Having visited us last year to experience the Whit Friday march contests across Saddleworth, our Dutch friend Falco came back this year with the brass players from his wind band, the Société St Martin Fanfare de Stein. We squeezed on the coach together and made an evening of it. We marched to an arrangement of Country Roads that proved enormously popular … [Read more...]
North West Areas 2023
Thank you to all our supporters who turned up to hear us at the preview night last weekend at Boarshurst Band Club, the open rehearsal in Flixton on Thursday or the contest itself yesterday in Blackpool. The band put on a good performance of Phil Lawrence's test piece, A Day in the Life of a Knight. The adjudicators gave quite different responses from … [Read more...]
One month to go
Today marks one month to go in the countdown to this year's North West Championships. This is the annual contest that determines our ranking status for the next year. Band rehearsals focus on the test piece - A Day in the Life of a Knight, by Phil Lawrence - and each section is meeting additionally to ensure consistent style and correct balance … [Read more...]
Band Strikes Gold
Our efforts over the weekend were appreciated both socially and musically. On Saturday we were hosted by the magnificent and welcoming Société St. Martin Fanfare de Stein for a joint concert to a packed hall. We overcame our 'band room envy' and took the chance for a final run-through of our programme for the following day. The evening was a huge … [Read more...]
A Whit Friday to remember
It may not have started well. Closure of the M56 left Matt, our conductor, still on his way to Saddleworth as we took to the stage in Grotton. Will's first experience of Whit Friday was conducting rather than playing. Well done, Will! By the time we played at Lydgate, our second village, band and conductor were re-united. The serious part of the day … [Read more...]
Adie Smith is our Musical Director.