It’s been another wonderful summer for Camberley and District Silver Band, performing across a number of bandstands and other engagements, in mostly good weather!
Aldershot and Guildford Castle provided excellent weather for enjoyable afternoons out with the crowds. Guildford was especially successful as we entertained (and only occasionally put off) the bowls players just behind the bandstand. We also returned to Church Crookham for their annual village fete and were baked in the glorious sunshine, to the point where the Official Band Mascot, Eddie the Greyhound, was forced to retire to the shade behind the book stall.
The band overcame tricky prevailing conditions (an afternoon-long torrential downpour), with the assistance of a couple of borrowed gazebos, to just about survive the Cedar Lodge Nursing Home summer fete. Despite the deluge the performance was enjoyed by all residents, who spontaneously burst into accompaniment clapping during our newly-acquired (and excellent) arrangement of Shine Jesus Shine by Paul Benyon of Martlesham Brass.
For this summer’s programme I dug into the band’s extensive music archives to pull out some new work; Shine Jesus Shine was an excellent hit, but I think Sussex By The Sea won’t survive much longer in the folders. When I was searching for some different marches to sprinkle through our programmes I discovered we have quite the Kenneth J. Alford collection (some say he is the Sousa of England) and so some of those have had an airing and more to come.
The band concludes its summer programme with a late bandstand, at Victoria Park in Newbury, on 3rd September. Find out more about that here and don’t forget to sign up
to our newsletter if you want a reminder.
Before we move on to our traditional winter programme of Remembrance Sunday and Christmas carols, there are two dates for your diaries that you really do want to keep free!
First of all, the band returns to High Cross Church in Camberley for our hugely popular annual concert. Tickets aren’t available just at the moment but be sure to keep 14th October 2017 free! Find out more and subscribe for updates here.
After a very popular first year, Big and Brassy, the joint concert among local non-contesting brass bands, returns to Princes Hall Aldershot on 15th April 2018. Again tickets aren’t yet available but full details will be coming soon.
Finally, if you’re already signed up to our newsletter, you can also keep up with the band by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.