BAND NEWS
Warbleton Brass Band Spring Concert
We are always looking for different ways of supporting local charities and good causes. We have an annual Concert in aid of McMillan Cancer Support, we also collect every Christmas for our chosen Charity for that year, last year was the Heathfield & Waldron First Responders. These are just a few of the ways we support our local community. This year we collected non-perishable provisions for the Hailsham Food bank. We would like to thank everyone for their kind generosity and we were able to fill a container. Phil Cole (shown in the picture accepting the donations) came along to give a brief talk about the work of the Food bank, explaining the vast area it covers, from the outskirts of Eastbourne to Burwash.
Christmas Started Here.
Christmas starts with our Christmas concert, when we announce the chosen charity we will be collecting for this year. This year the members have chosen the Heathfield & Waldron First Responders. Tim Williams (Chairman) gave a short talk on the great work the first responders do, we are very lucky to have such a dedicated group of volunteers willing to give their time to respond to all medical emergencies 24/7, 365 days a year. The start was slightly delayed as we needed to set out more tables and chairs. It was lovely to see so many people coming along to enjoy our Christmas Spectacular. The stage was put to good use when Martin, Sally, Helen and Paul played a lovely version of "In a Bleak Mid Winter". The Horn section also took the spotlight when they played a more upbeat "Here comes Santa Claus". "Little Drummer Boy" began with Penny playing a lone drum while marching from the rear of the hall, a lovely sound being joined by the rest of the band when she reached the stage.
Christmas Eve 2022 saw our last Christmas engagement in Rushlake Green.
Over the last 2 weeks we have brought some Christmas cheer to many in the community. We started outside Waitrose and the Co-op in Heathfield, then on local villages including Hellingly, Punnetts Town, Herstmonceux, Hailsham, Cowbeech and Bodle Street. We also supported the Southdown singers in the Merrie Harriers in Cowbeech. The first week saw temperatures below freezing but that didn't stop the appreciation from the families that braved the bitter cold. Sunday 18th saw us play for the Crowborough Rugby Club in the afternoon and Carols by Candlelight in Warbleton Church in the evening. Special thanks must go to Peter who supplied and drove the Christmas Trailer to all the venues.
A big thank you to all those that came out to support the band and the charity we are collecting for this year, The Heathfield & Waldron First Responders.
Macmillan Concert 30-9-22
Fantastic concert last night. Huge thanks to everyone who braved the weather to join in our Macmillan fundraiser. We raised over £500. The idea of the audience choosing the music has proved a great success. We hope there wasn't too much disappointment if anyone was unable to make a choice but with a large audience and limited time not everyone was able to have their choice played. The popular choices were all upbeat giving the band little chance to catch their breath, so when Melita Cullis (Amy's mum) requested the hymn Melita (Eternal Father, Strong to Save) we enjoyed a small respite. We must also thank those that couldn't make the concert for their requests and kind donations. Our next concert is our Service of Remembrance also in the State Hall on the 11th November at 7.30pm. we hope to see you all there.
Our Remembrance Concert was a moving tribute to all those that have lost their lives fighting for their country. The concert was to raise money for the British Legion supporting all the work they do for Ex Service men and women. Many of the pieces of music are played every year and still they retain that emotional impact, and long may that continue. The highlight of the evening was when Martin and Emily played the last post during "Evening Hymn and Sunset" it was a emotive addition to a beautiful piece of music.
Crowborough Carnival
We were invited to play on Chapel Green in Crowborough during the afternoon celebrations for Crowborough Carnival. The only problem was a Fun Fair was also invited. Now anyone who has visited a Fun Fair will know part of the atmosphere is the "loud" music playing on each of the rides. Unfortunately we were surrounded by the fairground rides all playing their own music. Normally a 30 piece brass band can out blow most background noises.......but with their fingers very much on the volume knob we didn't stand a chance. Despite our musical competition we played a fantastic variety of upbeat popular music.
Band BBQ the day before Le Marche. Sian and Martin camp at the Horam Manor Country Park for the bank holiday weekend and arranged for the band to put on a performance for the staff and other guests at the site. We all then retired to their pitch for a BBQ. Thank you to the park who kindly supplied sausages, burgers and rolls.
Le MARCHEHeathfields French Market onMonday 29th August
Two sessions on the stage for Le Marche on a bank holiday Monday. The break in-between gave us all a chance to look around the market get a cup of tea ready for part two. It's a unique engagement for us as the stipulation was all upbeat music to maintain a carnival atmosphere. From the massive feedback Sian's choice of music for both sessions was right on the ball. A few members stayed on to see who had the unenviable task of following us. It was Fat Belly Jones, they did a very good job, they even left the stage to conga through the crowds. It was nice to see members of the band discarding their jackets and ties and joining in. Now Sian, there's an idea for next year? A big thank you to Eric for organising the entertainment and if all's well we hope to be back next year.
Heffle WI
A super evening for a small group from the band visiting the Heffle WI group. Playing a few pieces and giving a talk on the history of the band plus demonstrating some of the instruments. Finishing the session with some of the ladies having a go on some spare cornets, horns and trombones. The evening concluded with an evacuation due to the fire alarms going off!! Only a short wait outside for the fire brigade to declare it a false alarm and we could go back in to finish our tea and biscuits. Thanks to the WI for making us so welcome.
We are sad to announce that Frederick Rowley, one of our members, has sadly passed away after a short illness. Fred originally joined the band on baritone but later decided to give cornet a go. He took to it well and helped boost the back row. During lockdown Fred continued to practice and regularly sent recordings of his playing to our MD to show his progress. He had a lovely sense of humour and will be missed by all. The band send their sincere condolences to Fred’s family.
THE LAST WEEKEND IN JULY
The last Saturday and Sunday in July is always reserved for Rushlake Green, The Flower Show on the Saturday and our very own Proms Concert Sunday Evening. This year we enjoyed good weather for both although Sundays forecast was a bit unpredictable. This meant Martin and Sian had the difficult call whether to move the concert into the Marquee? With clouds in the sky and a chance of rain it was decided to move inside. A disadvantage of being inside was its capacity but the audience were happy to set up their picnics outside when the marquee was full and with some side panels opened everybody enjoyed the music. With the Horse and Groom open again the band retired for a well earned drink. Make sure you put the last Sunday in July 2023 in your diary for next years proms on the Green.
JUBILEE WEEKEND
We had a very busy Jubilee weekend playing on Saturday in West Hoathly and on Sunday at the Lunch on the Green celebrations. The weather forecast didn't look good for either day but had our fingers crossed it wouldn't rain, not just for us but for those that had put so much effort into organising the events. On Saturday it was the wind that was the biggest problem. The refreshment gazebo had taken off just before we arrived so we were warned. The organisers helped with extra guide ropes but without the side panels up the cold wind whistled through the band like it was a winters day.
The weather on Sunday was much better, overcast and always threatening to rain but remained dry throughout the afternoon. After playing we were able to join everyone else on the green for our well deserved lunch.
SPRING CONCERT
We had a fantastic Spring Concert in the State hall on 8th May with an enthusiastic audience. The program included music from David Bowie, Queen, ELO and Tom Jones. This was interlaced with music from local composer Anthony Spurgin, including The Duke of York's Patrol and Palace Guard. I'm sure Anthony Spurgin would have appreciated his arrangement of Jamaican Rumba played alongside David Bowies Life on Mars.
A little bit of Disney comes to Heathfield
It was lovely to see so many families enjoying our Disney Concert in the state hall in Heathfield. The audience surpassed our expectations and we found ourselves putting out extra chairs to accommodate everyone. There was a quiz and colouring competition for everyone, although the younger members of the audience clearly had the upper hand in both. I'm not sure if the audience were aware of Minnie Mouse playing the drums but would certainly have heard her giving it all she had in the Lion King. Minnie had two very enthusiastic apprentices on percussion utilising all the bells and whistles.
We even had our very first audience participation in the Bear Necessities with children queuing up to help our percussion section. Bear Necessities was a brilliant solo by our Eb Bass player James despite everyone else in the band wanting a part of his limelight. Our sop player Simon was so bored he started reading a newspaper and when that didn't help he took to the washboard with a gusto. It was our first engagement of the year and has set the bar extremely high for the rest of the year.
Crowborough Rugby Club 19th December.
After a year away we were pleased to be invited back to the Rugby Club to play for their annual Champagne Cheese and carols get together. Normally its very crowded and very loud. Well this year with Covid still on everyone's mind changes were needed to keep everyone safe. Everyone was asked to take a test before attending and a track and trace system was in place. To make sure the band was safe we were in a well ventilated position in the marquee. We were also more distant from the revellers. Despite all the measures that were in place everyone seemed to have a good time. Let's hope next year things will be more relaxed and the Rugby Club, and the band will be wound back up to the max.
Well as 2021 draws to an end and we all look forward to 2022 The music folders were emptied and replaced by the music for our Disney Spectacular on the 6th of March. A task that was made easier by the extensive buffet lunch provided by Sian.
WINTER WONDERLAND COMES TO TOWN
We had a busy weekend with our Winter Wonderland trailer. Although Friday evening in the Horam Village Hall car park was a bit isolated those that did wander up to see us enjoyed the music and certainly gave generously towards our chosen charity. The Co-op car park gave Martin a chance to entertain the young and old alike with his bubble and snow machine. It was then on to Herstmonceux Village Hall where a small but enthusiastic crowed was waiting for the trailers arrival. All to soon it was time to move on again, this time to Tesco in Hailsham. It was now raining so the audience remained at a distance either in their cars or under the Tesco entrance canopy. Everyone still supported the band and were very generous with their comments and donations. We must give special thanks to Lilly and Penny who, with their collecting buckets endured all weathers while the band remain under the shelter of their trailer. We will be doing it all again next week starting outside the Merrie Harriers pub in Cowbeech at 7pm, so have a look at our schedule and come along and see us.
Waitrose Supermarket, Heathfield.
Thanks to all the staff and customers of Waitrose Supermarket in Heathfield for their kind generosity while we played carols this morning, 11th December. We must also thank Waitrose for ensuring that we could play in a well ventilated location allowing sensible distancing between customers and the band.
Merrie Harriers in Cowbeech on the 9th December
Our first carolling job. There is always a dilemma when carolling at Christmas, do I wear two layers or three? Is it going to be cold and wet or is it going to be mild and dry? Well a few turned up with thermals and multiple layers ready for the cold........but..........they weren't prepared for being invited into the pub due to the wet weather. With a packed pub and roaring log fire it wasn't long before there was regret over that third layer of protection. We were joined by the Southdown Singers who were in good voice. We will be back on the17th with the Winter Wonderland Trailer so come along and enjoy the music.
2021 CHRISTMAS CONCERT on the 5th December
We would like to thank everyone for coming along to our Christmas concert in Herstmonceux on Sunday. Normally we would present a concert of two halves but this year we were all about Christmas throughout. Sian has produced some more robust hymn booklets for the audience to sing from. Let's hope they do many years of service. Our B band gave a lovely rendition of three pieces of music they have been working on. For those that noticed Martin sitting with the B band don't worry he hasn't been demoted he offered to bolster the numbers after so many were unable to attend due to self isolation. The main band wasn't immune to the reach of Covid they also had five players self isolating. We were lucky we were able to call on friends of the band to come along at short notice to fill the empty chairs. We were also missing Jean, she is suffering from bronchitis and was therefore unable to join us. We all hope you get better soon Jean. Sian sadly had to ask that band members wore masks when not playing to reduce any risk to themselves and our audience. Just as we all thought we were getting back to normal we find ourselves with the need to take responsible precautions. It's all about carolling now so plenty of fresh air and Christmas cheer with our Warbleton winter wonderland trailer.
REMEMBRANCE CONCERT 13th November 2021
Our Remembrance concert was a great success despite only having 10 weeks practice after such a long break. This was the first concert to be held indoors for almost 2 years and sounded great in such a spacious hall. There is still hesitancy to attend concerts due to the covid situation and were touched by the number of lovely messages received from those who wished the band well. We must also thank those that couldn't attend for their kind donation to the Royal British Legion. We will see you all next year. We now look forward to a very busy Christmas starting with our Christmas Concert on the 5th December in the Herstmonceux Village hall. Our Winter Wonderland trailer will be out and about including, Heathfield, Horam, Hailsham, Bodle Street, Punnetts Town, Herstmonceux, Cowbeech and Rushlake Green. We will also be playing carols in Waitrose and the Co-op Supermarkets in Heathfield. Check out our Engagement page for a full list of places and times.
After almost 2 years the band were back playing on the green.
The Rushlake Green Flower show on Saturday 9th and our own concert in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support on Sunday 10th.
The Flower Show was well supported as everyone was keen to enjoy a bit of normality, a feeling shared by the band. On Sunday it was lovely to see so many people turn out to support such an incredible charity. The concept of allowing the audience to chose what they would like the band to play from a list (for a donation of course) is always going to be fraught with risk. Risk that the audience are going to choose every fast and upbeat piece on the list, giving the band little time to catch their breath. Fortunately there were enough "slower" pieces chosen to avoid the band running out of puff. Despite the full band only being back in the Dunn Hall for a few weeks the music flowed like they had not been away. We even had a guest conductor for our final piece "Sussex by the Sea". The Macmillan Concert would normally be held in the Dunn Hall but due to Covid restrictions we needed to hire the marquee on the green. Despite all the extra covid associated costs we still raised £500 for Macmillan Cancer Support. We would like to thank everyone who so generously supported this event.
EASTBOURNE BANDSTAND
Sunday 29th August 3pm
It was an incredible experience to be back on the bandstand after a surreal and bleak 18 months wondering when we would be able to perform again. The programme had a real feel good factor including a superb rendition of Spanish eyes by Martin Buss. The bands performance of Sweet Caroline was a great hit, prompting so many to stop and add their voice to the chorus. We must also thank everyone for all the encouraging messages received following Sundays performance. To put it in the words of one of those messages "roll on 2022"
23rd July 2021. The day we have all looked forward to. After more than 16 Months the first full band rehearsal in our own Dunn Village Hall. We still need to take precautions but this time we are in control. Sian has asked that members should take a test prior to practice and that a one way system, masks and hand sanitisation remainin place......but we are back.
OUR TEMPORARY HOME
Herstmonceux Village Hall is our temporary home until we are able to return to our own Dunn Village Hall in Rushlake Green. It has been necessary to find a hall large enough to take a full band and accommodate the covid restrictions. The band was split into two groups in Dunn Hall but when it became clear the restrictions were going to last longer than first anticipated it become essential to look for other premises. Let's hope it won't be too long before we are back in Rushlake Green.
BACK IN DUNN VILLAGE HALL
21st May 2021 we are back home but due to the present covid rules we can only fit half our band in our hall. It's lovely to see that so many bands across the country have enjoyed the benefit of a larger hall and therefore been able to enjoy their first full practice for a long time. If everything goes to plan we will have our first full practice for nearly 16 months on the 4th of June. We have enjoyed the hospitality of our Bass player peter who has kindly made his farm available for group practice throughout. Peter felt that moving indoors might feel strange so provided the comforting support of some animals to make everyone feel they were back in the farmyard.
BACK TO GROUPS OF SIX
April 2021, and the band can meet again as a group of 6 outside. We are very fortunate to have a member who has an open sided barn/stable, so we are protected from the rain if not the cold. With a full band that are keen to get back to playing but only six chairs, Sian and Martin needed to implement a schedule that will allow everyone the chance to enjoy an hour's playing before the seats are cleaned and the area made ready for when the next group arrive. Everyone brings their own stand and music and understands the strict social distancing and cleaning rules. Our first audience of the year were 2 horses and 3 young lambs and I'm sure they were impressed with the high standard of the ever changing musical ensemble. I don't think the band can thank Sian and Martin enough for all the hard work they have put in to achieve this balanced schedule while complying with all the current guidelines.
A SAD MILESTONE
16th March 2021, our band reached a sad milestone. It is one year on from the devastating events that forced us to close our doors. There is now good news on the horizon. With the roll out of the vaccine program and the governments roadmap to lifting restrictions there is real optimism that we will be able to resume playing this summer. As the restrictions are lifted we will have the opportunity to begin a staged return, playing initially in small groups of 6 outside, and if everything goes to plan we hope to see the small group expand to the full band as restrictions are lifted further. Despite this good news it must be emphasised that strict hygiene and social distancing rules still apply. Of course we all look forward to the reopening of the Dunn Village Hall and a return to our long-established home. We are aware that we have been here before and have had that hope snatched from us at the last minute, but this time there is genuine reason to believe it will happen.