Corsham Band

Leigh on Mendip Country Fair (19 June):  Saturday 19th June saw the band perform for the first time at Leigh on Mendip Country Fair and Dog Show. Although a little overcast and breezy, the weather stayed dry and turned out quite sunny. Everybody seemed to enjoy our music and the band seemed to enjoy the real ale tent!!

John Coles Park, Chippenham (13 June):  The first of our Summer bandstand jobs was carried out on Sunday 13th June at John Coles Park in Chippenham. It was a glorious sunny day and the park was exceptionally busy. The band played well and it was good to see some old faces in the crowd!

Area Contest:  Following several weeks of intensive rehearsal on this years Test Piece: 'Labour & Love' written by Percy Fletcher, the band travelled to Torquay in Devon on the weekend of 13 March to compete in the Regional heat of the National Brass Band Championships. With the sun shining outside, the band took to the stage and put in a credible  and musical performance. We needed a reasonable result this year to make sure we were safely outside of the relegation zone and were more than pleased to come away with a 6th position out of the 15 bands that played. Congratulations to all members for a decent performance and well done to all the soloists who had their work cut out on the day with some testing solo passages.

Christmas & New Year:  As a well earned break, the band completed its final engagement of the year on Christmas Eve and will be on holiday until its first rehearsal of 2010 on Wednesday 6th January. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us during 2009 and we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very healthy and prosperous New Year. 

Center Parcs (24 December):  To round off the year, the band once again travelled to Center Parcs, Longleat to perform our annual Christmas Eve concert. This is always a great event and again was much appreciated by everyone listening. After a couple of Christmas beers and a lovely swim the band headed off home for the Christmas Break.

Holt Carol Service (20 December):  A small number of players attended the annual carol service held in Holt. Thank you to Denis for inviting us to play once again.

Spencers Social Club, Melksham (16 December):  Following the success of the bands performance last year, we were invited back to play for this charity event which is held in aid of Dorothy House Hospice. The band always like to play on these occasions and our playing went down very well whilst the audience were enjoying their evening meal.

Corsham Carol Parade & Service (15 December):  On what was a very cold night, the band attended the annual Outside Carol Parade and Service held in the centre of Corsham to provide music for the carols. It is always a great sight with lanterns and torches, and the mince pies afterwards were much appreciated.

Christmas Concert (13 December):  Our annual Christmas Concert was held in Corsham Town Hall on the night of Sunday 13th December. Once again we had a great audience and the concert was a great success which hopefully got people well into the swing of Christmas. Our thanks to the ladies for doing the refreshments and to Val for organising the raffle.

Christmas Carols, Corsham (12 December):  Despite the chilly weather, a small group of members turned out to play Christmas carols in the Corsham Shopping Precinct on the morning of Saturday 12th December. A good collection was made for band funds and our thanks go out to the people of Corsham for their generousity towards the band. Thanks also go to Tony & Val for the much appreciated coffee and soup.

Center Parcs (December):  The band played on a further 3 Thursday evenings during December as part of Center Parcs Christmas programme and each engagement was well received by the holidaymakers. We have already taken bookings for next year and are looking forward to returning to the Parc to play again.

Wessex Winter Contest (28 November):   The band travelled down to a very wet and very windy Weymouth on Saturday 28 November to take part in the Wessex Winter Contest, held in the Pavillion on the sea front. We had a good rehearsal before the competition and the band played reasonably well although tuning and some untidy playing meant we were well out of the points!! It was an enjoyable day and evening and everyone seemed to be in high spirits despite the result!!

Center Parcs (26 November):  Our Christmas engagement programme got off to an early start on Thursday 26 November with our first visit to Center Parcs, Longleat to play a variety of Christmas carols and music. The Parc was already decorated up for the Christmas season and holidaymakers seemed very happy to get into the festive spirit even though it was still only November!!

Player Leaving:  After 13 years service to the band, we are sorry to have to report that Mike Wheeler has decided to step down from playing and has recently left the band. We would like to thank Mike for his hard work and dedication over the years, being our regular Soprano player and also a member of the Band Committee for many years. We wish Mike all the best for the future.

Remembrance Service & Parade (8 November):   For the first time in many years it actually rained during the Remembrance Day Parade and the band therefore came away looking rather be-draggled!! Despite this we had a good turnout and as usual the band carried out their duties with professionalism to ensure everthing ran smoothly.

Dining In Night (3 October):  The band was once again invited to play at the annual Horseshoe Dinner at the Officers Mess in Basil Hill. Once again the band played really well on the night and the pie and chips went down a treat :-)

Dining In Night (1 October):  The first of two events at Basil Hill this week saw us play at the Sergeants Mess, and guess what? - we even went to the right camp!!!

St Bartholomews Church Concert (5 September):  Our annual concert at St Bartholomews Church in Corsham was undertaken on the evening of 5th September in aid of the St Barts Spire Appeal. This turned out to be a fabulous concert in which the band played really well and sounded great. Proceeds are still to be finalised but lets hope we raised a tidy sum for the appeal. Thank you to our guest players for helping out, We hope you enjoyed the concert as much as we did.

Dining In Night (4 September):  Friday evening saw the band playing at Colerne for the Sergeants Mess Dinner. The band played well and the music was much appreciated by the diners. There is a story that goes with this evening but I think enough has been said already (what do you think Becky?!!).

New Player:  The band are very pleased to announce the signing of our new Principal Euphonium player, Wesley Thomas, who has been involved with the band in previous times both as a player and conductor. This is great news for the band and completes our Euphonium/Baritone section ready for the Winter contesting season.

Easterton Fete (31 August):  Yet again the sun shone brightly on the afternoon of August Bank Holiday when the band attended and played at the Easterton Church Fete near Devizes. What a great afternoon, sunshine, 6X, golf and £1 hot dogs....lush. Oh and the band played really well.

Swindon Town Gardens (2 August):  Even though the Met Office decided to change their prediction of a hot Summer to a complete washout, Sunday 2 August was a nice sunny day and the band played to a full audience at The Town Gardens in Swindon. The band played really well and received numerous positive comments. Thank you to our guest players for helping out.

Band Barbeque (1 August)  Many thanks to Nick for hosting the band barbeque at his new house in the middle of nowhere!! Despite the torrential downpours all day long, it did eventually dry up in the evening to allow proceedings to go ahead as planned. The firepit gave some much needed warmth to the chilly conditions and it is understood that the Solo Cornet Buddies had a long heart to heart in the hot tub until the early hours!!!!! Thanks guys, it was a cracking evening :-)

Neston Cream Teas:   Due to the wet and windy weather, the cream teas at Neston Church took place inside. The band played for about one hour and enjoyed a wonderful cream tea during the interval.     

Summer Rehearsals:  Just to let everyone know that as from week commencing Monday 6th July, the band will only be rehearsing on Wednesday nights. Monday rehearsals will recommence on Monday 7th September.

Euphonium Vacancy:  Due to Tim leaving the band this Summer, we now have a vacancy for a Principal Euphonium player. If you, or anyone you know, would be interested in taking up this position then please contact the Band Secretary, Becky Hazell. Please see our Contacts page for details.

Player Leaving:  The job at Chippenham on 21 June was the last engagement for our Principal Euphonium player, Tim Williams. Tim, a teacher, has decided to move closer to his girlfriend and has secured a new job in that area. The band would like to thank Tim for all his hard work and dedication to the band over the last few years and we wish him well in his new position.

John Coles Park, Chippenham (21 June):    Despite several regular members being away for this engagement on stag weekends and other domestic duties, we enlisted the help of a few guest players from other local bands and arrived at Chippenham to play in John Coles Park. The weather was warm, although a little cloudy. As Nick was away, Hilary stepped up to take on Principal Cornet and did a great job (well done Hilz). Many thanks to our guest players (cheques are in the post!!!!)

Birthday Party, Corsham (14 June):   A local man, Jim, was celebrating his 85th birthday with his family at a local venue in Corsham, but unbeknown to him, his Wife and Son had arranged for the band to come and play Happy Birthday and a few other light pieces during their lunch. Jim, a lover of brass bands for most of his life was overcome with emotion, especially when the band finished with his favourite hymn 'Abide with Me'.

Grittleton School (15th May):   Like a scene from Harry Potter, Grittleton School was decked out with skeletons, ghosts and other spooky treats for the Round Table Charter dinner. The band played a mix of appropriate music including Scooby Doo and Lord of the Rings to help set the scene but left before it got too dark!!! What a scarey place!!!!

Swindon Town Gardens ( 10th May):   Sunday 10th of May saw our first visit of 2009 to the Town Gardens in Swindon. Our regular conductor, Martin, was away on holiday and with Mike Ward now in Australia we had to draft in Simon Carr from Yeovil Band. It was a glorious day and despite Radio 1's big weekend being in town, the park was full and it was a great afternoon. Many thanks to Simon for his help on the day.

New Player:  We are pleased to welcome a new player to the cornet bench. Another young man called Harry Harding has joined and will be playing 3rd cornet for the band. A big welcome to you Harry.

Player Leaving:  After many years on the waiting list, Mike and Lois Ward have finally heard that they have been cleared to emigrate to Australia to be near Lois's family. Mike has been a member of Corsham Band for many, many years and Lois has always been a major supporter. Both of them have been very involved and important in the bands existence and they will be very much missed. We wish them good luck and happiness in their new life down under and who knows, maybe The Corsham Band will have to do an Australian Tour one day to visit?!!

New Committee Members:   As a result of the AGM, the existing committee members (who were all re-elected) were pleased to find that two new committee members were elected to serve. Thank you and welcome to Hilary Ruffell and John Shearsby who will be serving on the committee for the forthcoming year.

Annual General Meeting:  Not long after the Area Contest was the end of the bands financial year and the Annual General Meeting. All the necessary reports, accounts, etc, were prepared and presented and some discussions took place about the way forward for the band which were very positive. The meeting was followed by a short social evening with cheese and wine (yum yum!). 

Area Contest:   With no regular engagements in the calendar for the first couple of months of the year, the band set about rehearsals for the forthcoming Area Contest in early March. To assist us with the preparation of the piece, we employed a Professional Conductor, David Barringer, who has worked with the band on previous occassions. Davids work in conjuction with our Resident Conductor, Martin Perry, ensured that the band tackled the music to the best of it's ability and we were very pleased with our performance at the Riviera Centre in Torquay. Unfortunately the adjudicators were not of the same opinion and we didn't get the result we felt we deserved. It was a good learning curve for the band, however and we will strive for a better result next year.

New Players:   The first rehearsal of the new year gave us great encouragement as a trio of 3 young players joined the band. We were pleased to welcome Hilary Ruffell on cornet, Callum Henry on Euphonium and Gareth Cooper on Trombone. It is great to see some new young faces in the band and we hope you will enjoy your time here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

Center Parcs (24th December):    Those of us who were fortunate enough to not be working on Christmas Eve headed for Center parcs at Longleat to play our annual carol concert on the Plaza stage. We played a good concert in what is a great accoustic environment which, as always, was followed by a couple of hours swimming in the rapids!!

Neston Carol Service (17th December):  Our thanks go to St Philip and St James Church, Neston for asking the band to once again play at their Christmas Carol Service.

Corsham Carol Parade & Service (16th December):  The band were once again pleased to provide the music for the Annual open air Carol parade and service in the High Street and Church Square. Hundreds of people turned out, many with lanterns and candles, to listen to readings and sing carols.

Corsham Town Hall (14th December):  Sunday night saw us back in the Town Hall for our Annual Christmas Concert. A great mix of carols, Christmas music and solo items was well received by the near capacity audience and a great night was had by all.

All Saints Church, Christian Malford (13th December):  The bad weather on Saturday which caused wide spread flooding, had an unfortunate impact on our concert at Christian Malford. The village was nearly completely cut-off when the river burst it's banks about an hour before the concert. Some band members were unable to get to the concert and the audience numbers was well down on previous years. We presented a good concert to those who managed to make the journey and it is always a pleasure to play in the church.

Spencers Social Club, Melksham (10th December):  A charity carol supper was the venue on Wednesday 10th with all proceeds going to the Dorothy House Hospice Appeal. The band played a mix of carols and other seasonal music whilst the guests enjoyed their supper.

Center Parcs, Longleat (9th December):  Our first visit to Center Parcs this December saw us playing carols around the Christmas tree in the Plaza on Tuesday evening. As usual the seasonal decorations at Center Parcs were amazing and the whole place had a magical Christmas feel.

Sutton Benger School (5th December):  We were kindly invited by the Head Teacher at Sutton Benger Primary School to join the children and staff at their Victorian Christmas Fayre. It was a great start to our Christmas engagements playing a selection of carols with the children singing their hearts out around the Christmas tree.

New Player:     The band are very pleased to welcome Stacey Mayle to its ranks. Adding strength to the middle of the band Stacey joins us on 1st Horn. Stacey has played for various bands in the Hampshire area including Hampshire Youth, New Forest and Tadley. An accomplished brass player, she has also played Bb and soprano cornet and euphonium. A big welcome to Stacey and good luck with your studies at UWE in Bristol. 

St Bartholomews Concert (27th September):   For the second year running, the band was asked to play a concert in the wonderful environment of St Bartholomews Church in Corsham. The concert was given to assist in raising funds for the 'St Barts Spire Appeal' to carry out essential repairs and refurbishment works on the building. Whilst the audience was less than last year, it was still a wonderful evening and hopefully a good fund-raiser.

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!