The number 13 may be considered unlucky by some, but for The City of Chester Training Band February 13th was quite the opposite! The TB's normal Monday evening rehearsal on that date was a very special one indeed, as it saw the presentation of a cheque for £1270.34 from the Chester Lions. The generous donation has enabled the TB to purchase some new percussion instruments, including a full drum kit, and the Main Band has also benfited, in the shape of some sheet music. A number of representatives from the Lions came along to present the cheque and to see for themselves the good cause that they have donated to. In true TB tradition, the guests weren't simply allowed to sit and listen, but were handed a number of instruments by TB Conductor Ian Clowes, and encouraged to make a musical as well as a financial contribution! Also in attendance was former Band Secretary, Geoff Lee, whose chance meeting on a golf course with a member of the Lions paved the way for the donation. The importance to the whole Band organisation of a donation such as this cannot be understated, and the Band's thanks must go to Geoff and the Lions for helping to ensure the future of both Bands.

The latest news about the recent fun and games, as well as the great news about Training Band membership can be found here - http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?id=2477

Here's a list of dates of the extra rehearsals leading up to the Area Contest: Wednesday 8 Feb - Trombones Saturday 18 Feb - Basses Sunday 26 Feb - Cornets/Horns/Baritones/Euphs Wednesday 1 Mar - Percussion/Cornets Sunday 5 Mar - Full Band Saturday 11 Mar (am) - Full Band Start times for each extra rehearsal will be confirmed nearer the time.

Ian Clowes, Conductor of The City of Chester Training Band, has announced recently that another signifcant milestone has been passed, with the Band now being able to boast of having over 30 playing members. This is a wonderful achievement, due in no small part to the hard work put in by Ian, along with Training Band Co-ordinator, Tony Blain. There are, of course, lots of other helpers, and the Band's success can be accredited to a magnificent team effort. The healthy condition of the TB (as it's affectionately known), bodes well for the future of brass playing in Chester and all those involved deserve many congratulations for their continuing progress. If you would like to learn to play a brass instrument then come along to St Luke's Church in Huntington at 6pm on a Monday night, or give Tony Blain a call on 01244 398468 for further details.

One of the most pleasant aspects of life as a member of The City of Chester Band is the social side that goes with being amongst a group of fellow musicians. This has been ably demonstrated during the last week, as both the Senior Band and Training Band (TB) took time out to relax. Wednesday the 18th saw the multi-talented members of the Training Band invading the Ellesmere Port Coliseum bowling alley. 50 members and friends bowled the night away across 8 lanes, demonstrating that their skills are not only musical! Training Band co-ordinator Tony Blain, together with his wife Paula, decided that the members deserved some recognition and reward for turning out on 11 separate occasions over an incredibly busy Christmas. 'The Band worked so hard over the festive season', said Tony, 'so we decided a night's bowling was a great way of starting the New Year'. The following Saturday some of the Main Band ‘oldies’ participated in a quiz night held in the bandroom. The evening consisted of much head-scratching and guesswork, particularly when it came to the round of questions about the Band itself! Although it was a close-run contest, the winning team (whose name is unprintable but which contained the Band’s Soprano, Repiano and Solo Euphonium players, along with their families) took the lead early on and managed to keep the other teams at bay. Mac’s Marauders came 2nd, with The Wingnuts, Jean’s Back-Row Brainiacs and Phil’s Fluters following in their wake. Extra homework for some before the next quiz night I think!

An article about the Band can be found on the 4barsrest web site by clicking on the following link... http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?id=2342

Another Training Band member has jumped on the success bandwagon! This time it's Aine Jackson on the baritone, with a Grade 4 Merit pass. Well done, Aine! Aine is tutored by Peter Dalton, the gentleman that gives individual tuition to some of our TB players. If you're interested in learning to play a brass instrument and would like to reap the rewards of doing so (like Aine has), then contact the Training Band Co-ordinator, Tony Blain, on 01244 398468.

The Band is proud to announce some fantastic news - the Chester Lions have decided to grant us the incredible sum of £1270.34!!! The vast majority of the money will be used by the Training Band to purchase new percussion instruments, with the remainder being used by the Main Band to buy music. For a self-supporting band such as ours, the importance of a grant of this size cannot be understated, particularly in terms of enabling us to continue to train instrumentalists of the future. The Band members wish to thank the Lions for their generosity, and they look forward to holding a 'thank-you' concert in the very near future at which a formal presentation can be made.

Latest news from the Grade exam front includes Leanne passing her Grade 4 (Trumpet) with Merit and Kirsty passing her Grade 5 (Saxaphone) with a Distinction! Not sure how we'll incorporate a saxophone solo into a brass band programme, but stranger things have happened... Congratulations to both Kirsty and Leanne, and fingers crossed that Aina Jackson's iminent results are just as good - I'm sure they will be.

The next rehearsal for the Main Band will be on Friday January 6th, with the Training Band's first evening back being Monday the 9th... Keep practising over the holiday period, not long before the Area!