Last Saturday was TSB’s Spring Celebration Concert in the wonderful St Lawrence Church. This year it featured children from Towcester C of E school, whose angelic voices entertained a packed church.
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The Band contacted the school a few months ago to enquire if they would like to participate in the Spring concert. To our delight they accepted and Jo Brown was delighted that 39 pupils from Key Stage 2 signed up for this event! They all practised hard with Mrs Ash in preparation for the concert.
They sang 6 songs from the school repertoire and chose those with harmony parts, such as 'Sun Arise', and group parts such as 'Count your Blessings', 'We Are One' and 'Power in Me'. The children were brilliant and rightly received many compliments from the audience and with many smiley faces on show, they definitely looked to be thoroughly enjoying themselves throughout. The children and teachers did an incredible job and TSB very much appreciated their participation. I’m certain there will be further invites from the Band to team up again in the future.
Jo Brown expressed her thanks and appreciation to all parents that supported their child's desire to be involved and who attended the concert - without their support the school couldn’t take part in such events that take place out of school time.
TSB were also in good form and MD Neil Brownless selected a programme of pieces to include music in recognition of our Queen’s upcoming 90th birthday. The Standard of St George march was followed by Crown Imperial. The singers then took centre stage which gave the Band time to recover before performing a test piece that was used at this year’s national qualifying contest , A Cambrian Suite. A ‘Pencil full of Lead’ and Sosban Fach completed the first half.
The second half of the programme featured a march The Villager, which the Band will be performing at the famous Whit Friday Marches contest in Saddleworth on May 20th. Another feature piece in the second half was Stevie Wonder’s ‘You are the sunshine of my life’. The arrangement chosen is a Flugel Horn trio, also featuring the trombone section. Pete Bull, Dave Nicholson and Lyn Stoneman serenaded the audience with wonderful flugel tones! Shine Down was the final piece, but responding to very generous applause, especially from the St Lawrence School singers, TSB’s encore was a tribute to late and great Sir Terry Wogan. He famously sang The Floral Dance many years ago, accompanied by a brass band, which actually made the pop charts.
It was a fitting end to this year’s Spring concert and the Band would like to thank Towcester C of E School, everyone who came to the concert and all of our Patrons, Friends and regular supporters. The next time TSB performs in Towcester will be at the Midsummer Music Festival on June 18th. This year we have a change of venue and will be found in the grounds of the Mill Brewery!
On June 25th TSB is joining forces with Brackley & District Band to recognise Armed Forces Day! The massed Bands are giving a concert at The Ugland Auditorium, Stowe School, commencing at 7pm. This is a ticket only event with tickets priced at £12 adults and £10 concessions. Tickets are available from Stowe Arts Box Office (www.artsatstowe.co.uk) or by calling 0845 6801926, www.brackleyband.org.uk and www.towcesterstudioband.co.uk .
Finally in recent months TSB has formed a new charity organisation called ‘Friends of Towcester Studio’ or FrOTS. The new organisation has fundraising at its core to help the Band raise money for specific projects like development of its rehearsal facility to provide disabled access, and buying of new instruments etc. To find out more you can register your interest in supporting the Band and becoming a ‘Friend’ by emailing friendsoftsb@gmail.com .
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