Mid Sussex Brass Band represent Sussex in Germany

Mid Sussex Brass Band have represented Burgess Hill in what has been the '˜highlight' of their year.
Mid Sussex Brass Band SUS-180920-160310001Mid Sussex Brass Band SUS-180920-160310001
Mid Sussex Brass Band SUS-180920-160310001

Members of the brass band travelled to the mountainous Sauerland region of Germany for its ninth biannual visit to Schmallenberg, Burgess Hill’s twin town.

Fundraising efforts by band members and a grant from Burgess Hill Town Council contributed to travel costs. The band performed several concerts during Schmallenberg’s Town Week and helped to mark the 30th anniversary of the twinning relationship between the two towns.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Musical director, Steve Winter, said: “Representing Burgess Hill on this year’s visit to Schmallenberg was a highlight for our band members.

“We are now working hard, alongside our Youth Band, to put on a great performance at our autumn concert and hope to attract a good crowd to enjoy a fun evening and a diverse range of music to cater for all tastes.”

As well as taking part in the 30th anniversary celebrations the band also played for staff and residents at St George’s rehabilitation and employment centre for local people with disabilities.

Other impromptu concerts took place around the town with members of the Oberkirchen Brass Group, Altes Blech, whom the band has enjoyed joint concerts with in previous years in Germany and the UK.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The band is now busy preparing a festival of music for its autumn concert which takes place on Saturday, October 13, at Manor Field Primary School.

The concert will also feature performances from the Mid Sussex Youth Brass Band. Tickets are available in advance at Burgess Hill town council help point and on the door at £5.

The Mid Sussex Brass Band can trace its origins to the late 19th Century. In 1986 the Haywards Heath Town Band and the Burgess Hill Brass Band merged and became known as the Mid Sussex Brass Band, which rehearses in Burgess Hill and continues to perform across West Sussex and further afield.

The band can frequently be heard playing at fetes and other events, and also at bandstands in Horsham and Eastbourne. It plays regular concerts in Burgess Hill, including Christmas, and leads the Burgess Hill Remembrance Day Parade.