A scene from the movie "Brassed Off" For all lovers of brass. The Grimethopre Colliery band play Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. The flugal soloist is Paul Hughes.
Reminds me of my days in the pit bands, I played for Hucknall & Linby Miners, Yorkshire Main and Markham Main. I loved playing the flugal horn and got a lot of positive comments on my tone etc when I played at Kneller Hall, before becoming the principal cornet player in the school band. Hesley Hall School nr Tickhill. God Bless my friend and tutor, Jack Argyle!
Dad was onsetter at Williamthorpe Colliery, Holmewood Derbyshire. He rode the cage up, ALONE the very last time before it closed. It nearly killed him, he never forgot that wicked woman and her Government to his dying day. This tune epitomises the time and their suffering..
I know the original wasnt with brass, but this dont 'alf make the hairs on my body stand up! Just something about it that gets to me each time i play it :)
My former band director at Southern University (RIP Carnell Knighten) arranged this for the marching band a few years back....every time i hear it it brings me back
Not really. The Bagad de Lann Bihoué play the "Marche des soldats de Robert Bruce" and THATb is the single most expressive piece of music ever. Although when Sinead O'Connor sang "Oh, Danny Boy" that was very emotional. Or you could watch this, www.youtube (DOT) com/watch?v=gByThJ0iiNI&ab_channel=gavaxovergnat , and see what REAL MARINES can play. Light years beyond the RN marines and certainly way further beyond anything the Yenghi marines could do.
After watching the orchestral and guitar versions of this music...I find THIS version is the most powerful...the scenes of union negotiations and Pete Postlethwaite waving his baton are interspersed so perfectly it heightens the emotions of the music. I have watched this film many times and it never fails to move me.
this is the first time i have listened to this in 6 months. The last time was at my auntys funeral. this was her fav song and she loved this film. o i do miss you and wish you was here still. there is so many things i never asked you or told you . love you forever god bless
I was brought up near grimethorpe where this was filmed and was born during the strike. My dad was a miner for 35 years and he will always be the best man in my life. Love you dad
I Just Love This Film ⁰ A wonderful Piece of Music The Actor's And Actresses Surperb My Husband Was A Miner From 15 Years Old Till Maggie Thatcher Closed All The Mines It Was Literally His Bread And Marge As He Had Four Children of School Age To Bring Up But he Never Let It Beat Him Then Many Years Later We Got Married And Were Together For Twenty Two Years Till He Died With Copd This Film Will Always Remain In My Heart And This Pice Of Music I Had Played At His Funeral He Used to Play The Cornet At Our Local Silver Band Till The Band Master Realized He Could Not Read Music But he Could Pick A Tune Up As Quick As Snapping Your Two Fingers He Played Organ At Home Just Wonderful Lost My Soulmate Two Years Now But out of Pain Now And At Peace So I say God Bless All You Miners And Thankyou For Keeping Our Home Fires Burning My Father Was Also One Of You To all you That Are Still With Us A Happy 2021 And Bless You xx
i lived through it too, we lost our pit, and shipyards. Ihave vivid memories of the miners strike when people couldnt even keep the house warm and put food on the table, all my fencing got nicked for firewood!
Very moving film. Hard to portray the end of an entire community, they were not welcomed when they first started filming, but then the community felt the film encapsulated much of their distress.
the composer of this piece of music was blind! he had someone who he told to write the music on paper! He was probably the greatest of one of the best composers of all time! and fair play to the arranger of this piece!
I worked in Rotherham as an engineer during the miners strike, and the confusion and hatred that Thatcher and her regime created among working families was horrendous. Sitting in the hotel bar watching impromptu games of bingo being played for a miserly winnings of a tin of beans was soul searching to a degree of which I never thought this wonderful country would stoop. Families were fighting amongst them selves, and still are to this very day. Oh that woman and her Tory successors have still got a lot to answer and apologise for, but for most of the political hierarchy in this country being true Old Etonians, "saying sorry is a sign of weakness". Rust in Hell.
She is miming it. She has learned the moves from the man who is 'dubbing 'her, Paul Hughes - soloist in the 'Wm. Tell' overture. As an actress she is required to learn many things - and be able to replicate them.
I never worked in the mines but I did deliver the coal to the households in all kinds of weather; rain, hail, snow and scorching sun. In the dry season every bag emptied in to a shed or galvanised bin brought a cloud of dust that blackened your eyes and penetrated your lungs. Still, it were nowt compared to the sacrifice the amazing colliers made for their country and families. Hunched over a pick and shovel at the coal face, day in day out, helping to make this nation of Britain, NOT what it is today, but what it used to be before the mines were shut down. Thatcher's legacy scarred the hearts of men and of the nation. Took everything the black stuff could bring and saw the workers pushed in to poverty. This amazing band music is an awesome tribute to the Yorkshire miners. As long as this sound lives on their memory will never fade away. God bless you one 'n' all.
i totally agree ive searched for this ver for ages and nothing sounds as good as this track most are ither slower or as you say the tone is diffrent i realy want this one too
im from the village were this is based and filmed, although its called grimley in the film the real village is called grimethorpe. the pit closure upset nearly all barnsley but the people of grimethorpe kept there spirits alive when they won this championship
50 years as a musician (and teacher) ... not sure if I've ever heard a brass player with any more emotion than this. (and I've played with and heard pretty much all of the "greats"). Phrasing is unbelievably spectacular ! BRAVO !!!!!! Brings a tear to my eye EVERY time I listen to this. This is one of my all time "musical moments". Paul Hughes.... God wants his lips back !! Thank you.
Tony I agree, alhough born in Lancs, my parents are from yorkshire (Im a long way from home now though, St Louis USA!)..blimmin brill film this, no need for swearin..steve
As an ex miner from Westoe colliery in the north east i can relate to the heartache portraied in this film, my grandfather, father and 2 brothers as well as myself where miners.
Kudos to Ewan McGregor in this scene. A tiny detail, that the observant actor picked up from watching the real brass players from Grimethorpe around him - as he breaks out of his reverie, picks up the tenor horn and gets ready to play, he gives the mouthpiece a little lick.
My husband and I watched the film when it first came out and we loved this piece of music we had it playing in the background as we got married in 1998 in a civil ceremony in Inveraray registry office. .Sadly, my husband has terminal cancer and we intend to incorporate it in his funeral so it will have loads of memories for me.
this film is one of the very best.so much sadness behind the humour.just like the full monty. they were very dark days for industries and workers. no change there then........
This is one of my favourite pieces to play, thanks to brassed off for the intro and popularising a fantastic piece of music. Always sound best in brass to me but I am biased.
im from the village were this is based and filmed, although its called grimley in the film the real village is called grimethorpe. the pit closure upset nearly all barnsley but the people of grimethorpe kept there spirits alive when they won this championship
Some bobbleheaded purist once declared this rendition to be rubbish, yet it always wrings a sob from my throat every time I listen to it. Bravo, I say!
Dale Diddock Dale, couldn't agree more - I sob everytime I listen/view this piece. Sad that so much hatred still is still evoked by this rendition of such a wonderful composition. Miss the great Pete P. very much.
Everything comes together beautifully in this sequence : Tara Fitzgerald's enchanting performance as Gloria, straining to meet each note, trying hard not to let down her peers; Mark Herman and his editor cutting the scene with tremendous pace and rhythm; and of course that wonderful flugal solo by Paul Hughes.
Pete Postlewaite, the band leader, in the above clip has dies of testicular cancer. He was 64. He left a wife and two adult children. What a loss. Where would the fans of great acting in cinema be without strong, multi-nuanced character actors like Pete Posltlewaite. Rest in peace in the arms of the Lord.
i thought the same thing like there is nothign not to like, i mean fine if you dont like brass bands then yea, if you dont enjoy the interpretations fine however they are playing tot he top standard there are no faults here some people are just stpid
Got to love those few Grimethorpe musicians messing at around 0:18'ish... This song, in this arrangement and performance has something special. Intense, deep, persistant sadness breathes through it, as do melancholy and the accepting of what is done. Yet it leaves me with the feelings of hope, defiance and pride. That feeling, even though everything goes ill, it'll be alright. Pete's "directing" and Tara's flügelhorn playbacking, it's off (naturally!) they should've avoided that problem somehow.
This version breaks my heart. I love the beauty of Aranjuez in contrast to the betrayal of the working-class people. I am British but live in Spain; whenever I hear this, it reminds me of my family in the north of England. I love it.
@dudedude270 Most of the miners portrayed didn't have Cancer! What they had was a lung disease caused by Coal Dust. It doesn't take away from the fact that the Miners of Grimethorpe produced some of the most amazing music
I am a yorkshire girl, and I was lucky enough to have a job through all of the strikes, I can only guess how my less fortunate friends felt when I brought food to their door....they were such proud people and still are, i know it hurt them to be humble ...it hurt me too xxx
This was the first version of Rodrigo's Concerto that I ever heard. Simply lovely. Which led to finding out it was written for Guitar and orchestra. John Williams, Frank Vignola,.... Paco de Lucia does an especially wonderful rendition. Then of course there's Miles Davis version on sketches of Spain. One of my favorite pieces of music. Never heard a bad version
Whoever she is miming too while supposedly playing the cornet, is very very good. I Like listening to Brass bands playing as i was brought up in the Rhondda valley in south Wales where the cory band comes from they practice not far from where i was born in the Rhondda. And one of my cousins played the cornet in the cory band
