July 2020
Albert Chappell 1985 (Photo: courtesy Tamsin Carter)
Born: 1917 in Rugby
Married: Eileen
Died: 1999
Albert Chappell had a major influence on the UK and Cornish brass band scene and there are many whose musical career was enhanced by their involvement with him.
Albert Chappell was born in Rugby in 1917 and spent a lifetime in the world of brass band as a player, musical director and adjudicator. With both parents playing brass instruments in the Salvation Army, it was almost certain that Albert Chappell would have a musical future.
In 2020, he was featured in an article by Tim Mutum on the brass band website, 4barsrest (1) and there you can read about his long and influential career.
His involvement in adjudication began in the mid-1960s and he judged at all levels, including the National Championships at the Royal Albert Hall, the British Open, European Championship, Granada Band of the Year, Brass in Concert and twice at Bugle Contest – in 1972 and 1976. Perhaps his involvement there influenced his decision to eventually move to Cornwall.
The Iles Medal is awarded by the Worshipful Company of Musicians for significant contributions to the brass band movement and in 1974 Albert Chappell was included amongst those who have received this honour.
We pick up his story in 1978, when he retired and moved to Cornwall with his wife, Eileen. They lived near Camborne where he took great pride in his new garden.
In 1980, he became musical director of St Austell Silver Band and in that year, he led them to a very respectable 6th place in the Championship Section of the Regional Championships.
During the early 1980s, John Hitchens of Camborne Town Band had private lessons with Albert Chappell. He recalled him as an outstanding teacher, exceptional pianist and a perfect gentleman. John said, “He often received telephone calls while I was there, and it was strange to hear him casually chatting with people who I considered to be giants in the movement. I benefitted greatly from his lessons as did many others who progressed to being top brass players.”
Albert Chappell (Photo: courtesy St Austell Silver Band)
March 1980 (Photo: Grindley Studios courtesy St Austell Silver Band)
Early in 1981, he led St Austell Band to 1st place at Yeovil Entertainment Contest and this was underlined by gaining second place the following year and another 1st place in 1983. With so many good bands taking part in this prestigious contest, these results were huge achievements.
There was another excellent contest result in 1981 when the band won the Championship Section at Pontin’s National Championships playing “James Cook, Circumnavigator”.
November 1981 (Photo: Alan Joyce – courtesy St Austell Silver Band)
There was success, too, at the South West Brass Band Association Contest in 1982 when they lifted the first-place trophy in the top section playing “Kensington Concerto”.
The Regional Championships are hugely important and in 1984 St Austell Silver Band was placed 4th in the Regional Championships competing against the top bands in the southwest. The test piece was “Waverley” by Hector Berlioz/Howard Snell.
Either 1980 or 1982, in both years they swept the boards at Bugle Contest (Photo: courtesy St Austell Silver Band)
The West of England Bandsmen’s Festival, usually referred to as Bugle Contest because of its location, is an open-air competition dating back to 1912. St Austell Silver Band have been excellent supporters of this event across the years and under Albert Chappell they achieved some hugely impressive results. In 1980, playing “Journey into Freedom” by Eric Ball, they took first place when competing against Cornwall’s finest. The following year they had to be content with second place but in 1982 they were top of the pile again as they claimed the Royal Trophy.
In 1984, Albert Chappell’s time with St Austell Silver Band came to an end but he still had much more to offer Cornish brass banding.
Cornwall Youth Brass Band
Albert Chappell had been the guest conductor for the Cornwall Youth Brass Band for four residential courses during the 1970s. In 1980, he agreed to become its senior tutor, a position he held for seven years. He clearly felt an affinity with the band and devoted more and more of his time to this group of young players: how fortunate they were. It was an association that was to last until the year of his death and included many prestigious events and ten years as the band’s President – from 1989 to 1999.
The CYBB in 1976 with Albert Chappell (Photo: courtesy CYBB)
For euphonium player John Hitchens, the two trips to London in 1983 with the CYBB were exciting and memorable events. In July, Albert Chappell led them when they won the Outstanding Performance Award at the 1983 National Festival of Youth at the Royal Festival Hall in London. It was a major achievement and resulted in them being invited to take part in the School Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in the following November. These were truly amazing experiences for these young musicians.
The CYBB in 1983 with Albert Chappell outside the RAH
Albert Chappell was extremely proud of the Cornwall Youth Brass Band and John Hitchens recalls what a privilege it was to play under him. He said, “The band was really playing well at that time and tackling some of the most difficult pieces. Richard Evans was the guest conductor in 1987 and I remember his surprise when Albert Chappell told him that the programme included ‘Year of the Dragon’ by Peter Graham. Richard’s response was to ask if the band had a trombone player capable of playing it, to which Albert Chappell replied, ‘We have three’.”
The CYBB in June 1988 with Albert Chappell, Phillip McCann, Ray Farr and Leonard Adams (Photo: courtesy CYBB)
In 1988, Leonard Adams took over as senior tutor and he and Albert Chappell were soon planning an event that would be long remembered in the history of the band: a tour of France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. So it was that in 1990, the band set out on this exciting expedition and so memorable was it that, in 2020, the pages of social media are full of videos, photographs and reports of its success.
The concert programmes were selected from the following items:
Salutation by K Pelmear
The Golden Lady by Goff Richards
Morning Noon and Night by Suppe
Cornets A-Go-Go by D Broadbent
Patsy by D Stratford
Tara’s Theme by M Steiner
Pop Looks Bach by S Fonteyn
Dem Bones arranged by G Langford
Scarecrow and Mrs King by A Rubenstein
The Young Amadeus by W A Mozart
Strike Up the Band by G Gershwin
Elvira Madigan Theme by Mozart
A Disney Fantasy arranged by G Richards
Queens Park Melody by Jacob De Haan
Born Free by J Barry
Shenandoah by S Bulla
Tritsch Tratsch Polka by J Strauss
Plenteous Grace by K Pelmear
Galaxies by C Davis
Included in the programme was “The Golden Lady,” by Goff Richards, written especially for the tour.
“The Golden Lady,” a war memorial in Luxembourg City, usually known as Gëlle Fra.
(Courtesy British Bandsman 1st September 1990)
Albert’s wife died in 1992 and he returned to live near his daughter in Warwick.
Albert Chappell died on the 19th November 1999 and at the Easter concert of that year, the Cornwall Youth Brass Band paid tribute to him by playing “How Great Thou Art” in his memory.
Albert Chappell’s Contest Results with Cornish Brass Bands
Cornwall Brass Band Association
1971: Adjudicated.
1979: Redruth Town placed 3rd in the Second Section playing Shipbuilders by Peter Yorke.
1980: St Austell Town placed 1st in the Championship Section playing The Plantagenets by Edward Gregson.
1981: St Austell Town placed 2nd in the Championship Section playing Un Vie de Matelot by Robert Farnon.
Cornwall Brass Band Association Cornwall Coliseum Contest
1982: St Austell Town placed 1st in the Championship Section playing ???
1983: St Austell Town placed 1st in the Championship Section playing ???
Joshua Tetle Leeds Open Brass Band Championships
1983: St Austell Town placed 11th in the Championship Section playing James Cook Circumnavigator.
1984: St Austell Town placed 10th in the Championship Section playing Rhapsody for Brass Band.
Pontin’s Regional Contest
1980: St Austell Town placed ??? in the Championship Section playing ???
1981: St Austell Town placed 3rd in the Championship Section playing Tournament For Brass.
1983: St Austell Town placed 3rd in the Championship Section playing The Accursed Huntsman by Cesar Franck.
Pontin’s National Contest
1981: St Austell Town placed 1st in the Championship Section playing James Cook, Circumnavigator.
1982: St Austell Town placed 3rd in the Championship Section playing Festive City by Eric Ball.
1983: St Austell Town placed 6th in the Championship Section playing Carnaval Romain.
Regional Championship of Great Britain
1979: Redruth Town placed ??? in the Third Section playing ???
1980: St Austell Town placed 6th in the Championship Section playing Beatrice and Benedict by Berlioz/Keith Wilkinson.
1981: St Austell Town placed 4th in the Championship Section playing Variations on a Shining River.
1982: St Austell Town placed 4th or 5th in the Championship Section playing Essay.
1983: St Austell Town placed 3rd in the Championship Section playing Images.
1984: St Austell Town placed 4th in the Championship Section playing Waverley by Hector Berlioz/Howard Snell.
SWBBA
1981: St Austell Youth placed 1st in the Youth section.
1982: St Austell Town placed 1st in the Championship Section of the SWBBA Contest under Albert Chappell playing Kensington Concerto.
West Cornwall Band Festival
1979: Redruth Town placed 1st in Class B playing ???
West of England Bandsmen’s Festival (Bugle Contest)
1972: Adjudicated.
1974: Mount Charles placed 4th / 3rd in Class A playing Cornish Festival Overture / Toccata from Suite Gothique.
1976: Adjudicated.
1980: St Austell Town placed 1st / 1st in Class A at the WEBF (Bugle) playing Journey Into Freedom / Toccata from Suite Gothique.
1980: St Austell Youth placed 3rd in the Youth Section at the WEBF (Bugle) playing Little Suite No. 2 for Brass Band.
1981: St Austell Town placed 2nd / 3rd in Class A playing Freedom / March Molinnis Park.
1982: St Austell Town placed 1st / 1st in Class A playing John O’Gaunt / Heroic March from Epic Symphony.
Yeovil Entertainment Contest
1981: St Austell Town placed 1st
1982: St Austell Town placed 2nd
1983: St Austell Town placed 1st
1984: St Austell Town placed 4th
1985: St Austell Town placed 4th
End notes:
- 4barsrest is a website with latest news and information from the world of brass bands
Further Reading:
Pages on this website:
Cornish Brass Bands – Cornwall Youth Brass Band
Cornish Brass Bands – St Austell
4barsrest website
Acknowledgements:
John Hitchens (principal euphonium with Camborne Town Band) for information provided.
All organisations and individuals, whether named or not, who have provided information and photographs for this brief biography. If you own the copyright to any of the photographs included, then please let us know and you will be credited, or the photographs removed.
Compiled and written by Tony Mansell (Bardh Kernow – Skrifer Istori)