Penlee (Simon Dobson) - City of Bradford Brass Band

A live performance of Simon Dobson's 'Penlee' from our concert in Skipton Holy Trinity, October 2021.

"The tragic story of the Penlee lifeboat, the Solomon Browne, needs no introduction, and the pain felt by family and friends in the area is still very much a reality. I was brought up in full knowledge of the story having been born just a few weeks before the fateful night itself. I felt that, given the opportunity, I would like to pay a musical homage to the bravery of the souls involved in a true story of heroism and sadness, a story that has passed almost into Cornish Legend. Penlee, for brass band and percussion, is the result of my feelings regarding the events, and is dedicated to all the souls who lost their lives in Cornwall’s treacherous waters, those on the lifeboat, and the crew and passengers of the Union Star, on the night of 19th December 1981.

In order to represent the story faithfully, I have adhered to a timeline of events describing what happened from around 6.00pm until around 10.00pm on that night. The music starts in a positive mood as the Union Star, a brand new cargo vessel, makes her way in calm waters through the straights of Dover bound for port in Ireland. As the Union Star continues on her voyage past the Cornish coast, she receives a weather warning but presses on regardless. The level of dissonance in the music increases as the Weather worsens and drowns out the hint of Christmas cheer. Alarm is felt, as the Union Star radios for assistance with its engines stopped, the Union Star’s captain realises that the vessel is in trouble; assistance will be needed to get everyone off, including his own family who are on board unbeknown to the authorities. Tension rises with the
swelling seas). Realising the situation is only going to get worse, the Coast Guard sends word to the crew of the Solomon Browne lifeboat.

A Sea—King helicopter is launched into terrible weather to try and help the stricken vessel. Its attempts and failures to help in the situation are represented in the music and at Figure M, the tension in the lifeboat house reaches its peak. At 7 .4Opm, with more than a little apprehension and an enormous amount of bravery, the crew of the Solomon Browne, led by Trevelyan Richards, launches into a near Force—10 storm. The lifeboat can be heard battling against extreme weather and soon starts its rescue attempt. According to the Sea—King pilot, the Penlee lifeboat, braving an horrendous battering, rescued all but two from the Union Star).This can be heard in the welling up and eventual dissipation of an heroic theme, which eventually gives way. The horrors of the subsequent events can only be guessed at, as at 9.21pm radio contact was lost and both boats perished. The Solomon Browne is lost), after which a lament is heard. An uneasy lull is felt after the storm. The music ends with a quote from the Tone Poem Resurgam by Eric Ball, proclaiming, “the souls of the righteous are in the hands of God”. - Simon Dobson.