The band played in the Walled Garden, Sunbury on Sunday 8th June. The weather was fantastic and a very large audience came to enjoy the gardens and the band.
2014 is the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings and the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One and so some of the music played during the concert followed this theme, including Marching Music from World War 2 and Dads Army. Solos featured Kelvin Yendall on Cornet and Beryl McMillan on Flugel.
The band played at the annual scaba Entertainment contest at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley on Sunday 18th May. This contest is judged on music, presentation and entertainment value – which could just be about the music but can also include things like standing up or swaying to the music.
The band played 3 pieces; Music For The Royal Fireworks, To Music (featuring Kelvin Yendall on cornet) and Heykens Serenade. Heykens Serenade is a piece of music that is played in four different styles, including a rendition of it as if it were on a gramaphone – this includes winding the gramaphone up at the start, speeding up and slowing erratically in the middle where it requires it to be wound up again and also a section where the needle gets stuck!
Unfortunately we didn’t return with any prizes this year but the competition marks the end on the contest season for us until it starts again in the Autumn.
The band played Three Spanish Variations at the annual Spring contest in The Hawth Theatre on 27th April. This piece by Alan Fernie is very melodic and really brings the music of Spain to life with movements consisting of waltzes, romance and a fandago. Unfortunately no prizes this time but as always it was good to take part.
