News

The band recently received the following letter of thanks from Forest Town Methodist Church:

On behalf of all who attended and enjoyed the recent concert given by the Killamarsh Silver Band, I send grateful thanks to you all for such a wonderful evening of splendid music and a superb variety of melodies - some tunes bringing back many happy memories.

It was so good to see several younger people in the band and hope you go from strength to strength and friends here wish you well in your future contests.

GET IN THE FESTIVE SPIRIT

Killamarsh Silver Band is kicking off the festive season with two Christmas concerts.

The band will perform at Wales Church in Church Street,

Wales

on Friday 8 December at 7.45pm. Tickets are available on the door.

The programme will include festive favourites such as Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, The Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.

Other pieces will include Salvation Army medleys of various Christmas pieces as well as a setting of the carol Away in a Manger.

On Thursday 14 December the band will give its traditional Christmas concert at Killamarsh Sports Centre in Sheffield Road at 7.45pm.

In addition to the main band the concert will also feature the Killamarsh Silver Training Band.

Tickets cost £3 and are available on the door or in advance by ringing band chairman Francis Hargate on 0114 248 4898.

John Fern, press officer for Killamarsh Silver Band, said: “This is always a busy time of the year for the band but one that we enjoy.

“Both the concerts will feature a good mix of traditional carols and more modern Christmas pieces so there should be something for everybody to enjoy.”

Over the Christmas period the band is also performing at St Paul’s Church in Norton Lees at 7.45pm on Friday 15 December.

Music lovers are being invited to settle down to an autumn evening of entertainment with sounds from around the world.

The annual Autumn concert by Killamarsh Silver Band and Killamarsh Training Band will take place at St Giles Church Hall, Sheepcote Road, Killamarsh, at 7.30pm Sunday 29 October.

Killamarsh Silver Band's musical tour of the world will include:

Nimrod from the Enigma Variations (England)

Londonderry Air (Northern Ireland)

All Through The Night (Wales)

Highland Cathedral (Scotland)

African Funk

Amazonia from Windows of the World

The programme will also include the popular Mr Sandman, The Beatles classic Here, There and Everywhere and Minnie the Moocher from the film Blues Brothers.

The Killamarsh Training Band, which features players aged seven to 15, will also perform at the concert.

Band press officer John Fern said: "We hope our programme of music from around the world will brighten up an autumn evening. We are delighted to be joined again by the Killamarsh Training

Band as audiences like to see the progress that is being made by this growing group of young players."

Tickets for the concert cost £3 and are available on the door or in advance by ringing Francis Hargate on 0114 248 4898.

BE A HIT WITH KILLAMARSH SILVER BAND

Have you got what it takes to be a hit with Killamarsh Silver Band?

The brass band is on the lookout for both a drummer and tuned percussionist to join their ranks ahead of a busy Christmas programme of concerts.

The band has all the drum kits and tuned percussion instruments but just needs someone to play them.

Band press officer John Fern said: “We have a number of drummers and percussionists who help us out when needed but for the band to move forward we need a permanent kit player and tuned percussionist.

“We are really looking for percussionists who can already read music but our training band does offer opportunities for drummers to learn.”

The band is also on the lookout for front row cornet players to complete its line-up.

The band practices on Wednesdays from 7.30pm to 9pm and on Sundays from 5pm to 6.45pm at St Giles’ Church Hall in Killamarsh.

Further information is available from band chairman Francis Hargate on 0114 248 4898

The date of the Autumn concert by Killamarsh Silver Band and Killamarsh Training Band has been changed.

The concert was due to take place on Saturday 30 September at St Giles’ Church Hall in Killamarsh but due to a double booking the date has been moved.

Both bands will now perform at St Giles’ Church Hall, in Sheepcote Road, at 7.30pm on Sunday 29 October. Tickets cost £3 and are available on the door or in advance by ringing 0114 248 4898.

Music lovers in North Derbyshire and South Yorkshire are in for a treat with Killamarsh Silver Band set to perform three concerts within a week.

The brass band begins the concerts by performing at St Andrew’s Church in Newbold Road, Chesterfield at 7.30pm on Saturday 24th June.

On Sunday 25th June the band will play their second concert at Kiveton Park Colliery Park in Kiveton from 11.30am.

A busy week for the band will be completed when it performs as part of the Killamarsh Summer Cultural Festival by giving a movie themed concert.

The performance is designed to fit in with the festival theme of celebrating 100 years of film and will feature music from film scores throughout the decades, including Tara’s Theme from Gone with the Wind, Zulu from the Michael Caine classic film of the same name and the theme from the Lion King.

The concert will be held in the Parish Suite at Killamarsh Sports Centre, Sheffield Road, Killamarsh at 7.45pm on Thursday 29th June.

Tickets cost £3 and are available on the door or in advance by ringing Francis Hargate on 0114 248 4898.

John Fern, press officer for the band, said: “This is always a busy time of year for the band but it is unusual to have three high profile concerts so close together. We are particularly looking forward to the At the Movies concert, which will form a key part of the on-going Killamarsh Summer Cultural Festival.”

Young brass players from north Derbyshire and South Yorkshire – or people who want to learn – are being invited to a fun event being run as part of the Killamarsh Summer Cultural Festival.

The free Young People’s Brass Band Musical Instrument Workshop has been organised by Killamarsh Training Band and Killamarsh Silver Band to encourage young people to start playing a brass instrument – or improve the skills of those that already are.

Young players will have the opportunity to find out what the different instruments of a brass band look and sound like before being invited to join the training band to play some simple pieces.

The event will be held in the Parish Suite at Killamarsh Sports Centre, Sheffield Road, Killamarsh at 2pm on Sunday 18 June.

The Killamarsh Training Band was set up in September 2005 to provide young people in north Derbyshire and South Yorkshire with opportunities to play as part of a brass group. The band also offers the chance to learn to play percussion instruments.

Under experienced musical director Phil Dickens a thriving group of 15 players has already been established, who have a busy programme of concerts booked.

Phil said: “We want to use the workshop to encourage more young people to join the band. We know there are a dozens of young people learning to play brass instruments in schools and this is an opportunity for them to play as part of a team. Being part of a band develops skills that you cannot learn by playing alone and is also a good way of meeting new friends and having fun."

“The band has a range of instruments available for students to learn on and we intend to make a Lottery application in the coming months to buy even more.”

Places do not need to be booked but further information about the workshop is available by ringing Francis Hargate on 0114 248 4898.

Anyone unable to go to the event can attend the training band rehearsals. They practice every Sunday from 4pm to 5pm at St Giles’ Church Hall, Sheepcote Road, Killamarsh.

Tickets have gone on a sale for the A Night at the Movies concert being given by Killamarsh Silver Band – also part of the Killamarsh Summer Cultural Festival.

The concert will be held in the parish suite at Killamarsh Sports Centre, Sheffield Road, Killamarsh at 7.45pm on Thursday 29 June.

It will feature music from movies across the decades to tie in with the festival’s theme of celebrating 100 years of films.

Tickets cost £3 and are available on the door or in advance by ringing Francis Hargate on 0114 248 4898.

SOUNDS LIKE AN EMOTIONAL RETURN

A couple are to make an emotional return to their roots in Scotland – accompanied by Killamarsh Silver Band.

Bob and Muriel Blair met at the Salvation Army Motherwell Citadel in 1966 and married there in 1972 before moving to Dinnington in 1975. The couple have organised a tour for Killamarsh Silver Band – of which Bob is a member - to perform a series of brass band concerts in the Motherwell area between May 27 and 29.

Bob, 58, said: “I was first taught to play an instrument in the Motherwell Citadel Band of the Salvation Army but have been a Bb bass player with Killamarsh Silver Band since 1992.

“I have always had an ambition to take ‘my band’ to Motherwell so my new friends can meet my old friends. It will be emotional for me playing with Killamarsh and a way of saying thank you to the Salvation Army for spending time and effort teaching me to play when I was 19 years old.”

The tour will see Killamarsh Silver Band perform at the Salvation Army Citadel in Camp Street, Motherwell on Saturday May 27.
The band will also perform at the New Lanark World Heritage Centre and the Water Sports Centre in Strathclyde Park.

Muriel, 54, said: “We have always kept in touch with our friends and family in Motherwell and visit regularly. But this tour will be special because the Citadel Hall means so much to us. It has played a pivotal part in our lives. We have been there for happy occasions and sad ones but it has been a constant feature.”

Bob added: “I feel passionately that it important we maintain the tradition of brass bands in Britain. Killamarsh are a good band so I hope we get some good crowds in Motherwell to hear them play.”

The Band recently announced that, after the extremely busy Christmas period, current conductor Andrew White would be leaving us. Anybody interested in auditioning for the position, please contact Francis Hargate on (0114) 2484898, or 07917014506.

The Band are sad to announce that after the very busy Christmas period we will be losing our conductor, Andy White, due to his other commitments.

The first meeting of the training band took place on the 25th September at our rehearsal room, complete with new training band conductor, Phil Dickens. In accordance with the Law the band has appointed a Welfare Officer and adopted the BFBB Child Protection Policy and Procedures.

Players from Killamarsh Silver Band are packing their bags ready for a tour to the Czech Republic. The band, which has 37 players, will be based at Prague during their week-long trip but will also travel to perform at other towns in the Czech Republic. Band publicity officer John Fern said: “The tour is the highlight of our engagements every year... We have visited several European cities before but this will be the first time that the band has flown out to a play in another country... “Some of the places we are visiting will not have seen many English Brass Bands before but we hope that they will take to our style of music. The tour is also an excellent opportunity for members of the Band to socialise.”

During the visit the band will play in Prague; at the Church of St Joseph of Nepomuck, as well as the Main Square in Kutna Hora, and at the town of Karlovy Vary. The group will also give a performance in the town of Pilsen before going on a guided tour of the towns' Pilsner Urquell brewery.

The band will leave Derbyshire on Saturday 20 August and return on Saturday 27 August. The trip is the band’s first to Prague but follows previous visits to Holland, Belgium, France, Germany and Italy in recent years.

For the first time in over 40 years, the Band name is about to enter a contesting! Well, more than one actually. Yes, a 'scratch band' formed mainly of Killamarsh Silver Band Players and competing under the same name will take part in the Whit Friday Contests. This is seen as a 'tester' for whether members of the Band would like to contest properly in the near future.

People in North East Derbyshire will be able to get in the festive mood when Killamarsh Silver Band performs its annual Christmas concert.

The band will be performing a range of Christmas classics, mixed in with some lively non festive tunes, in a concert at Killamarsh Leisure Centre, in Sheffield Road, at 7.45pm on Thursday 9 December.

The programme will include Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and White Christmas, alongside O Holy Night and the Second Waltz.

Non- Christmas music will include an arrangement of Elvis songs, the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic Music of the Night, and the classical favourite Montagues and Capulets.

John Fern, publicity officer for the band, said: “While the band is performing at many venues over the Christmas period, this concert is always one of the highlights.

“Our recent Remembrance and Last Night of the Proms concert in the village proved very popular and we hope this one will as well. All the music is well known and likely to get your foot tapping.”

Tickets for the performance cost £3 and are available on the door or by ringing Francis Hargate on 0114 248 4898.

Details of all the band’s Christmas concerts can be found by visiting its website

The Band have democratically appointed Andrew White as the new Musical Director following the departure of John Slater. Andrew is familiar to the band having had a previous spell as MD, and was a popular choice from the candidates who auditioned.