| Strawberry Tea - Saturday 26 June 2010 (06/07/10) | |
A good turnout of guests could be seen at the Tower Hotel on Saturday 26 June for the Mayor's Strawberry Tea Charity event. The weather was conducive to sitting out and enjoying cream teas, wine and whatever else took your fancy.    The guests were entertained by the band which played many foot tapping summer ‘gig’ favourites. The event, at which the band performed free of charge as its contribution to the spirit of occasion, raised, we understand, around £300. All in all a successful day. |
| School Fete Performance by the Apprentice Band (26/06/10) | |
Saturday 26 June 2010 – what a perfect summer’s day, sun shining, birds singing and a wonderful blue sky – a perfect day for a school fete in fact. And that is just what took place at St. Andrew’s Primary School, Weeley. It was also a perfect day to listen to traditional brass band music and it just so happened that the fete goers were entertained for an hour by an ensemble from our Apprentice Band supported by members of the main band.   After the performance a few moments of relaxation and a bite to eat – hog roast rolls for many - it was a quick getaway for the main band players who had to ‘hot foot’ back to Harwich to perform at the Mayor’s Strawberry Tea Charity event later that afternoon – more of that anon. Additional photos are being featured on the Home Page. |
| Merchant Navy Association - Dunkirk Memorial Service (30/05/10) | |
On a blustery Sunday morning members of Ex-Services associations turned out in Harwich to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Dunkirk Evacuation. The short service was held at the Merchant Navy Memorial on Harwich Quay.       |
| 80th Birthday Party (28/05/10) | |
Sunday 23 May also saw an ensemble from the band playing at an 80th birthday party in the Thorpe Bowls Club. The event, which was a pilot foray into ensemble 'gigs', was a success as evidenced by the following quote from the organiser. 'I originally arranged this suprise for my Dad, however it turned out to be the most amazing entertainment for many of the guests. ......put me on the e mail list to find out where you are playing, there are so many people interested. Thank you all for your very professional attitude and fantastic level of entertainment. I have never seen my Dad speechless, but you made him so! .... thanks most sincerely from all the family, and the 75 guests present.' Says it all. |
| Veluwe Brass - Concert Weekend (24/05/10) | |
Over the weekend of 22 and 23 May Veluwe Brass from Amersfoort, The Netherlands came to the U.K. They arrived bright and early at 6.30am on Saturday morning to be greeted at the 1912 Centre in Harwich by a team from the HRBLBB who provided a continental style breakfast. At 10.30 a convoy of cars set out to Clacton for the first event – an open air concert in Clacton Town Centre where shoppers and trades people were entertained for an hour or so with a varied programme of music.   Late afternoon saw a joint rehearsal at the Princes Theatre in preparation for the concert in the evening which started at 7.00pm. There was a disappointingly small, but appreciative, audience at the concert who were treated to such delights as Dance of the Buffoons, Habanera from Carmen, Let’s face the Music, Londonderry Air, Aparito Roca, Riverdance and much more. Watch a Youtube compilation video of the concert here    On Sunday the Veluwe members had a guided tour of Colchester in the morning and in the afternoon they entertained the public with another open air concert held at the Cliff Park Bandstand in Harwich.    Throughout the weekend the weather was warm and sunny which supplemented a very successful weekend. |
| Tour de Tendring (18/05/10) | |
Sunday 16 May 2010 - another busy day for the Band. From 10.00am until 1:00pm the Drum Corps and the Music School held workshops in a marquee at the Tour de Tendring event held at the Dovercourt Leisure Centre greensward. Features of the morning included demonstrations of Drum Corps techniques, demonstrations of the various brass instruments used by a brass band and ensemble playing. Members of the public, particularly youngsters, were invited and encouraged to try out the instruments.          At 1:00 pm until 2:00pm the main band, accompanied by members of the Band School, performed a variety of popular pieces for the participants and visitors to the Tour de Tendring. |
| V.E. Memorial Service 8 May (10/05/10) | |
The 65th anniversary of V.E. day was celebrated, on a damp and cheerless, Saturday 8 May with a 11am memorial service at the cenotaph in the Memorial Gardens in Clacton.    Matthew, as principal bugler for the Clacton Branch of the RBL, was on hand to play Last Post and Reveille. |
| Silver Springs Care Home official opening (02/05/10) | |
   Saturday 1 May saw the band playing at the official opening of the Silver Springs Care Home in Thorrington. The opening was performed by Angela Ripon (of TV newscaster fame and dancing on the Morcombe and Wise show – many years ago now) who, co-incidentally, is the President of a Brass Band in Devon. The band, set up in the newly laid gardens on a bright and sunny day, played a selection of numbers from the ‘quay pads’ as background music to the event. Feedback from Angela, residents, staff and guests was that the music was thoroughly enjoyed by one and all so once again well done to everyone. |
| Big Band Sound concert - 25 April 2010 (26/04/10) | |
The Big Band Sound concert performed, jointly by our band and RBL Victory Brass Band from Portsmouth, on Sunday 25 April at the Princes Theatre, Clacton was well received by an audience of over 200. With over 40 musicians on stage it was truly a big band sound playing numbers such as Hello Dolly, By The Time I Get To Pheonix, Swinging Safari and a Glen Miller arrangement.      Many of the arrangements played also incorporated solos by various sections of the band – which were all performed with feeling and professionalism. The concert was preceded by a busy weekend rehearsing for the concert – so lots of hard work culminating in a rewarding performance on the Sunday. |
| Onwards and Upwards (21/03/10) | |
On Saturday 20 March the Band competed in the 4th Section of the London & Southern Counties Regional Brass Band contest which was held at the Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre. The test piece, a brass band arrangement of Saint-Saens Variations, proved a real challenge to all of the bands competing – 16 in all.  Band rehearsing prior to contest. The Band was drawn to play at number 10 and played a respectable performance of the piece. The result was that we were awarded 4th place in the contest which is one place higher than last year. Congratulations and well done to all. |