shankill road defenders f.b. history

The Band was formed in the autumn of 1957, the result of many a cold night standing at street corners of our beloved Shankill Road. What else was there to do in that era? So it was inevitable that something had to be done to get us away from standing at the street corners. It was up to Freddie Cosgrove to move first and he prepared the way to rent premises in Downing Street. First out was to form a committee and officers to run the band, and Freddie whose idea it was in the first instance, became our first treasurer. He was joined by Jim Osborne as secetary, who incidentally proposed that the band should be known as:

SHANKILL ROAD DEFENDERS FLUTE BAND

ON THE MARCH

After many months of fund raising and heartbreak our first instruments were purchased. We were to progress into something becoming a proper flute band when we purchased Crown AZ flutes and Premier drums, side and bass to augment the fluters.

Easter Tuesday 1958 was our first ever event as a marching, playing outfit on the streets. The uniform consisted of white shirts, royal blue sashes and old busmens type hats. (what a difference in uniform now.) The band have had a great varity of uniforms, from pullovers, to bonnets and bow ties, whilst still reatining the colours of royal blue.

With the band united on such a constructive way foward for melody flute bands on the Shankill Road,the renowned John Tully was engaged as our conducter in 1960/61. The same year the bands reputation was beholding in various places and in one paticular instance we were requested to be part of the entertainment of bands playing in front of the packed crowd attending a friendly charity match at windsor park, home of local idols LInfield. (not the only time the band played at windsor, we also played in 2000, when Glasgow Rangers played Linfield in a pre-season friendly another great honour that day).

BAND SUCCESS

After a year of intense pratice, we joined the North of Ireland Bands Association and this gave us the incentive to go foward for the flute bands contest, being held in the Ulster Hall on 20th November 1963. In all eleven bands played the test piece "Oliver" whith ourselves playing third after the draw for placing. Bands such as Hillview Flute Band (also Shankill Road) Cliftonville Protestant Boys, Edenderry and West Belfast amongst others were taking part that night. When the results were announced and the realisation sunk in that we had won by one point, the ornate glass roof of the historic Ulster Hall nearly landed on the moon. We had recieved 112 points with Prince of Orange in runners up spot with 111 and the Hillview getting 107. We were crowned All Ireland Champions and were presented with the Richview cup, what an honour for a band only walking a mere 5 years.

Our next entry into the competitveness of the flute band own choice contest in 1968 saw us at the King GeorgeVI Memorial Hall in May Street,and success came a second time that night when we came out on tops palying the set piece "Raymond" . Throughout that period we contested many events with immense attainment although not emulating the premeir success of other competions, however we were always placed in the top three of each of the contests we engaged.

Marching into the 70s

At the beginning of the 70s a new hosing development programme was taking place througout the Shankill, a huge number of friends and familes were to be scattered around various estates far away from the Shankill Road.

Just as it was in other bands and organisations, membership of the band rapidly fell because of this polarisation and in 1973 the Defenders had just a neucleus of ten members within its ranks. It was hard not to get dejected and despondent with such a small number of personnel, but the determation was there to survive.

Struggling through 1974 and the "12th" day saw us on parade with just fourteen members of a marching band,made up of ten fluters and four drummers including the bass drum player. The Apprentice Boys of Derry march in Londonderry for the closing of the gates in December, was no exception when we had only ten in total on parade. This time seven flutes with a bass and three side drummers was a core band.

But we made it and we continued to be a marching band, despite depleted numbers in the ranks. we soldiered on in the old adage terms: to fight is to win and to remain what we were since 1958- Shankill Road Defenders Flute Band.

The redevelopment on the Shankill saw us losing our original band hall in Downing Street and that didnt help matters, with us having to move around like nomads to find a settled practice hall. Various places gave us a home, all very welcome, but only for a short spell of occupation. For as we moved in, the bulldozers were not too far behind as the redevelopment plan for the Shankill Road continued.

Marching into the 80s

We eventually settled in the Linfield Supporters Social Club in Jumna Street in 1987 (after being made very welcome by the Sportsmans Bar in Upper Charleville Street) which also allowed us to have two good fund raising events each year bringing in much need revenue. The Blues Club is now our committed home with band practice being held every monday evening. By now the band had continued to grow at a steady pace with a full compliment of players.

With members and former members who continued to support our efforts to progress forward with each coming year, the band decided that to ensure that flute music of years to come would survive, involved themselves in an in-depth programme to teach young lads how to flute. Sons, nephews friends and in some cases grandchildren joined us to marshal the flautist art. Not just to join a band and march on various occasions that nationalists would have the world believe, but to become part of the eternal culture that is a musical part of our heritage.

Many other keen bandsmen were to join us around this era. This was an exciting step that was being undertaken in musical marching circles with band parades becoming the norm throughout months and years. This was another way in which we could take the band room practice sessions a step further, and allow the lads to be part of a regular street outing whilst at the same time developing their musical skills against others whilst marching and playing at the same time.

We travelled far and near and got to know more bandsmen and friends as part of the extended band fraternity throughout Ulster. Successful we were in many of the parades with style and deportment augmenting our playing. Various catergories came our way through the drum corps, drum major, melody flute and overall band prizes.

A new air of excitement came over us through such parades that we decided to organise our own regular yearly band parade along the Shankill Road. All the money collected throughout the day would go to the Greystones Childrens Home in Dublin. The first year, Thirty-five bands came to the road and we raised £600 with another £630 the following year going to the Trinity College Church roof appeal.

Marching into the 90s

The band continued to recuit younger members into its ranks and soon new but exciting changes were to come our way. But still we soldiered on and inspired ourselves to the purchase of a new uniform. Besides, if we had to play well then we also had to look good. New drums were also purchased to compliment the uniforms of black and gold. And after long months of getting them to our satisfaction, the new flutes finally arrived and were an instant success along with the associated piccolo.

A new conductor brought a new method of teaching into the vocabulary of fluting with marches and tunes that which augmented those we already knew. He also joined the ranks during parades and outings which is unusual for a conductor, but such was his pride and commitment he wanted to have that "hands-on" feeling with us on the march.

As with all good conductors, the actual contest participation is a must and it wasnt long before he had us competing once again, and in 1993, the band was to finish second, playing the test piece- Hoch Heidecksburg. Both the band and our conductor were delighted with this current success of a youngish membership, after being so long out of the competitive world of melody flute bands.

A new initiave came our way when the band was asked to accompany the Clifton Street Districts to the Somme Battlefield in France as part of the commemorative act of remembrance associated with that great war of 1914-18. A new orange Memorial obelisk was also to be unveiled near the battle site as a token of the part played by the Loyal Order Brethren during that courageous and unselfish charge at the somme on 1st july 1916. The visit and parade through the laneways alongside the Thiepval Memorial town gave us the opportunity to develop what we had practiced for...the continual playing of our marching tune repertoire on the day of the remembrance parade.

The "40th" anniversary

The arrangements for that celebration were left in the capable hands of the band committee. No mean feat as we had proposed to make this an anniversary to remember!! New side drums, a new bass drum and of course another new uniform. This time we chose a navy blue tunic type suit with maroon piping and matching caps. We also decided to acknowledge our appreciation with tangible gifts to our invited guests and friends.

The Blues club in Jumna Steet which has been so good and extremely helpful over the years was to be the venue for our celebratory dinner. The date 19th November 1997 and every one of our friends of many years standing were invited to attend.

Representatives from the Loyal Orders were not forgotten in our invitations and among others, included Shankill Road No.6 District RBDC; Prince Albert Temperance LOL 1892; Thistle LOL 72 from Scotland; Earl of Erin LOL 1080; Earl Roberts Memorial RBP 105; the Murray Club ABOD and of course fellow flute bandsmen representing the Millar Memorial; Baillies Lane Proddy Boys from Airdrie and Ballymacarrett Defenders.

The end of the night culminated with an evening of song and entertainment in the caberet room with Sammy Orr again at his musical best belting out several renditions. Actually we couldnt get the mic away from him after the first two songs!!

Into the new Millennium

So here we are now, marching into this new Millennium after surviving forty years and more albeit in musical terms although it seems longer in human life years. We started off the year 2000 with another burst of new and exciting talented members joining our ranks, as well as the older ones continuing to shine. New Marches were polished off and the band marched with pride through the start of the new year. Continuing to achieve the success we achieved in the early years, the band had prize after prize coming our way. We had deserved them, the band had worked hard to get to were we were and to see someone else notice it too gave us great pride.

The band was also honoured to play again at Windsor Park, for the friendly match between Linfield F.C and Glasgow Rangers F.C. We took great pride in marching around the stadium to a sold out crowd playing our new style Military marches and traditional tunes. The City of Belfast also invited the band to play at their yearly Lord mayors Show through the centre of Belfast, another first for the band, thanks to Sammy Wilson for that one!!

So time again for another new uniform, keeping the navy blue tunic suits, this time we topped it off with our traditional colour of Royal Blue and silver, with Royal Blue caps, what a difference the 40 odd years made compared to our first uniform.

Well here we are now and still walking proud, our historical past may have been written but the future of our Province has still to be constructed and that too will then become another chapter in our proud history and its culture. Hopefully the Shankill Road Defenders Flute Band can continue to play its part in an immortal pride that is forever............