Desford Colliery Band starts Crawley venue's huge brass season

Spokeswoman Lorraine McGregor said: “The Desford Colliery Band is considered one of the finest exponents of the brass medium.

“Its wide range of styles and flexibility of performance has bought it worldwide fame.

“This British band comprises 25 brass musicians with percussion and performs a repertoire spanning baroque to jazz, its soloists some of the finest you will hear. To date the band has enjoyed legendary success winning no fewer that 35 championship titles.”

The season continues on Sunday, November 20, at 3pm with the Fairey Band.

“The Fairey Band has achieved many musical successes under the brilliant direction of Harry Mortimer, their musical director for over 30 years.

“The band has been 16 times British Open Champions and National Champions of Great Britain on nine occasions. Winners of the BBC Best of Brass and Granada Band of the Year titles add further touches of distinction. In recent years, the band has enjoyed further recognition outside the confines of the brass band movement with its involvement in the Acid Brass’ project. Under this banner, the band has been able to display its flexibility in adapting to a totally-different musical concept and consequently has performed in rock/pop festivals in the UK and overseas.”

Next up, on Sunday, January 22 (3pm), is Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band.

“One of the most famous bands in the brass-band world, and currently one of the highest ranked, the band competes at the highest level in the world’s leading contests alongside the very best and most prestigious bands around. By the mid-1990s times looked very bleak for the band, as it did for a great many other bands and working personnel in the mining industry, with the eventual closure of the pits in the UK and with Frickley Colliery in particular.

“It was at this time due to the closure and subsequent unemployment that the band was down to only six members and close to extinction. However, through the tenacity and the desire of those remaining members, the band was rebuilt and in a few short years by 1999 became Yorkshire Champions and represented Yorkshire at the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall in London. “

The season continues on Sunday, February 26, at 3pm with the Virtuosi GUS Band.

“Thousands have applauded the band in concert, and the Midlanders have managed to dent the Northern pride of Yorkshire and Lancashire, traditionally the home of brass bands, by winning no fewer than six national titles, the British Open Championships and being proclaimed World Champions.

“Now the band is celebrating 75 years of outstanding music-making and a story that had its beginning in a small Northamptonshire shoe factory.”

Completing the season on Sunday, March 19 (3pm), is the Black Dyke Band.

“The world-renowned Black Dyke Band have recorded with artists, including Dame Evelyn Glennie, Tori Amos, The Beautiful South and even appeared on The Beatles hit record Yellow Submarine.”

Tickets are available from The Hawth Box Office on 01293 553636 and online at www.hawth.co.uk.

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