The band had a very busy Christmas season this year, with the band out and about on many evenings and weekends up to Christmas Day, We managed to make around £1300 through both collections and paid engagements; many thanks to those of you who may have contributed, and particular thanks to Debbie Taylor and Rozz Wing for standing in the cold and collecting for us.

We are already preparing for the summer season with engagements already booked as follows:

20/06/09   Boarstall Fete

27/06/09   Bloxham Steam Rally

28/06/09   Bloxham Steam Rally

24/08/09   Dinton Fete

The band will enter the London and Southern Counties Regional Qualifiers in Stevenage on Sunday 22nd March. This year's challenging piece is entitled The Talisman, a suite of three contrasting movements. On Sunday 8th February the band braved the snow and attended a full day workshop with freelance conductor and adjudicator Steve Pritchard-Jones, who had very generously given up his time and travelled a fair way to work with us. We began with sectionals in the morning, followed by a whole band workshop in the afternoon. We are grateful for his input and are keeping our fingers crossed that it bears fruit in the placings in March, Watch this space!

As ever, we are still in need of new players. If you are interested in learning to play a brass instrument we would love to see you at our training band on Friday evenings at 630 pm in the Village Hall (instruments provided). If you can already play, why not come along to main band? We rehearse at 7.30 on Tuesdays and Fridays in the Village Hall. In particular we require Percussion, Eb and Bb Basses and Bass Trombone but ALL players and instruments are very welcome!

For contact details check out our website at www.bletchingtonsilverband.co.uk