Well, what can I say other than well done to the Training Band following a great victory at the GBBA Contest on Sunday.

The young players played with great enthusiasm and performed above all expectations - well that’s my expectations, theirs seemed to be much higher.  We were going for a silver award but they told me they wanted a gold award and they achieved that and also the trophy for the best band in the section (there were 8 altogether).

Well done to Otis Williams for his first solo with the band and to Ieuaf Griffiths and George Stratford for their very first tuba solos.

Congratulations to everyone - as promised, it’s a bag of crisps and a pickled egg for everyone at the next practice!!

For the senior band it’s 5 weeks of hard work now rehearsing for Porthcawl Contest on 20th February with Steve Sykes and then Torquay on 14th March with Tom Brevik.

I would also like to welcome two new players to our ranks in time for the upcoming competitions.  First of all, Jo Hanley who joins us from Pillowell Band on 2nd Euphonium.  Jo replaces Mandy Norman who has been a stalwart member for over 6 years.  However, we still have Mandy’s two daughters, Robin and Rhiannon in the Training Band and no doubt we will see Mandy at various events in the future.  Our thanks go to Mandy for her commitment to the band during her time with the band.
 
Secondly, we are pleased to welcome Emily Harding who has joined us from Drybrook Band.  Emily will go straight to the assistant principal cornet seat to fill the vacancy that we have been trying to fill following the departure of Stuart Pollard at the end of last summer.  Emily is 14 years old and is a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain.  Her final performance with Drybrook Band last week saw her win the best soloist of the day prize at the GBBA competition at Five Acres.

Both Emily and Jo will be great assets to the band I’m sure.

More news to follow.


Robert Morgan 
Secretary & Conductor of the Training Band