News Reports

Singing for their supper in Corsham - 11:20am Thursday 23rd April 2009

Talented young musicians will be busking in the Martingate Centre, Corsham and bag packing for shoppers at Somerfield to raise money for the Corsham Windband Association.

The group, which caters for around 150 musicians in Corsham aged between five and 24, will be making their mark on Corsham on May 9 from 9am to midday by raising awareness in the town centre and encouraging more people to join or support the windband.

This event will be followed by an open morning at the band’s home, The Pound Art Centre in Corsham from 9.30am to midday on Saturday May 16, where potential players can visit and try out instruments and meet the band members.

For more information log on to www.corshamwindband.org.uk

Windband ends the year in style

From the The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, first published Thursday 22nd Dec 2005.

A CAPACITY audience turned out to cheer on the Corsham Windband at its annual Christmas concert at George Ward School in Melksham on Saturday.

Two hundred and fifty parents, relatives and friends gathered in the school hall to hear some of the pieces that won the band a bronze award at the recent Chepstow Festival.

Each of the three bands the Training, Spectrum and the Youth Concert took part.

The training band gave an impressive display of what they have learnt over the term and were conducted by junior conductors from the Youth Concert Band.

Players from all three bands were presented with examination certificates from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

The evening concluded with carols and for the finale the Spectrum and Youth Concert bands jointly played arrangements of Christmas medleys under the baton of guest conductor Sonia Blandford, who founded the association nearly 25 years ago.

Musicians score two triumphs in contest

From the Gazette & Herald, first published Thursday 2nd Dec 2004.

GAZETTE & HERALD: Young musicians from the ground-breaking Corsham Windband Association scooped two awards at a national music contest at the weekend.

 The Spectrum band won a silver medal at the competition organised by the British Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Emsembles and a recommendation to attend the national final in Manchester in March.

 The senior Youth Concert Band received a bronze medal.

 Association secretary Jane Reeve-Rawlings said: "I think it is fantastic. Both bands did really well and it shows all the hard work they put in during the months beforehand."

 The young musicians and their supporters filled two coaches for the trip to Chepstow on Sunday and both bands played a selection of three or four pieces for the competition.

 This is the second time in the group's 25-year history that an ensemble has reached the national final.

 The Corsham Windband Association drew attention in the national press recently for its open approach to youngsters wishing to learn to play an instrument, in the wake of an Ofsted survey which showed that more girls than boys received music tuition and gender stereo-typing was widespread when it came to choosing what instrument to play.

 Nine times as many girls as boys play the flute and twice as many boys as girls play the trumpet.

 But Corsham Windband Association does not fit into this pattern  it offers free tuition to children and young people aged five to 25 and gives everyone the chance to play in an ensemble as soon as they can produce a sound from their instrument.

 There are plenty of male flautists and female trumpet players, and members teach each other, encouraging inclusion and participation.

 The association is a charity run by volunteers and parents and the bands rehearse during term time every Friday from 7pm to 9pm and Saturday from 9am till noon at the Pound Arts Centre.