This is an event organised by Churches Together in Whaley Bridge, and another opportunity for the Band to play in the Canal Basin at Whaley community occasion.

And, yes, the weather was in our favour this time, maybe something to do with it being a church event and a little help from on high!   Half an hour after we finished, the rain was back as we enjoyed a well earned brew upstairs in the Transhipment Warehouse cafe.  Lucky or what?

Quite a blow with three verses each of five hymns, some of which included a chorus each time, plus a few favourite pieces to make the occasion really special.

Thank you to John for once again helping us out, with his first public performance on cornet since Adam was lad.  Is there no end to his talent? 

Postponed from July,  the day for our D-Day Commemoration concert had arrived at last.

Rehearsals had been going well.  A couple of pieces which had seemed impossible when we first looked at them in the spring were now at "concert standard" so it was definitely the right decision from a performance point of view to delay the concert.

But what about the point of view of the audience? Had we missed the boat for commemorating D-Day?
Would anyone still be interested three months after the actually 80th anniversary of D-Day?
And even if they were, would they turn out on a rather dismal day? Would the Band outnumber the audience?

But we shouldn't have doubted the commitment of Whaley Bridge!
Of course they came. In droves. 
​Even the back row benches and stacks of extra chairs were pressed into service.   

We are indeed fortunate in Whaley Bridge to have the luxury of a huge indoor space which provides shelter for both the Band and the audience in wet weather. Many thanks to Whaley Bridge Canal Group for their  hospitality and use of the Transhipment Warehouse which makes a fantastic concert venue.

The programme Sheila had created hit exactly the right note, including patriotic marches, music popular in the WW2 era, reflective pieces for Remembrance and of course lots of opportunity for community singing - just like they did during the war. 

And a big thank you to Derbyshire County Council and our County Councillor Ruth George for their support of this event, so that it was free for everyone to attend.

So it's Well Done all round

• the bandsmen for playing their hearts out
• Sheila, our Musical Director for selecting the programme and coaching us through to performance
• Nev and Whaley Bridge Canal Group for the amazing venue
• Ruth and DCC for supporting the event
• and of course the audience.  You did us proud - in numbers, enthusiasm, volume and generosity with over £60 donated to the Royal British Legion.

Although the concert was a long time coming, there is never a wrong time for Remembrance, so it was well worth the wait.

We struck lucky again with the weather for our performance at Whaley Wharf Weekend.
A mixed programme, ideal for a sunny afternoon, including a tribute to our Bass Trombone player,
Graham Robinson, who passed away in July.

As well as being an accomplished player, Graham was also an arranger of music, and it was a privilege to play his arrangement of Let There Be Peace On Earth. A bit of a break with tradition if truth be told: Graham's normal territory was Big Band/Jazz Band music, so a hymn tune was out of his normal comfort zone. But he more than rose to the challenge. Thank you, Graham, for your legacy to us of a very beautiful and moving peace of music. 

Eighteen players on the stand today, all of whom are Whaley Bridge Band regulars. Thank you one and all.
And thank you too, to the audience for your donations to Band funds which are very much appreciated.

It was a great honour to be invited by Foday, the Minister of Chinley Independant Chapel to lead the community hymn singing during a day of celebrations at the Chapel.  The occasion was to mark the
350th anniversary of Isaac Watts, founder member of the Congregations Church movement.

As well as half a dozen hymns, we also played a couple of marches and Highland Cathedral all of which went down very well with the congregation, who sang three verses of everything with great enthusiasm.

The Band were so wrapped up in the occasion that no-one remembered to take any photographs.  Ooops!
So you'll have to use your imagination to picture the pews filled with bandsmen . . . . . . . .

  . . . . . . . .players in the three rows at the back looking this way, and Sheila conducting from the far end of the pew end on to the camera.

And in the great bass band tradition, "Bandsmen's Teas" were part of the deal and we were treated to an excellent lunch afterwards in the Sunday Schoolroom opposite the Chapel.

Thank you, Foday and your congregation, for inviting WB Band to share in your celebrations in your amazing Chapel and for your warm hospitality.  Hope we will have the opportunity to play here again before too long. 

We were delighted when WB Band was again  invited to join forces with Over Alderley Band at
Rainow Church Fete.  What an amazing experience to ride through the village on a trailer sitting on hay bales playing Yankee Doodle Dandy!
​Surreal or what?

The ride was over all too quickly, but that wasn't the end of the show.
The "massed bands" of Over Alderley and Whaley Bridge played two sets during the afternoon to entertain the crowd.  Fortunately we were under shelter (or at least most of us were - a few players on the windward side did get a little damp) and it was a great sense of occasion to play so well together after only one joint rehearsal.

Many thanks to Rob and Lindsay, who play with both bands, for arranging this joint venture.
Hope we'll be back again next year.

The dismal weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of the residents of Cromford Court at our annual summer concert.  Normally we play outside in the summer, and go inside at Christmas when it's a real squeeze to get everyone in.  But without the 10 foot high Norway Spruce there's actually plenty of space for the Band.

Apparently there was a football match being played at the same time, but it can't have been anything important as there was a great turnout for us.  A mixed programme, including the opportunity to join in and sing.  Even though we forgot to bring the song sheets....ooops!....they knew most of the words anyway, especially the rude ones!

And cream tea to follow!  Nothing bandsmen like better than tea and scones.  Thank you Gill and all the residents for your hospitality and warm welcome. 

A busy weekend.

Carnival on Saturday, and we played in the Canal Basin after the parade.  This year we set up under the trees on the far side of the Transhipment Warehouse which proved a much better spot than we had last year on the side by the road. 

A varied programme, something for everyone with traditional marches as well as popular favourites.  Some of the audience stayed for everything, whilst others listened to a few pieces and then moved on to take different aspects of the Carnival event.

As with any "multi attraction" event, there was lot going on: screams from the fairground rides, horns tooting on the steam engines, and at ones stage the sound of Northern Pipe Band playing Highland Cathedral at the other side of the Warehouse - but we played it first! Perhaps they heard us emulating bagpipes and decided to give us a taste of the real thing.

Photos to follow.

On Sunday, it was the service of blessing for the Well Dressing, which this year was a D-Day commemoration.
What a happy coincidence that we just happened to have music in our repertoire which was absolutely perfect for the occasion!

Our first engagement of 2024 was on home ground in Kettleshulme Village Hall, our band room.
A community event organised by the Parish Council, and Whaley Bridge Band were delighted to be invited to join the Kettleshulme residents for the third year in row for a national occasion.

We played the first half of the programme while the audience enjoyed their picnics. Then it was our turn for refreshments as we enjoyed a cream tea courtesy of the Parish Council, which was much enjoyed by thirsty bandsmen.  Many thanks to Rachel, Jo and the other councillors for your hospitality. 

The second half of the concert included not only plenty of opportunities for the audience to sing along, but also two pieces of music in Remembrance of those who gave their lives in service of their country.

Hymn to The Fallen, from the film Saving Private Ryan, begins with drum beats before the Band starts to play. It is a good few years since we had a percussion player in the Band, but today we did.
Seven year old George joined his Mum -Lindsay, flugel -and Dad - Rob, cornet - for his debut performance as a member of Whaley Bridge Band, playing the side drum.  What a star!.
Well done George! Your standing ovation was richly deserved.

Our second Remembrance piece, Nightfall In Camp, was at the end of the programme and featured our principal cornet, Holly, playing The Last Post.  
Playing solo is nerve wracking at the best of times (the best time being the 3rd piece of music on the programme, when you are warmed up but not worn out,) but to play solo at the end of a concert is indeed a challenge.  But Holly more than rose to the occasion with a perfect performance, played like a pro.
Thank you Holly, what a tribute to those who gave their lives for their country.  You did them proud.

Special thanks not only to our featured players George and Holly, and of course of MD Sheila, but also to the deps who helped us out - Claire on soprano cornet, John on euphonium and Chris on Eb Bass.