Our Band Club 2019 concert series came to an end in November 2019 having featured 14 bands, more than 40 soloists and over 150 pieces of music over the course of the series.

As part of our series this year, we brought back a different dimension to the Band Club, and reintroduced a friendly competitive element between all the bands with several different prizes. The prizes awarded were:

In a slight twist to proceedings, and as they are the people who pay week in week out to listen to the bands, we thought it would be appropriate for the audience to decide who won some of the prizes. Every week, they were asked to give the bands a score for entertainment and a score for the compering and they didn’t disappoint.

Our Prize winners for 2019 :

Youngest Player: Skye, aged 9 – Woodhouse Prize Band

Best Compere (as decided by the audience): Richard Windle, Loxley Silver Band

Most Appearances (Bandsman Award): Graham Bates

Best Soloist: Simon Willis, Hatfield & Askern Colliery Band

Most Entertaining Band (as decided by the audience): Tintwistle Band

Congratulations to all of our winners for 2019!

This was the final concert of the 2019 series, and as such, it was only appropriate that our band was the one to perform. The band performed very well with a programme featuring both traditional and modern pieces as well as some more unusual offerings along the way.  Exceptional soloist contributions from Melissa on horn, Maria on flugel and Steve on baritone completed our concert, and was a fitting end to a wonderful series. The icing on the cake for the band was the performance of one of our own cornet players. With 15 minutes notice, our young cornet player Robin, found himself playing Principal Cornet for the concert and he did an amazing job. All the band are incredibly proud of Robin and would like to publically thank him for stepping up and playing on the end chair that night.

As we move into the preparations for the 2020 Concert Series, we say a big thank you to all the bands who took part in 2019,  to everyone who came along to listen to one or more of them and to the Niagara Club for continuing to host us. We are proud to be able to offer brass concerts in the community featuring many different bands, but without the bands, the audience and the venue, we would not be able to continue to operate the Band Club. Thank you to everyone for your continued support. Long may the Band Club continue!

If your band is interested in performing in the 2020 series, or would like more information about performing or about who is performing, please contact us at: brassband@unitetheunion.org or through our Facebook page “Unite the Union Band Club”.