Desford Colliery Band has just flown Manchester Airport to Japan on their latest tour of the Far East.

Growing list

Following previous visits to Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila, this inaugural week-long trip will add another emerging brass band country to their growing list of international destinations.

Joining the band and conductor Nigel Seaman is Foden’s baritone player Natsumi McDonald, who’s done much of the preparatory groundwork for the visit. Also joining the ranks are cornet player Fumika Kimura and Eb tuba Kazuyuki Kouno, who until recently was a student at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Wales and played with Cory.

Connections

Desford’s Chairman, Peter Smith, has worked in many different countries in his professional career and spent some years in the Far East building up numerous contacts in the region.

"Foreign touring has been an important part of the band’s ethos," he told 4BR. "Both to foster international banding relations and to strengthen the bonds within the band itself.

It had always been a personal ambition to take the band to Japan at some time, and now we are looking forward to what will be another historic visit for Desford.

We are also particularly delighted that we will be joined by David Childs as our guest soloist for the tour – a performer with a worldwide reputation and who is treated like a superstar in the country!"

Work

Peter’s well known son, David, is the co-principal trumpet of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and his connections have proved invaluable for the tours.

After a brief stopover in Abu Dhabi, the band touched down Tokyo’s Narita Airport on Friday afternoon, and after a three-hour transfer by coach they met up with their first hosts, Utsunomiya Brass Society.

It had always been a personal ambition to take the band to Japan at some time, and now we are looking forward to what will be another historic visit for DesfordPeter Smith

Intensive

MD Nigel Seaman told 4BR that the band will be doing quite a lot of travelling as well as performing at some unique venues.

"After the rigours of getting to Japan I think that a good night’s sleep will be more than welcome!

Indeed, the first part of the week will be pretty intensive as far as travel and concerts are concerned, with three performances over as many days, with quite a lot of travelling involved."

Repertoire

He added: "The repertoire for the tour is a diverse mix of old and new, encompassing works ranging from the likes of Suppé and Borodin to Sparke and Paul Lovatt-Cooper, with John Williams and Karl Jenkins along the way.

We’ll be sharing the first concert with Utsunomiya Brass Society on Saturday afternoon where our guest soloist David Childs will no doubt wow the audience."

Visits

Sightseeing excursions have also been arranged; including the huge Oya Kannon statue and its associated mine workings, as well lunch at Natsumi McDonald’s parent’s wonderful restaurant.

In return for the welcoming hospitality the band hopes to be able to provide a number of masterclasses and workshops.

Sunday evening’s concert will be shared with the Suzume Youth Band, with the band joining Saitama Premier Brass for the final concert on Monday.

Reward

There is a reward for all the hard work however, with three further days available for some more sightseeing and a well-earned mini holiday.

With Japan now ticked off in the touring history books, Desford will now be looking for more exotic places to take their unique brand of brass band missionary work, with plans already in the pipeline to visit Dubai and Thailand.