As always, December was a very busy month for the band.  The real highlight was the Christmas Concert on Saturday 10th featuring both the main band and the wonderful training band.

We also played at Chipping Sodbury in a joint concert with Yate Choral Society in aid of Chipping Sodbury Lions Club.

The rest of the month was spent playing carols around the area in town centres and local supermarkets and our thanks go out to the many people who supported us in our festive fundraising.

Sunday 13th was a busy day for the band, leading the parades at Wotton in the morning and then at Dursley in the afternoon.

Well done to Solo Cornet player Jules Farron for a super 'Last Post' at Wotton!

The sun shone again for us while we played at the Cold Aston Summer Fayre on Saturday 13th!

On Sunday 31st we played in the sunshine at Keynsham.  The bandstand performance included solos from Sam Iles on Xylophone, Ian Brown on Tenor Horn, Ken Stout on Flugel Horn, Alan Bruton on Euphonium and Joe Marsden on Kitchen Sink!

More than 200 people came from across the Cotswolds to join in the first ever “Cotswold Edge Festival of Brass” taking place in Dursley on Sunday 26th Juneat Rednock School and The Chantry Centre.

Participants ranged from 8 to 80 years old and were of varying abilities; some were experienced players whilst others were complete beginners.
The participants were split into three groups for the workshops during the day where they were given expert tuition from three professional musicians. Alan Swain, who teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, tutored the advanced group whilst Philip J. Anderson, a visiting music teacher across many of the local schools throughout Gloucestershire & Wiltshire took the intermediates. Chris White-Horne, a tutor with Thornbury Area Youth Music got the beginners group off to a flying start. Each group was given advice and guidance on their playing whilst rehearsing a piece of music for the evening entertainment.
The Festival was also joined throughout the day by players from Wotton Silver Band as well as world class professional brass musicians from the Welsh National Opera who gave some experienced guidance to the groups.
The Festival culminated in a fantastic concert at The Chantry Centre with pieces being performed by each of the three Festival groups as well as the audience being treated to concert items from both the Wotton Silver Band and soloists from the Welsh National Opera.

Philip Anderson and fellow tutors helped the groups learn and practice their performance pieces. He added: “The Cotswold Edge Festival of Brass was designed to enthuse people of all ages to try a brass instrument, or to develop their skills. The concert was a fantastic mix of the three groups from the day, the local Silver Band and professional musicians, who all gave their time for free. We are delighted to have created something so special in our community and look forward to doing it again next year!”

Congratulations to Bruce, Philip, Chris and Alan for organising such a successful event, and thanks to all the Wotton Band players who helped out throughout the day.

On Saturday 18th the band played at the British School summer fete in Wotton.

We were joined by Jon Hodkin (InnerTuba) and Alan Swain, soloists who will be performing with the band at the Severn Vale Youth Brass day at Lister Hall, Dursley next weekend.

On Saturday 11th the band played at the Shelling School in Thornbury and once again, the weather forced us indoors.  This however gave us a great opportunity to play in the school hall where, later this year, we will be recording our first ever CD!

Thanks go to all at Sheiling School for making us so welcome and for allowing us to use your fantastic hall.

On Monday 2nd it appeared that rain really would stop play for us at our annual visit to Tytherington Fete.  However, the organisers arranged some shelter for us which enabled us to play a concert in the dry of the tea tent.

Our thanks go to the Tytherington Fete Committee, and we hope that the day was a success despite the weather!

On Sunday 1st May the band carried on the 106 year-old tradition of climbing to the top of Wotton Hill to welcome in the Spring with a selection of hymns and marches.

The weather was kind to us this year and the rain managed to hold off until we had made our descent!

It was lovely to see such a crowd of people who turned out to support us in this rather eccentric tradition and, as always, our thanks go to Gordon Phillips who once again helped out as our Musical Director for the morning.

On 23rd April the band played a concert in St Mary's church Wotton with Dursley Male Voice Choir and Organist, Nigel Davies, as part of the 2016 Wotton Arts Festival.

The concert included individual performances from band, choir and organ as well as joint performances of 'Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco' and 'The Lost Chord' with band and choir, and the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony and 'Procession to the Minster' with band and organ.

Our thanks go to Nigel Davies, Dursley Male Voice Chor and the team from Wotton Arts Festival for their help in making this a very successful and popular concert.

On Sunday 13th March we were proud to compete, for the first time in the band's history, in the 1st Section of the West of England Brass Band Championships in Torquay.  

We were delighted with our performance of the very tough test piece 'Essay', and were awarded a very respectable 12th out of 15 bands (a solid start for us at this new level).

Very big thanks go to our Musical Director, Ian Dickinson, and also thanks to everyone at the band for a great effort and for all the hard work leading up to the contest!  A big thanks also to Julie for arranging our accommodation!

As usual, the early part of 2016 has been spent in rehearsal for the West of England Brass Band Championships taking place in Torquay in March.

This year's Test Piece is Essay by Edward Gregson ...

This work was specially commissioned as the test piece for a new brass band competition in 1971, held at the Royal Albert Hall, London.  It is in three movements, the titles of which all have literary connotations.  The first movement, Dialogue takes the form of 'conversations' between the instruments, based on the opening melody announced in unison on cornets and euphoniums.  A second theme is introduced on the flugel horn and developed alongside this, creating a sonata form shell.

The second movement, Soliloquy is dedicated to the memory of Gilbert Vinter – a composer who did so much in the 1960s to bring the brass band into the modern world. The movement is poignant in mood, which is depicted by a cornet solo announced after a brief introduction. The middle section builds to a powerful climax, at which point the opening theme of the first movement is heard again. Tranquillity returns however, with a solo trombone now playing the original theme with other instruments adding decorative accompanying patterns.

The final movement, Epigram, creates strong rhythmic contrasts and exploits the more virtuoso character of the brass band. The middle section, with its changing time patterns and open expansive melody, suggests a ‘big-country’ style. A rhythmically charged coda concludes the work in exciting fashion.

We will be holding an Open Rehearsal on Saturday 5th March at Thornbury Baptist Church where everyone is welcome to come along to listen to our progress!