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St Catherine's Concert Band spent this Christmas Eve entertaining the congregation at St Brigid's in The Meadow, just like they and their predecessors have done for the people of Newry for the past 100 Years.
2022 marks the Centenary of the band and they remain as popular, vibrant and enthusiastic as ever. Former Band members have certainly made names for themselves. One drums with James Bay while one plays trombone with George Esra. Others have been through the Irish Army Band, an ex member is a composer/writer/player with the Hanover Police Band and others have even gone to sing Opera.
Established in November 1922, W. Byrne, P. Keenan, C. Devine, M. Griffin, J. Hughes and Gene Casey were sitting around a table discussing the formation of a band at the Labour Relations place at the John Fearon Hall and were trying to decide on a name when they heard the bells of St Catherine's Church. St Catherine's Brass and Reed Band was formed and as they say the rest is history. Local merchants came together at the time and purchased the instruments for them. In the early days the band were all self taught, something that changed in later years when schools began to play a more important part.
The band became members of the Northern Ireland Band’s Association in 1923 and in 1924, achieved second place in a contest in the Y.M.C.A. Hall in Belfast. Under the directorship of William Byrne many other successes followed including 1st Prize at the Tailteann Games, Dublin in 1924 and 1932 and other major prizes in Belfast and Portadown. The band went on to win 1st place in the 1980 All Ireland Championships, the Portadown Rose Bowl in 1981 and the All Ireland Senior and Own Choice in Drogheda in 1986.
Luke Burke took over as Musical Director in the late 70's/ early 80's. Luke was a tutor with the Educational Board having previously been in the Irish Army Band and basically he brought all his students into the band. At one point the band had around 40 people, nearly symphonic size.
In the 1980's the band was faced with a choice of remaining a marching band or becoming a concert band, As Mathers explains "It was a political decision really because they were faced with keeping marching which was becoming very political, as in Easter parades, or move away from that and sit down." They held a vote and it was agreed to become a sit down band and not march anymore. St Catherine's Brass and Reed overnight became St Catherine's Concert Band.
Highlights
Noel Mathers took over from Burke as Musical Director in 2005 and currently plays one of the original instruments from the band, a euphonium made in 1882. Mathers recalls a highlight for the band in 1998 when they played in the South of Ireland Band Championships. "We were the first band from the north of Ireland to go down there. It was Clonakilty, Co Cork. 1998 was a Centennial celebration year of the 1798 rising and the organisers said in commemoration of the fact that it's 200 years, could you play something associated with the rising"
As luck would have it their test piece for the All Ireland that year had been the Wexford Rhapsody. As Mathers explains "The Wexford Rhapsody had been written by a gentleman called T.C. Kelly and TC Kelly at the time he wrote it was I think based in Newry. He was organist I think in the cathedral and he wrote it for the Number 1 Irish Army Band for their 150th anniversary. One of the trumpet players in the Irish Army Band at the time was Luke Burke. So whenever it came out as the test piece Luke was able to play it exactly how T.C. Kelly wanted it, because T.C. Kelly came into the band and said 'I've written this piece of music, this is how I want it played'. And whenever we went down to the competition in Clonakilty, one of the adjudicators was the commandant of the Irish Army Band and he came up to me afterwards and asked why do you play it like that. I explained why and he says, right I'm gonna have to go and change how we play it. He thought our way was better and I said that's exactly from the word of mouth off of T.C. Kelly how he wanted it played."
Other highlights Mathers recalls are being able to compete at the highest level on the whole of the island as well as being able to learn some fabulous new music. Playing Riverdance in St Brigids Chapel just after it appeared on the Eurovision is still fondly remembered "We played Riverdance shortly after it had been written when we got a lend of it from the RUC band. They got it specially written for them by the guy who composed it for the RTE Symphony Orchestra. I heard that they had played it at a concert in Ardmore Station and I phoned up the librarian and asked could we borrow it and he says what have you got to offer? I sent him down our library and he was able to borrow some big pieces from us and we borrowed that from him and we performed it in St Bridget's. I remember it extremely well, there was pure and utter silence after it was finished and then this allmighty roar from the whole congregation. It's one of those things where the hairs go up on the back of your neck."
He fondly recalls their 75th Anniversary and the opportunities for colloboration with other bands. "We had a big concert in Newry Sports Centre where every single band in town played. We took up the whole sports floor, because band a was over in one corner and then us. We couldn't move people around so we just put everybody on the floor at the one time"
Memories
Mathers joined the band in 1979, as much a way for his family to keep him off the streets as anything. "It was a very volatile time in Northern Ireland so my parents made a point of having me do something every single night of the week. It was started off on a Saturday morning on a bus to Portadown with the Education Board Band. Sunday morning was senior band practice, Monday night was junior bond practice, Tuesday night was senior band practice, Wednesday was theory practice down at the Education Centre. Thursday was Recorder group, Friday was school orchestra and back Saturday again. They had you doing something every single day to keep you out of trouble." he explained.
One of his earliest memories is of sitting up in the old Band Hall with massive billiard table over in the corner full of music folders and a very echoey room. Somebody came up with a mad idea to put egg cartons all over the roof and the walls to kill the noise - there was too much reverberation, so that's what they did and that killed the noise. It was a fantastic band hall. You had the upper floor, the middle floor, which was a mini bar back in the day and that was then used for practices.
Mathers recalls former Musical Director Luke Burke. "Luke was an excellent tutor but he was also a hard taskmaster, we had to work hard, but the results were in winning competitions, putting on big concerts. I would quite safely say there's music there that we play that would be at a very, very high standard, the stuff that we'd be playing would be very difficult pieces. We tackle it and we get it done."
Family
Family connections have played a big part in the band over the years. Both Noel Mathers and band member Cormac Boyle met their wifes through the band. Mathers' wife's great grandfather was one of the founder members and her whole family would have been the mainstay of the band all the way through, the Hughes family. Boyle and his brother Fergal found their way to the band through their school music tutor.
Location
The Band originally started at the Band Hall where the Canal Court Hotel is now and moved to their current venue from 1936 although there was a stage Newry Fire Station was also used for practice.
Mathers explains "For a while we were the band of the NI Fire Service. We were still St Catherine's but we did all their functions. For example, at the time of 9/11 there was a lot of functions we did on behalf of the fire chief, the late John McClelland and John's father would have played in the band. John allowed us to use the the fire station to practice and he got crests made up for the front of the music stand and that kind of thing. We did a lot of stuff specially around 9/11 when they would have had American firefighters brought over to congratulate them on their work in New York. A lot of solemn stuff played at that time."
Instruments
At the start there would have been a full suite of instruments bought, brass and reed. We still have in use one euphonium, one baritone and a set of tubular bells that would have been from the start and they're made round about the 1880's and they're still being used.
Over the years through fundraising St Catherine's have been able to purchase more instruments. With a substantial award from the Lottery at one point they were able to kit out with a whole bunch of new instruments, trumpets, euphoniums, tubas, clarinets etc, instruments if looked after will last 200 years.
Join the Band
While during covid it has been difficult to keep numbers up they have noticed that people are interested in getting back at it now. Mathers believes the interest is very much still there "We have a girl who has arrived back after 25 years and she's gone and rented herself an instrument to see how she can get on practice wise until she decides to buy, and she's looking forward to it. There's also another lady who's gone 34 years and she wants to come back.
Age wise the band goes from 15 to around 76 and the band welcomes new members. Generally if you achieve grade three you can come and join no matter what age you are but that usually is around 14/15 years of age.
The band practice every Sunday morning from 11 o'clock to half 12 at Water Street. If you would like to get involved check out the band on Facebook and send them a message.
2023 Celebration Concert
The Band intend to have a celebration concert to mark the end of their 100th year, probably October next year and they will be looking for ex members to come back and sit in for six to eight weeks to get them refreshed and get the concert going.
