GYB Christmas Highlights 2016

Christmas seems to arrive earlier each year for the band, both the Senior band and Future Brass began their build up with this year’s Annual Christmas Fayre on the market place in Great Yarmouth. Carols and festive music welcomed the Shoppers with Future Brass opening the event on Friday 25th November and the Senior Band on the 26th and 27th. The highlight for us, was that Santa took time out of his busy schedule to do some conducting of the band which was fantastic but maybe he should stick to his day job in future.

On the 29th and 30th of November Future Brass once again played at the Hippodrome in Great Yarmouth, for the Annual Carol Festival. This long standing event sees school choirs and musicians from around the borough converge to create two wonderful nights of fantastic singing and music. It is amazing to think that quite a few of our Senior Band began their interests in music, singing and performing, in this event when they were young children. Such a wonderful legacy the Town should be proud of.

December 4th, Christmas would not be Christmas without the Senior Band’s Annual Christmas Brass Concert at Christchurch in Great Yarmouth. A light-hearted Concert which always generates smiles all round. This year’s Concert was no exception with Carols, Festive Music and including wonderful soloist performances from Emma Philpot and Carl Harrison, playing an unusual piece called Old Pops Was Right which incorporated the well known and loved, Louis Armstrong tune, What a wonderful World.
As our Musical Director; says we are blessed with an array of wonderful soloists and James Tyrrell expertly showed of his talents by flawlessly playing the beautiful, Oh Holy Night. A great afternoon’s entertainment and a wonderful audience, say no more.

And so the show goes on and Filby Church beckoned us on December 10th for what was a great Carol Concert in a beautiful Church. It is always a pleasure for the band to play in welcoming environments and the lovely people of Filby certainly do make us feel at home. Once again it was a Carol Concert which saw everything from Carols, Festive arrangements, audience participation and although not necessarily festive, beautiful solos from Penny Gilbert playing, I Dreamed A Dream from the Film and Show, Les Miserables and a wonderful Eb Bass Solo, Londonderry Air superbly played by Carol Preston. We were also asked to play a couple of March requests, and the band duly obliged with Old Comrades and Slaidburn. A wonderful night with lovely people.

Are we there yet, no! the band wagon rolls on. It’s December the 11th and its Tesco’s Time, a select few members of the band donate their free time and meet up in the entrance to Tesco Great Yarmouth for some fundraising Carol playing. Any monies raised enables the band to help meet running costs and to give support to the next generation of Brass players within Future Brass. The Team at Tesco are wonderful, looking after us with hot drinks and Bacon Rolls to keep us going through our four hour stint. Thank you so much.

Also on the 11th Future Brass were invited to play at Pavilion Theatre in Gorleston for their annual Coffee and Carols. Singing at its best with wonderful music from the next generation of Brass Players at Future Brass.

December the 12th and 13th and our Annual Pie & Punch Carol Concerts at St Marks Church in Oulton Broad. These Concerts are a wonderful highlight within the band’s Christmas campaign. Superb music and Carols with wonderful packed audiences on both nights, the festive season is truly upon us. They can sing like angels at St Marks and the audience participation is second to none, even laughing at our MD’s Jokes, unbelievable! We should probably tell them that the Punch is alcohol free but hey they were having a lot of fun, who are we to spoil the party.
Thank you to all at St Marks and our wonderful audiences for making our Concerts so special.

Two days off! Well it was for some of the band. December 16th arrives and we are greeted with a nice warm cup of tea and mince pie as we arrive to set up for tonight’s Concert at Beccles Public Hall. Always a warm welcome and very much appreciated by the band.
A large discerning, captivated and obviously very intelligent audience because boy didn’t we all enjoy ourselves, what a fantastic night, singing, laughing, ups and downs, swaying, and believe it or not sometimes actually in time with the music. You certainly know how to party in Beccles. Thank you to everyone involved for making it so wonderful. Hope to see you all next year tell your friends!

Nearly there! Santa’s just about loaded the sleigh, some of us are now wishing we had asked him for a new set of Lips as there are signs of Mick Jagger Syndrome developing. Playing a Brass instrument for long periods can have that effect. Its December the 18th and the wonderful staff at Tesco Great Yarmouth have welcomed us back for some more Fundraising. As the doors open who should arrive on the scene but Radio Norfolk to pick up Clue no. 2 in their weekly Treasure Quest Competition. Our very own trombonist Tina Taylor took to the airwaves to talk to a very lovely and enthusiastic Sophie Little, passing on the Clue and letting the listeners know a little about the Band. Thank you to Sophie and of course David Whiteley back in the studio for picking us for the programme and a Big Big Thank you to all at Tesco, your Bacon Rolls are to die for, we hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

Still on the 18th December Future Brass played at the Gorleston Baptist Church Carol Service, a lovely service and wonderful playing and singing.

December 22nd and here we are in Norwich Train Station playing Carols, together with a few festive pieces to weary travellers making their way home for Christmas and although understandably there is a lot of rushing around it seemed to be very much appreciated.

Colin our MD and all at Great Yarmouth Brass and Joel Hayes and the youngsters at Future Brass would like to express our sincere thanks to all our Friends, Audiences and Families for all the support throughout the year and wish a Very Happy Christmas to you all.