St Michael Ley Line by Colin G Dance
St Michael Ley Line or "Celebration South West", winner of the South West Brass Band Association Composers Competition, received its first public performance as the 4th section test-piece at the Association’s 60th Annual Championships which were held on Saturday 4th November 2006. Colin receive a cheque for £250 together with an Engraved Crystal Glass Trophy.
This is a suite in three movements written in celebration of the Diamond Anniversary of the South West Brass Band Association. Each movement depicts a location on the St Michael Ley Line – a line of earthly power that runs from the tip of Cornwall straight across the South West, finishing in Hopton on the Norfolk coast. The suite concentrates on the counties of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.
1) MARCH - BURROW MUMP
Burrow Mump in Somerset is a huge mound on top of which is found the ruins of the Church of St Michael. The church was built in the Eighteenth Century to reclaim the site in honour of St Michael after a turbulent past. It was the site that alerted John Mitchell to the fact that it’s alignment with Glastonbury Tor created the possibility of an alignment stretching across the whole country.
2) LAMENT - THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS
Founded as a monastery in the lifetime of St Boniface – Crediton’s most famous son – the church represents the first bishopric of Devon and Cornwall, which was moved to Exeter in 1050 by Bishop Leofric. It also has a central Norman tower, which research has found was originally dedicated to St Mary when situated in what is now the car park, but latterly to St Michael, before being dedicated to St Nicholas.
3) CARN LES BOEL
Just along the Cornish coast from where Land’s End juts out into the sea, marked on the map as a hill fort, is Carn Les Boel. At this location is found a huge slab of granite where the broad band of energy from the St Michael Line converged. Carn Les Boel is clearly a very special place, and is the western most end of the St Michael Line.
Recorded on Brass Sounds by the Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band available at World of Brass.
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