Members of the City of Chester Band and the City of Chester Training Band are taking a breather after another action-packed festive season.
It all began for the musicians in mid-November with the switch-on of Christmas lights in Hoole and the city centre.
There then followed performances by the bands individually and en masse taking in Mickle Trafford, Saughall, Willaston (Wirral), Winnington, the Lion Salt Works, Knutsford, Chester Freemasons at Cheshire View and a concert in aid of the British Heart Foundation, held in St Thomas’s, Parkgate Road.
The City of Chester Band was invited back to play carols in Piccadilly Station, Manchester when it entertained passengers and shoppers with seasonal music.
Both bands are self-supporting and rely upon income earned over the Christmas period to ensure survival over the coming year.
READ:City of Chester Band win prize in brass band championships
A highlight at this time of the year is the training band’s end-of-year concert for members’ families and friends. This was held at St Luke’s, Huntington when the band was led by Andrew Smithson, a keen player in the main band and a staunch supporter of the training band.
During the evening presentations were made to David Craig (player of the month), Molly Chambers, who was recipient of The David Else Trophy for the most improved player, and to John Pattison as Band Person of 2015.
As the bands re-assemble after the holiday break it’s heads down for the City of Chester Band as it prepares to play in the NW Area Regional Qualifying Competition at Blackpool on February 28.
Anyone who fancies learning to play a brass instrument should contact Tony Blain on 0791 310 9951.
