The band has rounded off its 2010 summer season in style, with a successful Proms concert and another two pieces of silverware to add to our expanding collection.
After weeks of preparation, the evening of the band’s Last Night of the Proms concert finally arrived on Saturday 21st August. Over the past few years we have grown accustomed to the unpredictability of August’s weather, however, experience has also taught us that we don’t need glorious sunshine to create a memorable evening. Luckily, for the second year in a row the rain held off, leaving the audience with umbrella-free hands to sip their champagne and wave their flags in true patriotic style. Special thanks must go to our talented guest singer Val Howels and to our compère Nick Agg-Manning, both of whom added that extra bit of sparkle to a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
The final weekend of the summer season sees the band make the short journey along the coast to take part in the Exmouth Brass Band Festival. Having been drawn to play first, we arrived in Exmouth early on Saturday morning ready to play our 25 minute programme to the adjudicator and the handful of early risers listening
in the hall. Eight hours later and back in the hall to listen to the results, we were delighted to come away with not only a cup for the being the best Third Section band, but also a cup for the best trombone section of the day. Congratulations
Chris, Martin and Joel - it was well deserved! Read the adjudicator’s remarks for our performance by clicking here.
The summer passed by with barely a moment to stop for breath, and things are certainly no different at the moment. With only two weeks to go until the National Finals in Harrogate, the band is currently working very hard practising the set test piece ‘Willow Pattern’. Once again, we are very lucky that Steve Sykes agreed to come and take us for a couple of rehearsals prior to the contest to put us through our paces. He has already been to one rehearsal, we are very much looking forward to his return next week.
Ever since the band qualified for the National Finals back in March,we have been faced with the reality that we would only be able to go if we were able to raise the large amount of money needed to fund our trip. We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to our fantastic audiences and the Town Council for their continued generosity and support. Without this support and a great deal of time and effort given by the band, we would not be able to represent Sidmouth and the West of England in Harrogate. Keep an eye on our news pages for more details about our journey to the National Finals.
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Monday, 2 August 2010
Last Night of the Proms Tickets On Sale
Tickets for this year’s Last Night of the Proms concert are now on sale. The concert, which is the band’s biggest of the year, is being held in Connaught Gardens on 21st August, at 7.30pm. Now only three weeks away, we’re very busy in the bandroom rehearsing a varied programme featuring music you won’t have heard us play during the year so far. We will once again be joined by local singer Val Howells, whose talent and impressive outfits always add some extra sparkle to the evening. This year, Val will be accompanied by a special guest.
The success of our Last Night of the Proms concerts over the past four years has primarily been down to you - our audience. Come rain or shine, the spirit and enthusiasm shown has given us some very memorable evenings. With surroundings like Connaught Gardens, you would have to search far and wide to even come close to matching the atmosphere as the band and audience join forces for the patriotic classics such as Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory. So dust off the picnic table or dig out a blanket, bring a bottle or pack up a picnic, but most importantly, just bring yourselves, some friends, and your singing voices, and help us make 2010’s Last Night of the Proms the best yet.
Tickets cost just £5 and are now available from Sidmouth’s Tourist Information Centre, at any of our concerts, or from any member of the band.
The success of our Last Night of the Proms concerts over the past four years has primarily been down to you - our audience. Come rain or shine, the spirit and enthusiasm shown has given us some very memorable evenings. With surroundings like Connaught Gardens, you would have to search far and wide to even come close to matching the atmosphere as the band and audience join forces for the patriotic classics such as Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory. So dust off the picnic table or dig out a blanket, bring a bottle or pack up a picnic, but most importantly, just bring yourselves, some friends, and your singing voices, and help us make 2010’s Last Night of the Proms the best yet.
Tickets cost just £5 and are now available from Sidmouth’s Tourist Information Centre, at any of our concerts, or from any member of the band.
Monday, 24 May 2010
Concert Season Is Upon Us
Sidmouth’s Parish Church was the venue for the band’s latest concert, as we took to the stage just a week ahead of the start of our busy summer season. The concert - our first in the church since its refurbishment during 2009 - was enjoyed by all, with the new layout providing much improved surroundings for both band and audience.
The concert not only gave us the opportunity to show off our recently acquired collection of silverware, but also to treat the audience to the first public performance of the test piece ‘Labour and Love’ since being crowned West of England Third Section Champions in March. In another ‘first’ for the evening, the band played - and quite possibly premiered - a brand new arrangement by local composer Matt Kingston. It’s a piece you’re bound to hear during the summer, so for those of you can’t quite make out Adrian’s (mis)pronunciation of the title, it’s called ‘The Kingdom of Asturias’, and we’re confident our audiences will like it as much as we do.
So that leaves less than a week until we’ll be in back in Connaught Gardens for the first of 15 Sunday night concerts. Don’t forget that we start at 8pm and admission is free. Let’s hope the warm and sunny weather we’ve been spoilt with this weekend continues!
The concert not only gave us the opportunity to show off our recently acquired collection of silverware, but also to treat the audience to the first public performance of the test piece ‘Labour and Love’ since being crowned West of England Third Section Champions in March. In another ‘first’ for the evening, the band played - and quite possibly premiered - a brand new arrangement by local composer Matt Kingston. It’s a piece you’re bound to hear during the summer, so for those of you can’t quite make out Adrian’s (mis)pronunciation of the title, it’s called ‘The Kingdom of Asturias’, and we’re confident our audiences will like it as much as we do.
So that leaves less than a week until we’ll be in back in Connaught Gardens for the first of 15 Sunday night concerts. Don’t forget that we start at 8pm and admission is free. Let’s hope the warm and sunny weather we’ve been spoilt with this weekend continues!
Monday, 3 May 2010
Here Comes Summer
In only four Sundays time the band will have kicked off the 2010 summer season of concerts in Connaught Gardens. We’re currently very busy in the bandroom putting the finishing touches to our four programmes, each one offering a variety of music to suit all tastes. In a bid to raise enough money to fund our trip to the National Finals in September, this year will see our audiences having a little more say over what we play each Sunday evening. Come along to one of our concerts to find out how you can make sure we play your favourite piece this summer.
Don’t forget that you don’t need to wait until the 30th May to hear the band. On Friday 21st May we will be playing in Sidmouth’s Parish Church for the first time since its refurbishment and restoration during 2009. The concert will feature a wide range of music, and you will be the first to hear some exciting new pieces we are working hard to rehearse at the moment. Tickets cost £6 and are available now from Paragon Books, High Street, Sidmouth.
Don’t forget that you don’t need to wait until the 30th May to hear the band. On Friday 21st May we will be playing in Sidmouth’s Parish Church for the first time since its refurbishment and restoration during 2009. The concert will feature a wide range of music, and you will be the first to hear some exciting new pieces we are working hard to rehearse at the moment. Tickets cost £6 and are available now from Paragon Books, High Street, Sidmouth.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Back To Business
It’s a long way down from Cloud Nine, but with a very busy few months ahead, the band has been making its way back down to Earth following its win in Torquay three weeks ago.
The band headed to its first engagement as newly crowned West of England Third Section Champions this morning as it took part in Sidmouth’s annual hot cross bun giveaway. We’re only two days into the month, but the term ‘April Showers’ couldn’t be more suitable as, for the second year running, Bedford Lawn car park was abandoned in favour of a dry venue for the event. However, the rain never does anything to deter the crowds, and as always the band enjoyed taking part in this old Sidmouth tradition.
2010 looks set to be an incredibly busy year for us all. Scarily, the summer
season is creeping up on us with the first concert in Connaught Gardens only 8 weeks away. With that in mind, and a concert to celebrate the refurbishment of Sidmouth’s Parish Church on the 21st May, the band will be busy over the next few weeks rehearsing a wide selection of music. In amongst our usual engagements, we will also be working as hard as possible over the next 6 months to raise the money needed to make it possible to compete in the National Finals in September. Remember to keep an eye on our engagements page for details of any upcoming fundraising events. If you have any ideas on how we can raise funds, or are able to help in any way, please do contact us or come and see us after any concert.
The band headed to its first engagement as newly crowned West of England Third Section Champions this morning as it took part in Sidmouth’s annual hot cross bun giveaway. We’re only two days into the month, but the term ‘April Showers’ couldn’t be more suitable as, for the second year running, Bedford Lawn car park was abandoned in favour of a dry venue for the event. However, the rain never does anything to deter the crowds, and as always the band enjoyed taking part in this old Sidmouth tradition.
2010 looks set to be an incredibly busy year for us all. Scarily, the summer
season is creeping up on us with the first concert in Connaught Gardens only 8 weeks away. With that in mind, and a concert to celebrate the refurbishment of Sidmouth’s Parish Church on the 21st May, the band will be busy over the next few weeks rehearsing a wide selection of music. In amongst our usual engagements, we will also be working as hard as possible over the next 6 months to raise the money needed to make it possible to compete in the National Finals in September. Remember to keep an eye on our engagements page for details of any upcoming fundraising events. If you have any ideas on how we can raise funds, or are able to help in any way, please do contact us or come and see us after any concert.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Champions In Torquay!
The band is celebrating this weekend after being crowned winners of the Third Section at the West of England Regional Championships, booking a place at the National Finals in Harrogate in the process!
Having been promoted in 2008, the band has been working hard over the past couple of years to put in solid performances to secure its position in the Third Section. With the danger of relegation in the back of our minds, we started preparations for this contest knowing that another good performance on stage would not only put us in a safer position, but prove that the band is capable of holding its own in a field with strong competition.
With a win at Torquay last November, confidence was high as the band set to work on Percy Fletcher’s ‘Labour and Love’ – a challenging piece, but one that suited the band well and one we knew we would all enjoy rehearsing. A run of consistent, productive practices in the weeks leading up to the contest meant that we left Sidmouth bright and early on Saturday morning confident that we stood a good chance of improving on our 9th place last year. Drawn to play 6th out of the 15 bands, it was mid-morning by the time it was our turn to play for adjudicators David Horsfield and Peter Bassano. Although a few nerves did creep in, the band left the stage happy that we had put in a good performance.
Come results time, the band gathered in the hall to listen to the top six bands being announced, hopeful – but by no means certain – that our efforts may have just about put us in with a chance of hearing our name read out. With sixth, fifth, fourth, third, and second places each going to other deserved bands, nerves reached a record high. The short pause before the winning band’s name was revealed felt like a lifetime, but it was well worth the wait as the Sidmouth Town Band was announced as the new regional champions! The result, which is the band’s highest since at least the 1920’s, is testament to the time and the hard work put in by both Adrian and the band not only over the past couple of months, but over the last few years.
The win on Saturday will make for a very busy 6 months for the band, as we try and raise the money needed to fund our trip to the National Finals in Harrogate in September. We’re already thinking ahead and coming putting plans in place, so keep an eye out for any fundraising events between now and then. But if anyone has any ideas of how we can raise some money to get us to the Finals, please do let us know – we’d love to hear from you!
Having been promoted in 2008, the band has been working hard over the past couple of years to put in solid performances to secure its position in the Third Section. With the danger of relegation in the back of our minds, we started preparations for this contest knowing that another good performance on stage would not only put us in a safer position, but prove that the band is capable of holding its own in a field with strong competition.
With a win at Torquay last November, confidence was high as the band set to work on Percy Fletcher’s ‘Labour and Love’ – a challenging piece, but one that suited the band well and one we knew we would all enjoy rehearsing. A run of consistent, productive practices in the weeks leading up to the contest meant that we left Sidmouth bright and early on Saturday morning confident that we stood a good chance of improving on our 9th place last year. Drawn to play 6th out of the 15 bands, it was mid-morning by the time it was our turn to play for adjudicators David Horsfield and Peter Bassano. Although a few nerves did creep in, the band left the stage happy that we had put in a good performance.
Come results time, the band gathered in the hall to listen to the top six bands being announced, hopeful – but by no means certain – that our efforts may have just about put us in with a chance of hearing our name read out. With sixth, fifth, fourth, third, and second places each going to other deserved bands, nerves reached a record high. The short pause before the winning band’s name was revealed felt like a lifetime, but it was well worth the wait as the Sidmouth Town Band was announced as the new regional champions! The result, which is the band’s highest since at least the 1920’s, is testament to the time and the hard work put in by both Adrian and the band not only over the past couple of months, but over the last few years.
The win on Saturday will make for a very busy 6 months for the band, as we try and raise the money needed to fund our trip to the National Finals in Harrogate in September. We’re already thinking ahead and coming putting plans in place, so keep an eye out for any fundraising events between now and then. But if anyone has any ideas of how we can raise some money to get us to the Finals, please do let us know – we’d love to hear from you!
Thursday, 11 March 2010
The Final Countdown
With only 2 days left to go until the most important date in the band’s calendar, final preparations are being made ahead of the West of England Regional Championships. Bright and early on Saturday morning, the band will set off from Sidmouth to make that familiar journey down to Torquay to compete against 14 other bands in the Third Section.
The band has put in a lot of hard work over the past couple of months, but
ultimately it all comes down to a 10 minute performance on the day and the opinions of the two adjudicators in the box. Whilst it would be nice to get a good result, the band’s priority is just to play as well as we can and put in a performance to be proud of. Findnout how the band got on by checking our news page after the contest.
The band has put in a lot of hard work over the past couple of months, but
ultimately it all comes down to a 10 minute performance on the day and the opinions of the two adjudicators in the box. Whilst it would be nice to get a good result, the band’s priority is just to play as well as we can and put in a performance to be proud of. Findnout how the band got on by checking our news page after the contest.
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