we have been invited to Broadway to appear on stage with the production of Billy Elliot The Musical, but I am not sure if finances will permit that particular trip.”

It is an adaptation of the 2000 film Billy Elliot shot in Easington.

Of the booking to appear in Carmen, Scott said: “It came out of the blue but we are prepared to give anything a go.” The band will open the performance of Carmen by marching through the auditorium and on to the stage playing the Espana Cani (The Spanish Gypsy dance).

Carmen tells the story of the bewitching gypsy girl whose tantalising beauty lures a soldier to desertion and leads to her own murder.

Two other productions at the Sunderland Empire the same week are Tosca on Thursday, November 20 and La Boheme the following day.

Tickets from £13.50 to £33.00 are available from 0844 847-2499 or online at www.SunderlandEmpire.org.uk

The feedback has been amazing, we are fully booked until September and we have had to turn work down.