A NEW composition commemorating the Forest of Dean’s Union pit disaster of 1902 is to be premiered at a concert celebrating brass band and choral singing to be held at Newland’s All Saints’ Church on May 14.

The concert will feature Forest of Dean Brass and the Forest of Dean Male Voice Choir and will include the new composition, written by well known Forest musician Chris Howley, who is the musical director of both Forest Brass and Cinderford Town Band.

The pit disaster was one of the worst in Forest mining history. Four miners died, including two brothers, Thomas and Amos James.

They were said to have been found huddled together and clutching hands. Today they are remembered by a stone monument capturing the scene and erected in 2002 to mark the centenary of the tragedy. It is the only item now remaining to recall the location of the pit which once employed over 100 miners but has now been completely reclaimed by the woods.

The disaster became part of Forest folklore as the grim task of trying to rescue a group of trapped miners continued for five days and five nights. Hundreds of local people watched the drama unfold. On one day it is said 1,000 people waited in silence as rescuers toiled beneath their feet. When hope had almost faded, the breakthrough came and three men were brought safely to the surface.

An overview of the link between mining and brass bands will be just one of the aspects to be explored by Roger Deeks, of Oldcroft, in a talk to Forest of Dean Local History Society members at Bream’s West Dean Centre on Saturday (3pm). His talk will include a taster of Mr Howley’s Union pit commemorative work.

The talk and the concert have been arranged in conjunction with the Heritage Lottery funded Foresters’ Forest project which aims to support local ‘landscape’ features from brass banding to commoning.

Mr Deeks’ talk will explore the musical heritage of the Forest and how brass bands enjoy a special place in the heart of the community. He will examine how the tradition has persisted and continues to thrive long after the industries that gave birth to them disappeared.

Today, the Forest has one of the highest densities of brass bands relative to the size of the population anywhere in Britain.

His talk begins at 3pm and guests are welcome. More details of the Newland concert are available from Sharon Stratford on Dean 564920.