Corsham Band

Swindon Town Gardens (20th July):   Sunday 20th July saw us back at the Town Gardens in Swindon. The weather was once again kind to us and we were able to perform to a large crowd. Some good news was that the tea and snack hut was up and running again, although the tea was a little strong!!  We put on a strong performance and many thanks to the deps who helped out. We shall we making a late appearance in Swindon  on Sunday 14th September.

Neston Cream Teas:   During the afternoon of Sunday 13th July the band played outside St Philip & St James Church in Neston whilst the PCC served cream teas to raise funds for the Church. The weather was kind to us and it made a pleasant change to play outside the church rather than in it!!!

New Players:   The band are delighted to welcome three new players to it's ranks. They are: Steve Harris on Soprano, Charlotte Goodyear on 2nd Cornet and Helen Thomas on Percussion. A big welcome to you all from the band and we hope you enjoy your time with us.

Players Leaving: Now that Fabien has completed his studies in England, he has now returned to France where he is hoping to get a Summer job until he travels to China in September to take up a position in the tourist industry. Fabien has been a great asset to the band during his short time here and we are sorry to see him go. We wish him the best of luck with his future career and his music making.

Swindon Town Gardens (11th May)  :   Our first bandstand job of the season got off to a great start with the sun shining brightly and a nice crowd of people enjoying their Sunday afternoon in the park. Unfortunately the tea and snack bar was closed so no ice creams or other goodies were able to be consumed at half-time! Many thanks to our deputy players who helped out on the day. You can see the band in Swindon once again on Sunday 20th July.

Retirement : As many of you will know our Secretary, Marilyn Kinch, has, due to ill health, recently had to retire from playing horn with the band. With her ongoing problems, Marilyn has now also felt the need to relinquish the position of Band Secretary, a position she has held for six years. The band would like to publically thank Marilyn for her hard work and dedication to the band over the years and wish her well for the future.

New Secretary   :  Following Marilyn's retirement and the bands recent Annual General Meeting a new Band Secretary has been appointed. Mrs Rebecca Hazell has taken up the post with immediate effect and her contact details can be found on the Contacts page of this website. All correspondence regarding membership and engagements should be directed to Rebecca.

Torquay (8/9th March 2008):   The band travelled to Torquay on Saturday 8th March to compete in the West of England regional contest at The Riviera Centre on Sunday 9th March. Preparations for the contest went well with two very good rehearsals beforehand. Our performance on stage was of a high standard and both players and conductor alike were satisfied with how we played. Several complimentary comments were made and we were hopeful of being placed in the top 6 bands. When the results were announced we were therefore a little disappointed at being placed 8th out of the 14 bands that competed in our section. The band should however be proud of the way we performed and continue to strive forward at every contest.

Congratulations however must go to Mike Gatty and Chris Hazell for their performance (not on stage but on the golf course!!). They once again took the trophy and first place honours in 'The Annual Corsham Band Torquay Golf Open'. We are a little unsure about the scoring procedures on the course however, and it was agreed that an independent scorer would be appointed for next season!!!!

Area Contest (March 2008):   With the regional heat of the National Brass Band Championships just around the corner, the band are busy rehearsing the test piece 'The Dark Side of the Moon' by Paul Lovatt-Cooper. The piece portrays a muscial picture of the composers imagination of what the dark side of the moon is like, from the rugged landscape to the awesome beauty. A wonderful piece of music to play and one which we hope we can do justice to in March!

Frome Rugby Club (12 January 2008):   The band were invited to play at Frome Rugby Club to celebrate the 50th Birthday of the Club Chairman who used to play Trombone in Grimethorpe Junior Band. With a mixture of tunes, including Happy Bithday, Congratulations and Seventy Six Trombones, the band were very well received and we look forward to a possible concert at the Club sometime in the future.

Wessex Contest (1st December 2007):    Once again competing in the Championship Section of this competition the band travelled down to Weymouth in early December, and with the help of the percussion girls from Parc & Dare Band (Ceri and Sarah), the band gave a well balanced and tight rendition of Philip Wilby's 'Partita'. Although we were not able to get in the prizes against such stiff competition, the band enjoyed playing the piece and gained valuable experience from it.

Christmas Concerts (8th & 9th December 2007):    Saturday and Sunday evenings were taken up by playing two Christmas concerts. One at Christian Malford Church and one in The Town Hall in Corsham. Both concerts were well received and the audiences were left with no doubt at the end of the evenings that Christmas was well and truly on it's way!!

Christmas Carols and Services (December 2007):   The rest of December was taken up with a mixture of carol playing, carol parades and carol services. Many thanks to the people of Corsham and Chippenham who so kindly put money into our collecting boxes during this time.

Center Parcs (Monday 24th December 2007):   Christmas Eve saw the band return to the Plaza Stage at Center Parcs, Longleat for it's annual Carol concert followed by the ritual dip in the cold plunge pool and race down the rapids. Congratulations to John Shearsby for setting a new record of 1min30secs in the plunge pool!!!

Mansion House Fete (23 June 2007):    Thank goodness for the invention of the garden gazebo! Thanks to this wonderful and practical invention the band, along with the rest of the fete were able to carry on with business as usual despite the rather unusual June weather. I'm not sure quite what the band sounds like outside of it's temporary shelter however but at least the basses and the other upright instruments don't fill up with rainwater!!! Despite the weather, this was an enjoyable event for us to attend as it is always nice to perform in our home town.

Band Barbeque (23 June 2007):    Following the Mansion House Fete, the majority of the band headed off to 'our local', the Neston Country Inn for a barbeque. Michelle, the landlady, and her trusty team provided us with an ample supply of food and drink and a great time was had by all. Once again thanks to the umbrellas for keeping the rain off! Remind me to emigrate to sunnier climes!!!!

Swindon Town Gardens (24 June 2007):   Another trip to Swindon to play in the Town Gardens rounded off a busy weekend. Again we were unsure as to whether we would be able to perform due to the weather, but fortunately it cleared a little in the afternoon and we played to a small but appreciative audience. (and theres me thinking that Englishmen only came out in the midday sun not the rain!)

Holt Fair (30 June 2007):   Oh no! Is this rain ever going to stop?? No gazebos this time but playing in the school building with a very low ceiling. Good practice for the band on how to play quiet I suppose? We played our hour stint without too much problem and as always we shall be returning to Holt again in December to play at the Christmas Carol Concert.

New Shirts:   New shirts you say? Yes! The committee recently decided to allocate funds to purchase new shirts for the band. An order is currently being put together and we hope to have these delivered very shortly. Watch this space for the new look Corsham Band!!

Neston Church Cream Teas (29 July 2007):    Neston Church invited the band to play at one of it's Sunday afternoon cream tea events in the church and grounds. The band played a selection of background music whilst people sat in the sun enjoying their afternoon tea. We then, obviously, had to help with the clearing up operation! I wonder what too much jam and whipped cream does to the inside of your instrument!!!!

Mike Gatty's Stag Day:  This is the best bit about Band Members getting married, we always get to spend an eventful day with the condemed man! Those who attended had a great day and I think the send off for Mike was pretty good considering his age!!

Easterton Church Fete (27 August 2007):    Bank Holiday Monday and the sun was shining! That must be something worth writing about!! We were pleased to be asked to play at this event to raise funds for the parish church in Easterton, near Devizes. The band played well to the passing crowds and a good time was had by all.

Crimestoppers Fun Day (2 Sept 2007):   Sunday 2nd September saw the band play at the Annual Crimestoppers Fun Day in the grounds of Bowood House, Calne. Once again we were playing alongside the headlining acts of 'Liberty X', 'Eaton Road' and 'Lisa Scott-Lee'!!! Well, they were on the main stage and we were about half a mile away in the middle of a field!!!

More Wedding Bells!   A small ensemble from the band attended and played at the recent wedding of cornet player Mike Gatty and his partner Lisa Franklin. The band sounded great in the Stone Gallery of The Vyne, an early 16th Century National Trust property, where the ceremony was held and the music was enjoyed by all the guests. Our best wishes are sent to you both on this happy occassion.

Grittleton Fete (16 September 2007):  The grounds of Grittleton House School was the venue for the village fete and once again the weather stayed good for the event. The band played quite a long stint from 1.30 til 4.30pm and created a great atmosphere to this traditional village fete with it's wide selection of popular music.

On Friday 9th March the band travelled to Torquay to take part in the National Brass Band Championships, West of England Region.

With two rehearsals under our belt on the Friday night and Saturday morning we awaited the announcement of our draw position. 

Val promptly arrived with the news; we had been drawn to play last! With a couple of hours to kill an eventful round of 'pitch and put' was played with the final ball ending up in the tennis courts!! Thanks to our professional coach, Mr Gatty!!

We performed on stage at around 2.00pm and although we didn't perform as well as we could have done, a fairly sound and musical rendition of the test-piece was delivered which most of us felt happy with.

Subsequently the results were announced and we had been placed 3rd out of 15 bands. A great result, although just one point short of gaining a place in the National Finals at Harrogate later in September to compete against bands from all over the country.

Well done to everyone for a superb effort, but special mention must go to Martin our Musical Director, Mike on Sop, Sharon on Solo Horn and our two percussionists, Alex and Tim.

For the full results of this contest, visit: www.4barsrest.com                                                            

Bromham Social Centre (29 April 2007):     Despite the really hot weather outside,  the local branch of the British Legion gathered together an appreciative audience who thoroughly enjoyed the afternoons entertainment provided by the band. Many thanks to our helpers on the day and to the British Legion for their hospitality.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Christmas Meal:   Saturday 20th January was the date of the band's Christmas Meal. (better late than never!!) The event was held at our local, The Neston Country Inn, and the food was superb. I'm sure that everyone enjoyed this fun evening. Shame about the carpet Trigger!!!!!!!

Wedding Bells: It is with great pleasure that the band can announce the recent marriage of our Flugel Horn player Chris and our Second Horn player Becky. Our best wishes go out to you both.

Swindon Town Gardens (18th June 2006):   What do they say about 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen'??? Well the sun shone and the crowds appeared! It was a delight to see so many people in the Town Gardens on a hot and sunny afternoon enjoying that typical Sunday afternoon in the park! We even had the treat of having Melinda Messenger listening (Swindon being her home town!). Under the baton of new Conductor Martin Perry the band gave a good performance of the new Summer programme of music which appeared to delight the audience. Our thanks to Matthew and Cheryl from Wooton Basset Band for helping out.(see photos in our gallery - not of Melinda Messenger I'm afraid!!)

New Conductor:   The Band are very pleased to announce the appointment of a new Resident  Conductor following the departure of Maria at the end of 2005. Martin Perry was offered and has subsequently accepted the position with immediate effect. You can read more about our new man in the middle on the Members page of this site. Martin's first official engagement with the band will be at Swindon Town Gardens on Sunday 18th June.

Tetbury Woolsack Races 2006:  Another Bank Holiday Monday and another trip to Tetbury, Gloucestershire to play at the Annual Woolsack Races. Being a typical Bank Holiday the weather was suspect but by and large it stayed relatively dry until the end of our performance. Our worst problem with this job was having to compete against the 110 decibels booming from the adjacent fun fair ride!! All I can say is we tried our best but what a shame for the audience who would have liked to hear traditional live music instead of the latest chart hits that you can hear anyday of the week!! Anyway it was a successful day for some of the band, in particular Mike Gatty, who came away with his supper, consisting of lamb and mint sausages, fetta cheese, olives and pickled eggs!!! What a combination!!! (please see photo of the band performing at this event in our gallery)

Weston-super-Mare Contest 2006:   Under the very able baton of John Winterflood, the band rehearsed the piece 'Dimensions' by Peter Graham and travelled to Weston on Sunday 21 May to compete in the 3rd Section of this Annual competition. During the week before and on the stage, the band produced a great sound that I have not heard for quite a long time. Despite a couple of untidy moments, the performance was controlled and clean with good dynamic control. We were placed 5th out of 10 bands which we felt was a little harsh, but  at the end of the day we know we played to the best of our ability and produced a good performance. Unfortunately no silverware to place in the trophy cabinet though!!!!

New Contest Secretary:  Due to current work commitments our existing Contest Secretary, Trevor Rowland, has had to relinquish this position. From the beginning of April the post has been taken over by: Chris Hazell. Please contact Chris on 01373-824897 with any contest related enquiries.

Temporary Rehearsal Facilities:  At the end of March the band had to move from it's regular rehearsal facilities in the Pound Arts Centre to temporary accommodation at Corsham Rugby Club on Lacock Road. The Arts Centre is undergoing a £1.5million overhaul over the next 12 months including new rehearsal and performance areas and we hope to return to a much improved environment sometime in 2007. During this time rehearsals will continue to be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings at the Rugby Club.

West of England Championships, Torquay:  During the weekend of 17th to 19th March the band travelled to Torquay to compete in the Annual Area Contest against bands from all over the South West. Despite a lot of hard work during rehearsals it was unfortunate that the band did not produce a convincing performance on stage and we came away with a dissapointing 10th place out of 14 bands! We did however have an enjoyable weekend in Torquay and it was good to see everybody in such high spirits!

New Member:   We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new member on the Euphonium seat. Tim Williams joins the band on Principal Euphonium and will take over this spot from the forthcoming contest at Weston-super-Mare. Welcome to the band Tim.

Christmas Concert:  Sunday 11th December saw the band stage it's annual Christmas concert in Corsham Town Hall. The band played a selection of Christmas and other light music which seemed to get everyone in the Christmas spirit! The audience were able to sing along to all their favourite carols and during the second half crackers were pulled, party poppers 'popped' and silly hats worn!! Thank you to all our audience and we hope to see you again at our concerts in 2006.

New Members:  The band is pleased to announce the arrival of two old members. Mike Gatty rejoins us on cornet and Alison Cunningham, nee Morris, joins us on Euphonium, both in time to take part in the forthcoming Weymouth contest. Welcome back to the band guys. We hope you enjoy your playing with Corsham.

Charity Work:  The Corsham Band, although itself being a registered charity, is always working hard to raise money for other deserving causes and has donated many hundreds of pounds to other charities from it's fundraising over the years. This year is no exception and funds raised from it's 'Summer Concert at the Court' will be given to the Emergency Appeal for Sudan. International aid agencies fear that the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region could continue until 2006! It is estimated that over 2 million people are at present dependant on external assistance. Following the bands 'Summer Concert at the Court' a cheque for over £200 will be presented to Oxfam's 'Emergency Appeal for Sudan' to assist them in their vital work.

'A Summer Concert at the Court':  Saturday 4th June saw the band return to the grounds of Corsham Court (a National Trust property) to perform it's annual 'Summer Concert at the Court'. Despite the cold and windy weather the open air concert on the front lawns of the Court once again proved to be very popular with the audience, who with their garden chairs, rugs, picnics and wine, set up camp whilst listening to the wide variety of music provided by the band. The programme this year included popular music from recent times as well as some classical selections. The band would like to say a very big thank you to James Methuen-Campbell for the use of the Court and to the audience who braved the elements to help us raise a substantial amount for charity (see paragraph below).

Weston-Super-Mare Contest:  The band attended the Weston-Super-Mare own choice contest at The Winter Gardens Pavillion on Sunday 15th May 2005. Against some stiff competition we were pleased to be awarded 3rd place, taking home a trophy and a cash prize. The test-piece we chose was 'Music for a Festival' by Philip Sparke and we were able to put on a good performance of this enjoyable piece of music. Well done to all members and our Conductor, Maria.

On Saturday 3 December 2005 the band travelled to Weymouth, Dorset, to compete in the Wessex Brass Band Association Winter Contest at the Pavillion Theatre. Playing in Section 1 against 7 other bands from around the area, the band performed a controlled and musical rendition of the test-piece 'Diamond Heritage' by Darrol Barry. The Adjudicator, Steve Sykes, was very impressed with the performance and placed the band in 1st position with 184 points.

With the celebrations still going on in the auditorium, there was an added bonus when it was announced that our Principal Cornet player, Nick House, had also won the best cornet player award.

This was a fantastic result for the band, many of whom had put in much effort and rehearsal time. Armed with two shiney trophies, the celebrations went on throughout Weymouth into the small hours.

Well done everyone!