On Sunday 17th May, members of Trentham Brass Band and Training Band were up bright and early to catch our 7am coach to Leeds for the Black Dyke Brass Festival. On arrival, the rest of the morning was spent with workshops with Richard Marshall (cornets), Jonathan Bates (horns) and Gary Curtin (lower brass).
After the workshops we all gathered on stage for seating positions and a quick rehearsal of the massed bands with over 200 players.
The concert started at 3pm and the massed items were Them Basses, Trumpets Wild, The Theme from Elvira Madigan (with over 50 tenor horns playing!) and the finale was a very impressive Appian Way March from The Pines of Rome.
The near capacity audience in the town hall demanded more so an encore was performed in honour of special guests and Scottish Youth Band Champions Whitburn Youth Brass Brand. Highland Cathedral was a fitting climax to an enjoyable day before the journey home.