Christmas is just around the corner, and for many of us, that means the return of festive traditions like caroling, decorating the tree, and of course, the return of the classic British brass band.

This year, one of the UK’s most beloved Royston-based brass bands, Royston Town Band, are preparing for a busy schedule of Christmas engagements, and we’re here to give you a sneak peek at what’s in store.

The band will be performing at a number of locations in the local are over the coming weeks.

• Street collection Saturdays at Angel Pavement in Royston from 10am to midday
• Heydon Church on Saturday 17 December at 3.30pm
• Tesco Extra, Royston, on Tuesday 20 December at 6pm

The highlight of our Christmas season is our annual Christmas Concert which will be held at King James Academy Senior Site on Sunday 18 December from 7pm – 9pm.

Our chosen charity for this Christmas fundraising is Royston Food Bank.

If you can’t wait that long, you can get your brass Christmas fix on our YouTube channel with this specially-selected playlist:

The band are excited to be preparing and rehearsing a fantastic programme of festive music for our annual Christmas concert.

We invite you to join us for an evening of traditional Christmas favourites and fun sing-along arrangements at 7pm on Sunday 15 December 2019 at the King James Academy (Senior site).

Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for children and can be bought at Enfield Electrical Supplies on Orchard Road, reserved by emailing the band secretary ,  or bought on the door.

There will be a licensed bar and deluxe hamper raffle prizes available as well as nibbles and mince pies.

The band would like to invite families and children of all ages to a fun and interactive Christmas Carol concert with a twist!

Everyone is encouraged to sing, dance and have fun along with some festive favourites played by the band in a relaxed and child-friendly environment.

Baby changing facilities and easy buggy access make this ideal for younger ones who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend a concert by the band.

Tickets are £3 for children with accompanying adults joining for free (unaccompanied adults £5 each).

Join us on Sunday 22 December between 10.30am and 11.30am at the Royston Catholic Church Parish Hall.  Free parking is available in the car park of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School or a short walk away in the Civic Centre car park.

 

We’re sad to announce that Lisa King is stepping down as the conductor of our fabulous Development Band due to other commitments.

Lisa has conducted the band since it started two years ago and her energy and enthusiasm have inspired many new and returning players – thank you Lisa!

This means we are recruiting for a new volunteer to lead this successful beginner band.  If you would like to take up the challenge, please contact Charmian Flowerday using our contact form by Monday 2^nd October.

For the full story of the what the role entails, take a look at the  job description.

For the uninitiated, brass band contesting can seem crazy – and it is a bit. You spend about 4 months (on and off) practising one piece of music which culminates in 10 minutes of performance on stage to a pair of judges in a curtained cubicle.

On the plus side, it gives a band the chance to really get under the skin of a piece and to concentrate on technique. It brings the band together and puts a bit of pressure on us to perform – and it’s also a good day out!

This year – After a last rehearsal in the morning of Sunday 19th March – we made our pilgrimage to the Gordon Craig theatre in Stevenage. The fourth section is quite big (18 bands) so it’s split in two and we were in the first half of the draw. We had a little time before going on which can be spent listening to other bands, catching up with friends or looking at shiny new instruments for sale (and trying to resist the temptation to purchase). We went on stage as prepared as we could be and I was genuinely excited. We played. We waited.. and in the early evening we heard: 6th place!

The result was a good one for the band, and it’s a nice reflection that the band is secure in its new bandroom; we have a healthy number of regular members and an experienced conductor. Who knows what we could achieve next year, but for now bring on the summer programme!