We are a busy band at Chester and our season continued at Pulford on Saturday. The beautiful sun shone on everyone but was particularly dazzling on a few members of the band who have bought their own shiny new instruments!
Despite our very healthy numbers we welcome anyone who fancies coming for a blow , on our not quite so shiny band instruments.
Wednesday 13th June was City of Chester Brass bands AGM.
What a busy and successful year all three bands have had.
The learner band has increased in numbers and members are now starting to sit in with training band playing with confidence and increasing skill and musicality.
Training band continues to be successful , with many members achieving both success in grades 1 to 5 but also in playing in an ensemble at many public occasions . At a time when schools are often too straitened to provide musical education Chester Brass provides instruments,tuition and playing opportunities at very little cost .
Main Band has had a very busy, successful and varied year winning prizes at Preston and the Whit Marches, taking part in Brassed Off to much acclaim , and having very many,varied and enjoyable opportunities to spread brass music to appreciative audiences. We have once again welcomed new members from Chester University and elsewhere whilst retaining a stable and full band which still welcomes new players.
Finally two awards are made
To James Flynn (trombone) the musical directors award , selected by Ewan Easton MBE for musical progress during the year. Ewan awarded the shield commenting that James had worked hard during the year to develop an impressive trombone sound which was continuing to develop.
To Donna Jackson bandsman of the year (voted for by members) for contributing on several different instruments during the year and ,most importantly , a good spaghetti Bolognese during rehearsal of Brassed Off!
If you are interested in joining our musical journey as a player, parent of a player or if you wish to book training or main band for your occasion please contact us via this page or via our facebook page City of Chester Brass Band. We also have a twitter (devabrass) and instagram account (CityofchesterBrass Band)
One member of the Junior Band has had Exam success this past week with a Grade 2 Distinction Pass on Trumpet. Very well done to Jake and keep up the good work.
Many congratulations go out to three(3) members of the training band as they all passed music exams in the last couple of weeks. They are
Molly Grade 5 Horn Merit .Also Molly passed her Saxophone exam
Lilly Grade 4 Cornet Pass
Nathan Grade 2 Horn Pass
Very well done to all 3 and also to their tutor Kirsty Bargh for all her hard work.
Members of both bands made a visit to Newton Primary school on 22nd March and had a very appreciative group of children who were very interested in the instruments we took along for them to "have a go with" . The children asked lots of questions about both the junior band and the way that they can join the band. If you would like the band to visit your school please contact [email protected] for further details
Weeks of hard work paid off for the City of Chester Band on Sunday 28 January with some success in the “Brass @ The Guild” brass band contest held in Preston’s Guild Hall and Charter Theatre. Playing in the Third Section, the Band were placed third out of thirteen with Kirsty Bargh, Chester’s Solo Horn player, being awarded the “Sarah Gardner Trophy” for the best horn player in the section. Kirsty started playing the Eb Tenor Horn with the City of Chester Training Band in 2000.
The contest is seen as an opportunity for bands to showcase their playing of the set test-pieces ahead of the regional championships which are due to be held in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens complex on Sunday 25 February. Bands in the prizes at Blackpool qualify to play in the national championships held in September in Cheltenham with Championship-level bands playing in the Royal Albert Hall, London in October.
Due to professional commitments with the Hallé Chester’s tuba-playing Musical Director, Ewan Easton MBE, was unable to lead the Band at Preston. Conducting in his place and for the first time at a contest, too, was Bandmaster Matthew Birkett (28). Not a bad start for Matthew!
St Helens-born Matthew Birkett is one of a number of talented and enthusiastic young people who have come to study in recent years at Chester University and join the Band before going on to find work and settle in the area. Along with a thriving training band, students such as Matthew have helped to re-vitalise the City of Chester Band (established c.1853) which is a part of the city’s cultural heritage.
As well as continuing to work on the test-piece “Napoleon on the Alps” by Philip Harper, commissioned in 2016 by Jugend Brass Band Forum Ostschweiz (Switzerland), the Band is preparing for a busy summer season of concerts around the region.
For further information about the City of Chester Band and the City of Chester Training Band see: https://www.chesterbrass.co.uk/ .
For over two years the Secretary of the City of Chester Band kept Saturday 14 October 2017 clear in its engagement diary for a special event: a wedding, that of two band members Kirsty Blain and Alexander Bargh who met in 2008 whilst at university in Aberystwyth.Kirsty plays the Eb Tenor Horn whilst Alex plays percussion.In addition to occupying the Solo Horn position, Kirsty is also the Band Secretary!
Kirsty was one of the first to join the City of Chester Training Band when it formed in 2000.Alexander hails from Monmouth.
The wedding took place at St John the Baptist Church in Aldford, the very church where Kirsty’s parents, Paula and Tony Blain, had married in 1986.With warm, sunny weather ideal for a wedding, the fine church acoustics helped the Band to play all the music associated with the ceremony: as guests arrived, accompanying the hymns, during the signing of the wedding register and as Mr and Mrs Bargh left the church to warm applause and the music “If I didn’t have you†from the film Monsters Inc.
In the evening band members joined Kirsty and Alexander, their families and friends, at an evening reception at the Cock o’Barton, Barton Road, Malpas.
Kirsty and Alexander are pictured after their wedding.
In November this web site will be replaced with a new one currently under production. The existing site has served the Band for over 13 years. It was built by Philip Clowes who has looked after it throughout. The City of Chester Band wishes to place on record thanks to Philip for all his work over the years.
Further information about the new web site will follow.
City of Chester Training Band
Our Training Band needs a Conductor.We have an active group of enthusiastic young people aged 11 to 70+ who undertake engagements in their own right. We are also developing another ensemble for children aged 7 – 11, and you’ll be working with Ewan Easton MBE, Musical Director of the City of Chester Band, in developing players for the future.
The Training and Junior bands meet on Monday evenings in term times between 18:00 and 19:30 at St Luke’s Church, Huntington.For further information contact Tony Blain, Training Band Co-ordinator, on 07913109951.
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The City of Chester Band (a registered charity) has vacancies for front row cornet players (including Principal) and bass players (Eb/BBb tubas).With our Musical Director, Ewan Easton MBE (Principal Tuba, Hallé Orchestra), we work hard on getting the basics right in music and instrumental technique, with the objective of playing and enjoying more interesting music.It is not an objective achieved overnight, but with Ewan’s help (e.g. one-to-one tutorials) we are heading in the right direction.Rehearsals are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 to 10 pm, with tutorials between 7 and 8 pm.We also have a Training Band which meets on Mondays (6:00 to 7:30) during term times.A third section band, we usually enter contests each spring (NW regional and Whit Friday) and autumn (Rochdale).
A particular welcome (regardless of instrument and playing standard) is extended to folks coming to Chester University this autumn.We will be playing on the Chester Town Hall square on Sunday 24 September around lunch-time so come along and introduce yourself.
Our band room, in Bedward Row, is close to the city centre.
To join us on our journey of improvement please contact Kirsty Blain on 07816457017 or Matthew McCleary on 07779957711.See, also, our Facebook page: City of Chester Brass and Twitter: https://twitter.com/devabrass.
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