I’ll play it again, says brass band show-saver

TO the rescue . . . Rick Nelson is back in Uppermill

IT was a case of deja-vu for Uppermill Brass Band after an American musician answered their SOS call for a second time.

Six years ago, Rick Nelson travelled more than 3,900 miles from Chicago to take part in the Whit Friday band contest.

The tenor horn player answered an urgent appeal on the band’s website after one of its members had to pull out due to illness and saved the show for the renowned band.

Amazingly, the 62-year-old is back in town after the same thing happened again — only this time he has much less travelling to do.

For Rick has since moved to Sheffield and when the Uppermill band put out another appeal, after an illness forced another musician to pull out, he was quick to get in touch.

After being reunited with the band during rehearsals he’s now looking forward to Friday’s famous contest.

Rick’s Sheffield band is not involved in this year’s event and he had been checking a brass band website, knowing that Whit Friday was looming, when he spotted the appeal.

He said: “I just thought this is meant to be. Whit Friday is as close to brass band heaven as you can get. It’s the best day ever.”

Uppermill Brass Band chairman John Ward said: “Someone is not well enough to compete so we put out another appeal for a tenor horn player to step in and the same player has answered the band’s SOS again.

“I got a phone call from Rick and you could have knocked me down with a feather.

“He’s only too pleased to be able to help the band out again. He knows he had a good night then and hopefully he will again.

“His role is very important as we have to have all the parts to win. It gives the band the full sound the adjudicators expect. They are very astute and would soon pick up that something was missing.”

Rick used to play with the Chicago Brass Band and it was a dream come true last time he performed with Uppermill. He combined a family holiday in Yorkshire with the performance.

After 33 years in the same job he decided it was time for a change and moved to Sheffield after being inspired by a love of the North of England, brass bands and the NHS.

He now works as a surgeon at Sheffield’s North General Hospital.

It will actually be his sixth time in the contest. He first caught the bug in 2000 when he toured the UK with his former group the Illinois Brass Band and took part in the competition.

He has since performed for other bands from London and Sheffield.

Rick said: “I love it in England. I’m as happy as I can be. The band I enjoy playing with the most is Uppermill. They are a fine band and a Saddleworth band, which is even more exciting.”