A Touch of Bath by D.M.C. Wright

Author:D.M.C. Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brown Dog Books

A CALL TO FAMILY DUTY IN THE

PARADE GARDENS

The Parade Gardens in Bath were well prepared for the tourist season with the floral display by the parks department delighting everyone who either looked down into it from the Grand Parade above or walked around the gardens. The entrance from the Grand Parade was next to the Orange Grove behind the abbey.

Janet, who had lived in Bath for a few years, started to descend the steps. On her left the gardens sloped down to the river Avon with Bath Rugby ground just visible on the other side of the river. Today the river was high and fast flowing under the Pulteney Bridge arches and was completely covering the steps of the weir. On the ledges of the bridge seagulls and pigeons perched there, before giving an aeronautic display by diving over the weir or under the arches. To the right of the gardens, taking centre stage, was the Victorian bandstand, and to the far right in the corner the tea house. It was a warm sunny day and the sun cast long shadows across the lawns. A feature of the gardens was a bronze statue of Mozart with his fiddle at the ready, though vandals had taken a liking to his bow. His head was not exempt from aerial bombardment from seagulls, or as a perch for them to squawk at the passing world.

Janet was happy to be there today as she knew the summer band concerts started today. It was a fine June day: the gardens were reasonably full with people either in deckchairs or on the grass taking in the sun.

Janet sat down on a park bench away from the crowds with her sandwich.

When the band finally did arrive and set up, it was announced that their first musical selection would be from Oklahoma. She couldn’t wait to hear ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’, as she knew it had a euphonium solo, but to her annoyance it had been cut. This upset Janet a little, as she had played the solo part many times and knew the repertoire back to front.

Her whole family breathed brass music.

She herself had been coached by her uncle on the euphonium. He was a remarkable player of different brass instruments, to the extent that he could fill in for any band at very short notice.

By the age of twelve she herself had started to gain a reputation locally as a budding soloist. At eighteen she was principal player in her own town band and had started to receive offers to join other bands. She had declined as she owed her allegiance to the band that had encouraged her, and as a quarter of the players were close relatives. One had a duty to one’s family, that was important to her.

She also began to win local music competitions with her playing. Her major breakthrough was at the yearly Brass Band Competition in the Albert Hall in London. All the bands from Great Britain played against each other to see who was the best for that year.

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