Local music events are the perfect way to bring members of the community together, and allow community relationships to develop. We are very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to develop affiliations with the villages of Burghfield, Mortimer and Tadley, where we hold our three main concerts during each year.
For a band of our size, it can be very difficult to find suitable buildings that are large enough to accommodate both us and our audiences, but the three venues of St Mary’s Church in Burghfield, St John’s Church in Mortimer and Tadley Community Centre fulfil that need. We have also been fortunate to make Tadley Community Centre our home for rehearsals. We have built up a relationship with these venues over the past 5-10 years and are very pleased to see people from the local area coming back each year to join us at our concerts in these venues.
We strive to make our concerts accessible to all, and are pleased to have the support of the Burghfield and Mortimer Handybus, who provide transport for the elderly and less able members of the local community. Local shops such as The Baobab in Mortimer and The Fruit Shop in Burghfield act as community hubs who provide a central place to get concert tickets for our events.
The annual carol service, held in the grounds of the Horse & Groom pub in Mortimer gives us the opportunity to give something back to the community directly, with members of the band and the local choir providing the music for this event, run by the local churches. We are also keen to work with other local groups to help support them, whether that is by putting on a joint concert with the band, or by offering smaller groups from with the band to provide the musical entertainment for other events.
In today's world, where lifestyle challenges abound, music serves as a powerful escape from everyday stresses, supporting our mental health and bringing fresh, stimulating experiences into our lives. Unfortunately, with music appreciation receiving less emphasis in education, many young adults are only exposed to the styles of music promoted by the entertainment industry on social media. However, the immersive experience of live music offers a self-prescribed stress relief, allowing the music to drive one’s imagination, and producing a more emotional response.
While many large group music events take place in bigger towns and cities, the inconvenience and cost of attending can be discouraging, but our community events aim to bring these new and exciting experiences directly to everyone.
We seek to collaborate with existing or new community networks to find innovative ways to reach people and help them take their first steps in discovering the benefits of live music. If you are an individual or part of a group that can help to spread the word, please contact us to explore further.
We also endeavor to reach out to people and groups from within the local area with the view of sharing their skills and artistic flair within the community. Many members of the band come from these villages. We’d love to connect with other groups/people/causes who share our beliefs in building and developing relationships for the good of everyone in our communities.
