Boarshurst Band Play At Dobcross Band Club
Saddleworth’s only representatives at this year’s National Brass Band Championships continued their fundraising efforts with a concert at Dobcross Band Club on Sunday night.
Boarshurst Silver Band qualified for the Fourth Section finals at Cheltenham in September, after finishing second in the regional qualifying round at Blackpool earlier this year. The band is trying to raise £8,500 to cover the costs of attending the finals.
And Boarshurst delivered a varied programme to a small but appreciative audience in Dobcross, performing pieces ranging from the Gresford hymn to a medley of Broadway showtunes.
Musical director David Ashworth said: “I put programmes together to entertain, not the traditional brass band sort of programme. Overtures to me are old-fashioned, so I try to keep it as modern as I can, with a wide selection of entertaining music.”
On the band’s preparations for the nationals, he revealed that he’s on the lookout for a solo euphonium player, because the band’s current player in that position is struggling with a dental problem.
He added: “On the whole everybody’s up for it. The whole band is very excited about it. Come June, we’ll find out what the piece is, and then it’s all systems go.”
Mr Ashworth also thanked the brass band community for its support so far: “Every band in the area has been brilliant to be perfectly honest.” Diggle, Oldham (Lees) and Mossley bands have all played concerts at the Boarshurst club recently, and Delph will be doing a youth band concert soon.
He added: “Dobcross Youth Band have offered to purchase the music for the contest in support. And I have to thank James Garlick who is their Musical Director for everything that he’s done, he’s been absolutely fabulous. He’s loaned us instruments when we’ve had to have instruments repaired. Everybody’s supporting us, it’s fabulous.”
You can listen to the interview by clicking on the box below:
The band has many more fundraising activities planned. This coming Sunday, 29 May, the band will have a stall at the Uppermill Civic Hall flea market, and they’ll also be playing at the Kingfisher pub in Greenfield from 2pm.
On 5 June a concert and fundraising duck race is scheduled to take place down by the river on Greenbridge Lane in Greenfield. The following weekend there’ll be a coffee morning at the Boarshurst club on Saturday 11 June, and the day after the band will have a stall at the Saddleworth Show on Churchill Fields.
This year, Whit Friday is 17 June, and Boarshurst will be playing nine or ten contests on the day, all but one of them in Saddleworth. Mr Ashworth said: “We’ve been very successful over the last two years, so we’re hoping that we’ll be able to raise a bit of money with getting some prizes. It’ll all go towards Cheltenham.”
There’ll be much more as the summer goes on, and you can get more information about the band and the We’re Backing Boarshurst campaign at its website here. If you’re on Facebook, search for We’re Backing Boarshurst.
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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