Category: Concerts

The band are pleased to confirm that the we will be appearing at Hyde Park Bandstand, London again this summer. The date is Sunday 18th August and we will be playing from 3pm to 5pm. The band thanks the Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens for the kind invite.

The band are currently rehearsing for a couple of Autumn Concerts that will take place on the 13th and 20th October, both in East Kent. On the 13th the band can be heard at St. Nicholas-at-Wade Church with the concert starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 on the door and just £8 if purchased in advance from St. Nicholas-at Wade Post Office on 01843 844632. On the following Saturday 20th October, the band can be heard at St. Bartholomew’s Church, King Edward Avenue, Herne Bay. Tickets for this concert are just £7.50 and can be purchased from Ken Skinner on 07957 867062 for collection on the night. Some tickets will also be available on the door. Come along and enjoy an entertaining evening of music – it would be great to see you! Refreshments are available at both concerts.

After a lot of good preparation and hard work, the day finally came and the band set off from the bandroom in East Kent around 10.30am last Sunday bound for the Royal Park, that is Hyde Park. It was a grey day and after so much hot and sunny weather the forecast was not great but having reached London about 12.30pm it was dry, albeit overcast. This was to be the case for the rest of the afternoon and during the band’s performance, with an occasional touch of drizzle thrown in. However, it was certainly not cold and it didn’t seem to stop the many visitors to Hyde Park from sitting, standing and listening to us playing. There were tourists from all over the world taking time to listen and take photos of the band and it’s possible that Snowdown Colliery Welfare Band are now known in many different parts of the world after Sunday. The band rose to the occasion and played extremely well and the programme was one that accounted for the tastes of all. From Verdi to Abba and Langford to Gershwin, the audience were very attentive and very appreciated. A number of soloists were also featured and a brilliant job was done by them all. The band were very grateful to have been given the opportunity to perform at such an iconic venue by the Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens. Their chairperson, Sue Price was delighted with how everything went to plan and so… Read more“THE BAND DIG DEEP FOR FINE PERFORMANCE AT HYDE PARK”

With only just over two weeks to go before the band performs at the iconic Hyde Park Bandstand in London on Sunday 12th August, the band are busy preparing for the day. Not too many brass bands of Snowdown Colliery’s stature get the chance to play in a prime London Park and rightly so, everyone is excited to grasp the opportunity. From Verdi to Abba and Gershwin to Langford, the band are rehearsing a programme that is hopefully appealing to all musical tastes and ideal for a Sunday afternoon bandstand concert. The band will be playing between 3pm & 5pm with a short interval and hope that the recent run of lovely weather will continue to make the day even better. In order to make sure that the band is fully prepared for the London trip an additional rehearsal has been set for Monday 6th August in the bandroom at the usual time of 7.30pm.

The band are to hold a concert in memory of Trevor Attwood who was associated and played with the band for many years and who sadly passed away last year. The concert, that will also feature the Shepway Brass Academy will take place on Saturday 12th May 2018 at Holy Trinity Church, Folkestone, commencing at 7.00pm. The proceeds of the concert will go towards the Shepway Brass Academy as this was Trevor’s families wish following his funeral. An invitation has been extended to Trevor’s family and it is hoped that they will be able to attend. Of course, it goes without saying that if you knew Trevor or were a friend, then it would be great to see you all at the concert given in memory of a genuinely lovely man!

The band hopes to play their part in reviving further interest in brass band concerts at one of London”s most famous bandstands when they perform at the recently refurbished Hyde Park Bandstand later this year. Their invitation came from Sue Price, the Chair of the Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens, who have been trying to bring back the sound of brass bands on a regular basis to a venue that was once one of the most sought after in the country. Originally built in 1869, it stood in Kensington Gardens before being moved to Hyde Park in 1886, where its octagonal roof was renowned for giving particularly good acoustics for an open air venue. In the heyday of summer brass band tour engagements the likes of Foden”s would perform twice a day to large crowds — even during the Second World War, although according to Harry Mortimer, he recalled being more worried about the sound of V1 doodlebug V1 rockets than any misplaced entries! The bandstand also played host to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers in their 1935 film “Top Hat”, although during the last 25 years or so brass band concerts declined due to cuts in the parks entertainment and performance budgets. They are hoping to bring back brass bands on a regular basis and it”s a fantastic venue, just a stone”s throw from the Royal Albert Hall

Dispite the wet weather, the band played at Broadstairs between 2:30 and 3:30pm on the 26th. The audience braved the weather and sat under umbrellas for best part of the performance. Special thanks go to Guest Conductor Joe Chester and guest players Nevil, David and Fiona (Cornet), Deborah Hazell (Baritone) and Claire Varley (Euphonium)