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| A Year In The Life Of Bratton Silver Band |
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Bratton Silver Band participates in a variety of events each year. Outlined below is the typical yearly events diary of Bratton Silver Band (based on the engagements undertaken by the Band in 2008)! This will give you some idea on how busy the Band is throughout each year. January Happy New Year! The year starts with a ‘blow away the cobwebs’ evening – the first rehearsal back after far too much turkey, mince pies, oh, and wine … beer … sherry … champagne (if you’re lucky enough) … spirits (of the alcoholic kind) … you get the idea! This month is also the time that Bratton Silver Band gets out the test piece (piece of music set by the Brass Band contest organisers) for the West of England Regional Championships (to be held in March) to start practising and virtually ‘take apart’, before attempting to put it back together again! By the end of this first month in the banding diary Bratton Silver Band is again ready (after getting rid of the Christmas/New Year blues) to hold the Annual General Meeting – a chance to throw fundraising ideas into the pot, elect a committee and agree the band finances! February This month usually starts with a music sort out (a twice yearly military operation!) and 2008 was no exception. This gives the band members a chance to sort out, and file away, all the Christmas music (for all of 6 months!) into our vast music library which consists of well over 1,200 pieces of music (some library!). This also allows for extra music to be handed out for the forthcoming engagements. I am sure some band members will agree with me when I say that this is not a particularly enjoyable job but a job that needs doing nevertheless. Jaffa cakes, chocolate biscuits and a never ending supply of tea and coffee certainly makes these music sort outs less tedious, together with some (non brass band) background CD music!
March At this time of the year Bratton Silver Band enters the contest scene. It is not unusual for the Band to enter three contests a year. The most important of the contests being the West of England Regional Championship which has, in recent years, been held in the Riviera Centre, in Torquay. April April is renowned for being the Band’s ‘quiet’ month (although it has been argued by one member that it is never quiet as it is this month that he celebrates his birthday!) – time to recover from the Regional in March and to prepare for the forthcoming fundraising and fete season. In April 2008 the Band were invited to play at a Senior Citizen’s party, in Westbury – a new engagement. May With the 150th Anniversary fast approaching Bratton Silver Band have participated in a number of ‘Sponsored Blow’s’ in the past two years. The venues for these engagements have been varied – from outside the local Farm Shop, the local supermarkets and, in May 2008, at Leigh Delamere service station on the M4!
Believe it or not this photo comes from a fete type event held only the year before – in May 2007! How different things can be! I think our next investment may have to be Bratton Silver Band brollies!
June
This year, in June, the Band took the opportunity of having a more formal photo taken – this time with an intentional purpose – to be included in the 2009 Anniversary calendar (another fundraising project for 2009!).
Also in June 2008, at the end of the month, the Band was invited to perform for a former band member, at his surprise birthday party. The Band needed no arm twisting (as the word ‘party’ was mentioned along with the essential words ‘with bar’). At this event the Band put on a Bratton Silver Band classic ‘beerband’ concert. July
The charity concert for 2008 was for the Alzeimers’ Support West Wilts, based in Trowbridge, where the Band ventured to the local town of Trowbridge and played in the high street for a couple of hours (also taking place in July). Another regular event for the Band is the Lawn service – an outside church service, most recently held in the gardens of Wilsford House, previously held in Wilsford Manor. August
Other regular bookings for August are the Warminster Park bandstand, situated by the lakes next to the park, and the Westwood Flower Show held on the last Bank Holiday Monday of the month – the only fete-type event where the Band has a sit down audience always looking for more chairs!
September The second of the music sort outs are held at the beginning of this month – a chance to file the summer programmes and (dare I say it) bring out a list of Christmas Music!
October
October 2008 also saw the second performance of the well-received German programme at another Bavarian evening, held again in the Bratton Jubilee Hall, to a full audience. November
In November 2008, the Band were invited to perform a concert in Great Cheverell church – a few event and location for the Band. Concerts like these are what the Band always enjoy performing at. It is always a pleasure to put on a concert to an appreciative audience, and what a better place to do it than in the picturesque, local, village churches. This year the highlight of the concert seemed to be our very own trombone player dressed as a construction worker (the coarse one) accompanied by a welly-wearing cornet player in a tutu (the fine one) playing the sandpaper – just use your imagination (thank goodness there are no photos of this!).
December So here we are, the last month of the year, but by no means the least. December! The start of the most manic month in the year! December 2008 started off (as it has done in the past few years) with a radio recording. This is held in the Zion Baptist Church, in Trowbridge, and is an engagement for ticket holders only. BBC Wiltshire Radio record the event live which will be aired on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Local school choirs also contribute to this carol service, with a full congregation singing along to the carols performed by the Band. Other band engagements for December include: Christmas carol services – St Mary’s Church, Potterne, (Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service). An extremely cold church in 2008 but nonetheless a lovely, as usual, Christmas service. Westbury Parish Church, (Rotary Club). This involves local school choirs, and a full singing public. The church is packed with standing room only at the back. Soisy Gardens, Westbury (Westbury Town Council). This was an outdoor service, in the town by the library – on an extremely windy and cold evening. A new invitation received by the Band involving film clips from local schools, music from Bratton Silver Band and more carol singing by the public. St James Church, Bratton. This carol service features the Bratton Church choir as well as the Band.
Christmas concerts – Bratton Silver Band – held at the Jubilee Hall, in Bratton. This is always a free concert for the public. A festive and entertaining afternoon usually held in the week prior to Christmas Day. The Training Band also performs a small Christmas repertoire. Band Christmas meal Westbury Conservative Club Others types of engagements undertaken by Bratton Silver Band CD recordings Weddings Overseas trips Memorial services – for past BSB associates Themed nights – last night of the proms Garden parties Extra rehearsals – held a week (or two) before each contest to fine tune the contest music. Music selection meetings – held 8 weeks before each engagement to discuss music programme content. Other social / fundraising events: Quiz nights – Bingo evenings - Coffee mornings – Car Treasure hunts Fundraising is key to the running of Bratton Silver Band who are continually raising funds just to keep the Band in existence. Without the support of the ‘groupies’ and 100 club members (as well as the Band members themselves) Bratton Silver Band would struggle to keep going. These events (along with all the other ‘paid’ jobs) are vital.
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In
February 2008 the Bratton Silver Band performed their first Bavarian event
of the year. A hugely successful evening comprising of German music, food
& drink – entertainment at a different level! One of Bratton Silver Band’s
most popular events is the Bavarian themed evenings (often referred to
within the Band as the ‘beerband’ jobs). The Band entertains audiences
with German ‘oompah’ music, while dressed in green alpine hats and
Bratton’s version of the German lederhosen (black trousers tucked into
long, white football socks!). Also, on offer was the traditional German
sausages, cheese, sauerkraut – and of course German wine and beer!!
The
Annual Best of British concert has traditionally been held during
February. This concert has been presented by Bratton Silver Band since
1994, welcoming a range of Championship Section bands to the West Country.
This concert is renowned for being a sell out and 2008 was no exception.
The visit by the world famous Cory Band in 2009 will be their 6th
consecutive visit to the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon and
they have now become firm friends with Bratton Silver Band who are
delighted at having the opportunity in 2009 of working more closely with
them (the Band has been assured that they are all ‘pussy cats’!).
On
Sunday 18th May 2008, Bratton Silver Band travelled to the coast to
compete in the Annual ‘Own Choice’ Brass Band Contest at the Winter
Gardens Pavilion in Weston Super Mare. The Band chose the piece of music,
‘Legend in Brass’ by James Curnow, to perform on this occasion. The
adjudicator for the afternoon was Mr Derek Broadbent and at the end of the
day the Band was rewarded with 3rd place!! What a fine result - complete
with trophy and prize money. 
May
also usually sees the start of Bratton Silver Band’s fete season. In 2008
the Band performed for the first time at the Great Cheverell fete. The
weather for the day was extremely hot – a promising sign of things to come
over the summer period perhaps?!? (Ha!) As most band members know (along
with everyone else who lives in England I suppose) expecting the sun to
last is maybe being a little too optimistic! Unfortunately no fete
organisers can guarantee the sunshine (although some lead us to believe
that they think they can!). 
In
June the Band has, for a number of years now, been invited to perform at
the Annual Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service’s Medal Presentation evening,
held in their Headquarters, in Potterne, Devizes. This is a very special
event where Firefighters are recognised for their outstanding achievement
and bravery. Bratton Silver Band has a unique relationship with the
Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service and is also invited to perform at their
Christmas carol service.
Wingfield
fete is another regular engagement for the Band, playing in the grounds of
the lovely Trowle House in Wingfield, Trowbridge. We have been known to
attend this ‘job’ with the bare minimum of players (successfully I might
add) but as the photo to the left proves, (in 2007) we can also muster a
full band too!
Bratton
Church fete is a regular booking for the Band, having performed at this
fete for numerous years. Recent years has seen the fete move to the
grounds of the Bratton Church Institute – a very familiar venue (the
Bratton Silver Band rehearsal room seen by most members twice weekly for
many years!!!). June 2008 saw the Bratton Silver Training Band take on
this engagement – without the Main Band.
July
often sees the start of the ‘Bandstand Concert’ season. The first
bandstand performance in 2008 saw the Band playing in Collett Park, in
Shepton Mallet. In the previous year this venue was where the Band raised
money for their nominated charity. This photo was taken in 2007 - the year
that the Band donated their concert fee, and collection made on the day,
to the Dorothy House Hospice based in Winsley, Bradford-on-Avon. 
August!
The Band are supposed to be well into the summer season in this month - I
say ‘supposed’, the weather sometimes seems to get a little confused! A
visit, by coach, to the beautiful Blenheim Gardens, in Minehead, is a
favourite of many in the Band. Not only do the members get to wake up in
the early hours to catch the coach leaving Bratton at (which has been in
the past) 8.00am, but they get to play at two concerts during the day and
a chance of a pub lunch. 
On
the last day of August in 2008, the Band perform in the bandstand at John
Coles Park, in Chippenham. Despite the rainy weather a few hardy
supporters in the audience made up for what could have been a total
washout! Thank you raincoats and brollies - again!!!
The
second contest of the year for Bratton Silver Band was the Wychavon
Festival of Brass held in Pershore, on Sunday 21st September. This contest
is an ‘Entertainments’ contest where each band performs a programme of
music that lasts 20 minutes – complete with compere. This year the Band
played ‘
Bratton
Silver Training Band performs several mini concerts throughout the year –
usually in September as this is the start of the new term after the summer
holidays. These performances are ‘in progress’ concerts to show the
Training Band parents / relatives / friends what music they have been
rehearsing and how their playing has advanced. 
October
sees the Band continue with the fundraising by playing at Sponsored Blows.
These quite often take place outside the local supermarket in Westbury.
Despite the often chilly weather and the Band performing for three hours
at these Sponsored Blow’s, the music is always well received here, the
Band very well supported, and donations from the public are plentiful! A
particularly profitable
Bonfire
Night – a traditional event whereby the Band plays marches on the back of
a tractor (well, on the trailer pulled behind the tractor!) to lead the
torchlight procession through the village of Bratton to the recreation
ground where the firework display takes place. In 2008 the Band played the
music from inside a ‘fenced’ trailer – the smallest ever seen. How
everyone managed to fit in is anyone’s guess! (photo provided by WHN – S
Tarling)
No
banding diary is complete unless there has been at least one Brass
Band social event – the kind that takes band members away for a long
weekend to experience, from an audience’s point of view, how superb the
Championship Bands can play. November was the month in 2008 when a group
of members from Bratton Silver Band ventured to Newcastle to listen to top
section Bands perform over the weekend in a concert and take part in the
‘Brass in Concert’ contest – an Entertainments contest, held in The Sage,
in Gateshead. It was also great for our members to witness the first prize
being received by The Cory Band! Great result – great programme – top
entertainment!
November!
There is always someone who thinks it is a great idea to start the festive
season off before actually getting to December! At the end of November
2008, the Band were asked to play at the Christmas Fayre in Melksham,
followed by a short carol service and the turning on of the Christmas
lights. Christmas has started – the beginning of a long and busy period
for Bratton Silver Band! It if looks like we are freezing – you would not
be wrong!! Brrrr!!
This
year (and last) Bratton Silver Band had the opportunity of taking part in
the Westbury Christmas Tree Festival Patrons evening. This is a chance to
show off the ‘local’ Band and support Westbury’s Christmas activities.
Over 20 businesses and organisations decorate Christmas trees in the
Parish Church in Westbury and invite their own supporters along for mulled
wine and festive tunes provided by Bratton Silver Band. (photo provided by
WHN – S Tarling)
Busking
– 2x (ASDA and Coopers) local supermarkets. Carols and Christmas music is
performed to entertain shoppers as they get the last of their Christmas
dinner. A (hopefully) welcome change to the in-store jingles! 