Very Well done to Zac Lodge for passing his Grade 3 with Merit on Cornet. I didnt realise that anyone could go that red with embarrassment when i got him to stand up and tell everyone what the text message from his Mother said. Great work from his tutor Kirsty Blain . Well Done to you both.

Very well done to John Pattison who has been voted Band Person of the Year by members of the band. John is always on hand to help out when he can and has in the last 12 months carried the equipment needed for band events.

Well done to Alexander Clement for winning the David Else Vice President award for his hard work from sitting waiting for his son to picking up the tenor horn and learning it from scratch. He takes over the award fro Jim Maitland who won the award in the summer.Also on the evening the Player of the Month award went to Gill Mauger for her commitment and hard work within the band.

It's sad to report the death of a former member, Julie Ann Gibson (nee Dickinson). Julie, 35, died in a collision with a tractor on the A458 in mid-Wales on 23 October 2014. Julie brightened up a number of our rehearsals and engagements. Our thoughts go out to Paul, her husband, family and friends. An inquest is to be held in Brecon, March 2015.

Last night saw the training band start it's very busy Christmas calendar with the Christmas Lights switch on in Hoole. Along with the training band were the singing group the Song Smiths who not only sang while we rested but they also joined in while we were playing the christmas carols. The event is always busy but last night it seemed there were more people singing along with us and the choir. The next time the band can be seen performing is the Chester Christmas Lights switch on on Thursday 20th November in Bridge Street Chester.

Phil saves the day!

With just three full rehearsals before the competition, Phil Mottershead stepped in to conduct City of Chester Band in the Third Section of the National Brass Band Championships, held in the “Centaur†banqueting and conference suite at Cheltenham Race Course on Sunday 21 September.  He led the Band to a respectable 9th placing out of 18 bands from all over Great Britain having drawn to play eleventh.

An unfortunate circumstance meant the Band had to find a conductor at short notice and Phil, who had returned to playing as a Solo Cornet, stepped up to wield the baton again.  Fortunately, the test-piece: Symphony for Brass, an arrangement of a Victor Ewald (1860-1935) quintet for brass was known to Phil from his days of playing trumpet in brass quintets.

It was a family day for percussionist Alix Worthington, from Cumbria, who joined the Band whilst studying at Chester University.  Back stage she met up with her sister, Hannah, who was playing with the Tullis Russell Intermediate Band from Glenrothes, Fife who played 16th.  Alix had the bragging rights at the end of the day as Tullis Russell were placed twelfth.

In the end it was a successful weekend.  On the night prior to the competition City of Chester Band had rehearsed at a venue in Cirencester and had then gone out for a meal together which helped members to relax and settle pre-contest nerves.

Weeks of intensive rehearsals will come to a head next weekend when the City of Chester Band performs in the finals of the National Brass Bands Championships in Cheltenham.  Over Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st September 71 bands from all over Great Britain will be competing in four sections at The Centaur, a multi-purpose conference and banqueting centre on Cheltenham Racecourse.  The City of Chester Band qualified to play at “The Nationals†by coming second in the third section at the north-west regional qualifying competition held last March in Blackpool.

There is a set test-piece for each section and that for the third is an arrangement by Michael Hopkinson of Victor Ewald’s Quintet No. 1, opus 5, composed c. 1890.  Known as “Symphony for Brass†the arrangement provides testing passages for the entire band but the themes based upon Russian folk melodies have provided interest and enjoyment for players.

Leading the Band will be Philip Mottershead who has a long and remarkable connection with the Band.  When Phil joined the Band as a teenager in the 1960’s several of the older members were Blue Coat Boys, from the time when it was part of the Blue Coat Hospital and School in Northgate Street.  Through the years Phil has served the Band as a rank-and-file player, Principal Cornet, Bandmaster and Musical Director.

Several of the principals within the Band started playing with the City of Chester Training Band, formed in 2000.  Ages within the contest band range from 13 to 77.

Bands at the championship level will compete for national glory in the Royal Albert Hall, London on 11 October 2014.  The national championships originated in 1945 when they were introduced by the “Daily Heraldâ€.  Since then 227 bands in sections 1 to 4 have gone on to be national champions.  The City of Chester Band’s last appearance in the national championships was in 1985, when they were placed 6th out of 18.  In that year all sections competed in the Royal Albert Hall.

Twitter users can follow all the action over the weekend courtesy of the “British Bandsman†(@bb1887).

Hi All The City of Chester Brass Band Training Band is on the lookout for a new conductor to join a very busy training band with outing throughout the year. Also we are on the lookout for new players of any age / ability not got an instrument no worries we can provide them. For more details call Tony 07913109951

Congratulations to Rob Tarver on passing his grade 5 with Merit. The effort rob put into this exam shows what can be achieved with hard work and determination. Well done Rob.

Cheshire West & Chester Council, in conjunction with the Dean and Chapter of Chester Cathedral, held a ceremony by the Cathedral war memorial on Monday afternoon, 4 August, to commemorate Britain declaring war on Germany on 4 August 1914.  Playing Last Post and Reveille at the ceremony was Paul Donoghue, Principal Cornet.