The band was delighted to hear that trombone player David Pitts has been offered a place at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London.

Along with his parents Karen (Solo Horn) and Bob (Solo Cornet), David joined the Charles Church Camberley Band in 2009, and has skilfully balanced commitments with this band, playing for the Hampshire County Youth Band and all his other studies.

David progressed from the cornet to the trombone 10 years ago (once his arms were long enough), and he also plays the piano and ukelele. He starts his four year course next September.

We wish him every success in the future and look forward to welcoming him back from time to time. (Apparently Solo Trombone player Alan Johnson is trying to develop a bigger sound to help fill the gap!!)

Friday 4th November dawned with dark storm clouds and pouring rain, an inauspicious start for the day of the wedding of two of the band’s players. But the sun appeared in time for the marriage of Louise Walter, the band’s most beautiful Euphonium player, to the versatile musician, Owen Lloyd, who is equally at home on the cornet as with the big drum and the gong. Naturally, music featured strongly in the service, with Louise’s brother Edward playing the organ, and friends providing trumpet accompaniment and a quartet during the signing of the register. The service was over by 2pm – no excuse for missing the regular Friday night practice then!!

Charles Church Camberley Band are celebrating recent success at the Southern Counties Amateur Band Association Autumn Contest, held in Folkestone annually.

The band played Goff Richards’ Saddleworth Festival Overture and was delighted when the three strong bass section Les, Ian and Bryan was crowned the Best Bass section of the five bands competing in our section. The trio won the Roy Whitten Memorial Trophy which has special significance to the band as Roy Whitten was a member of the band until recently.

Roy Whitten spent fifteen years with the band playing Bb and then Eb bass. As well as being one of the most reliable members of the band he was also a very active committee member until just a few months before he passed away in August 2008.

At the SCABA 2009 Contest, Roy’s wife Kitty, presented the trophy for the Best Bass section and we are delighted that this trophy has come home.

In May, Charles Church Camberley Band began the celebrations at the beginning of their 50th year with a visit to the Whit Friday marches in the Saddleworth and Oldham region, near Manchester.

Around 130 brass bands gathered to take part in the annual Whit Friday marches, from local youth bands to the top bands in the UK including Black Dyke and Brighouse & Rastrick. Each band visited a number of villages, marching down the street before playing a march to a professional adjudicator who ranked them in relation to the other competing bands, based on their musicality.

CCCB enjoyed beautiful weather for their very first visit to these contests which started at Stalybridge Celtic football club at around 4pm and finished at the iconic Delph (made famous in the hit film Brassed Off) at around 10pm, as well as visiting Friezland, Uppermill, Diggle, Dobcross and Carrbrook during the evening.

Robert Cherry, our musical director said ‘This was a fantastic opportunity for Charles Church Camberley Band to get out on the road and experience playing to thousands of people. The band has made great progress over the last few months and we really enjoyed the fantastic crowds, electric atmosphere and the chance to meet up with old friends in the brass banding community.’