Burghfield & Mortimer's Christmas Concert
Saturday 14th December 2024
The band welcomed a sell-out audience to our annual Christmas Concert at St Mary's Church in Burghfield.
The programme was a mix of festive and other music, and included a piece new to the band, Symphonic Metamorphosis, which was a very effective piece based on Saints Saens famous Organ Symphony. The lights were dimmed while we performed O Magnum Mysterium, before we turned on all our Christmas lights, and donned a variety of festive hats to perform lots of Christmas music. As well as regular favourites such as Christmas Festival, Sleigh Ride, and Highlights from Frozen, we introduced some new Christmas pieces such as Santa's Journey and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Some comments at the end included "that was a very enjoyable evening", "fabulous programme", and "the best concert we've been to in ages".
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Band Workshop
Saturday 19th October 2024
The band had a treat with a full day workshop at Tadley Community Centre.
The day was led by Chris I'Anson, Director of Music in the Royal Air Force. He brought along a selection of music that was new to the band, and spent the day working through the pieces until the culmination of a mini performance at the end of the afternoon. It was difficult music, but with a lot of concentration and his guidance everyone played to a very high standard. We picked up some great tips to improve our musicality, and have found more music we'd like to play in future concerts!
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Alton Town Gardens Bandstand
Sunday 1st September 2024
The band had its final bandstand event of 2024 on a very hot and sunny afternoon in Alton Town Gardens, where band members were ready for ice creams in the half time break. What a contrast to the cold and wet day 4 months ago in Bradfield at our first outdoor event of the year!
We played a selection of popular music for the large audience who had gathered in the shade of the trees. Music included Eighties Flashback, Where No Man has Gone Before, James Bond, and The Greatest Showman.
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Newbury Bandstand
Sunday 18th August 2024
Although we'd taken a break from rehearsals throughout August, the band still got together to perform in Newbury, where we set up in the shade alongside the bandstand.
With many people bringing chairs along to listen we played to a lovely appreciative audience, and treated them to some favourites, including Instant Concert, How to Train Your Dragon, Brave, and Beauty and the Beast.
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With many people bringing chairs along to listen we played to a lovely appreciative audience, and treated them to some favourites, including Instant Concert, How to Train Your Dragon, Brave, and Beauty and the Beast.
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Summer Concert
Saturday 13th July 2024
The summer concert at St John's Church in Mortimer included music that we'd not played for many years.
We opened the concert with Alfred Reed's The Music Makers, and included some George Gershwin and Andrew Lloyd Webber medleys in the 1st half. We played film music from War Horse and Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. At a special request from a regular audience member we performed MacArthur Park. The audience also appreciated Ron Goodwin's Tall Ships and the Military Wives Choir piece by Paul Mealor, Wherever You Are. Picture
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We opened the concert with Alfred Reed's The Music Makers, and included some George Gershwin and Andrew Lloyd Webber medleys in the 1st half. We played film music from War Horse and Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. At a special request from a regular audience member we performed MacArthur Park. The audience also appreciated Ron Goodwin's Tall Ships and the Military Wives Choir piece by Paul Mealor, Wherever You Are. Picture
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Shaw-cum-Donnington fair
Sunday 23rd June 2024
We were part of the entertainment for the local fete at Shaw-cum-Donnington, near Newbury. As well as the band, the fair had a display of classic cars and, of course, a dog show!
We played some popular pieces including Instant Concert, Eighties Flashback and Les Miserables.
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We played some popular pieces including Instant Concert, Eighties Flashback and Les Miserables.
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Henley Bandstand
Sunday 9th June 2024
It was a chilly day playing at Henley's Mill Meadows but there were still plenty of people to listen and enjoy the music.
We performed a range of bandstand favourites, including The Greatest Showman, How to Train Your Dragon and Pirates of the Caribbean. The photo shows one of the percussion team playing the bodhran in Music from Brave.
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We performed a range of bandstand favourites, including The Greatest Showman, How to Train Your Dragon and Pirates of the Caribbean. The photo shows one of the percussion team playing the bodhran in Music from Brave.
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Band tour to Devon
25th-29th May 2024
This was our first tour since the pandemic & the first time the band has been on tour in the UK. We performed at 3 locations in the area on the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
At Dawlish on Sunday, we were unlucky with the weather, and a lack of seats meant we had to stand for our performance. We only managed to play one piece before the heavens opened and we had to cancel the rest of the programme.
The second concert was the highlight of the tour, at the Transit Shed at Exeter Quayside on Monday afternoon. This had an enthusiastic audience, nice weather and a visit from a few of the band members who could not come on the tour.
The final concert, on Tuesday, was in Connaught Gardens in Sidmouth on a somewhat cool, grey and damp day. We played to a small and very distant, though appreciative audience, who were sheltering under cover at the opposite end of the green.
On the way to Devon we stopped off at Glastonbury for the afternoon, with most of the band taking a trip up to the Tor. In between the concerts we visited Torquay & Exmouth, and then returned via Weston-super-Mare.
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At Dawlish on Sunday, we were unlucky with the weather, and a lack of seats meant we had to stand for our performance. We only managed to play one piece before the heavens opened and we had to cancel the rest of the programme.
The second concert was the highlight of the tour, at the Transit Shed at Exeter Quayside on Monday afternoon. This had an enthusiastic audience, nice weather and a visit from a few of the band members who could not come on the tour.
The final concert, on Tuesday, was in Connaught Gardens in Sidmouth on a somewhat cool, grey and damp day. We played to a small and very distant, though appreciative audience, who were sheltering under cover at the opposite end of the green.
On the way to Devon we stopped off at Glastonbury for the afternoon, with most of the band taking a trip up to the Tor. In between the concerts we visited Torquay & Exmouth, and then returned via Weston-super-Mare.
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Bradfield Mayfayre
Monday 6th May 2024
Our first summer bandstand event of the year was slightly damp! However, pouring rain and a bit of a mudbath at Bradfield Mayfayre didn't stop the band playing to a very busy Mayfayre crowd.
We performed some audience favourites including music from The Greatest Showman, Encanto, Les Miserables and James Bond.
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We performed some audience favourites including music from The Greatest Showman, Encanto, Les Miserables and James Bond.
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Spring Concert
9th March 2024
Our first concert of 2024 took place in the recently reburbished Tadley Community Centre. The concert started with John Williams' Midway March and included some regular favourites such as Hounds of Spring, Stephenson's Rocket and Lord Tullamore. We also performed some of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances and the reflective piece, Time Remembered, by the band's favourite composer, Philip Sparke.
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Click the image for more photos
