Training Band

After a fantastic 12 months, our Training Band, is now taking a well earned break. (keep practising though!) Next rehearsal will be on Saturday the 4^th September. In the Autumn we will be having a presentation evening so if you want to design a Certificate while you are off please do and we will use the best one on the evening.

"Playing brass with others is one of the most rewarding of experiences; it calls for a personal commitment but gives joy and fun to all who play and listen."

Thurcroft Welfare Training Band, meet in the bandroom each Saturday morning at 9.30. The group is open to anyone with a desire to make music - any age, any gender - everyone is made welcome and invited to join in the fun.

Each week band members bring the practice they have done through the week back to the group and play together with fellow members to produce Music.

The group has been very successful of late and are now in demand both to support the senior band and play engagements in their own right!

Here at Thurcroft we are very privileged to have Mr Ken Vernon and his wife Sarah working to teach and develop our trainees. Ken is one of the most experienced and respected band trainers and brass teachers in the area having for many years been Head of Brass at Worksop College. Many of Ken’s former students have gone on to play with some of the Country’s top Brass Bands and Orchestras and are currently enjoying fantastic careers in music!

We all know that instruments are very expensive to buy. However, thanks to our success in attracting grant aid for the group we do have loan instruments available to anyone who would like to try – could that be you??

Come and see us at the Band Room any Saturday at 9.30 am, or if you would like an informal chat about the group first please give Elizabeth Green a ring on 01709 544588 and she will be pleased to tell you about the group.

In July the group had 2 outings, firstly at Worksop College on the 9^th, and secondly at the Kiveton Contest on the 18^th. This is the second year running that the group have competed at Kiveton. They are fast building a reputation as a talented group, who enjoy what they do.......and it won’t be long until some of them are pushing us Senior Bandees out of our seats! There are a couple of photo’s on the Gallery Page from Kiveton.

On 26^th June the Training Band played alongside the Senior Band as part of the “Strawberries & Brass” event at the Carlton in Lindrick Parish centre. Not only did they do themselves proud, it’s fair to say they got the Longest, Loudest and most rapturous applause of the day! Well done to you all, you were brilliant.

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In April of this year the Training band competed in the Worksop Music & Drama Festival and won ‘Brass ensemble Under 16 years’ for the 2^nd year running. Starting with the new commission ‘100 Not Out’ by Darrol Barry, followed by the comedic ‘Cornish Pastyche’ (marked Tempo de Pastie for the technically minded!) the group left the attendant crowd in no doubt of the talents of both the Ensemble and the three star soloists Elle, Charlotte & Louise. Yet another Huge achievement Well Done!!!!!

In March 2010 the group joined the senior band at Thurcroft Church to record 4 pieces as part of the Senior Band’s Centenary CD. Because we like the new Darrol Barry piece so much, we have decided to call the CD “100 Not Out!” Copies of the CD – priced £7.50 - are available from any band member or by leaving your details via email to us at thurcroft@btconnect.com
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Late last year a grant from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council enabled the Training Band to purchase additional instruments. These duly arrived to great excitement in early in January. This means we are in a position to extend the instrumentation range even further and hopefully attract even more talent into our very successful band.
2010 is going to be another exciting time especially getting ready to defend our position at the Worksop Music Festival in March!
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Well done to all who played both at Larwood and afterwards at Westwood. Especially the newly commissioned Darrol Barry piece – “100 Not Out” – What a belter!

Enquiries for further bookings are already being made!!

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As part of the Village Centenary celebrations in 2009 we were extremely fortunate (thanks to the Arts Council) to be able to commission Darrol Barry to write a piece for our Training Band. With the Centenary in mind the piece is called 100 Not Out! And what a belter it is too. We are very proud to have the piece in our repertoire and will be playing it for a long time to come. Many thanks Darrol...