We opened our concert with a mysterious drum beat coming from behind the curtains and as the drum got louder so our musical director, Nigel Morgan, got closer to the stage and appeared in style to open with Darrol Barry's march, 'McArthur Glen'. The theatre was then greeted with thoughts of warm nights and young love as we played an arrangement of 'Summer Nights' from the hit film/musical 'Grease'.

The next item was due to feature our principal euphonium player, Gareth Marchment playing Roy Newsome's solo, 'Dublin's Fair City'. Sadly, his Mother was taken ill during the week and so he was at home looking after her. We were fortunate however to gain the services of Paul Horner from the Lydmet Lydney Band who not only came and helped us out for the evening, but also gave a stunning rendition of Dublin's Fair City. A big Tewkesbury Town thank you goes out to Paul!

This solo was then followed by a duet of sorts, featuring our two greatest sandpaper players? Yes, our percussionists, Peter Strawson and Keith Rose, did a fantastically amusing, 'Sandpaper Ballet', written by Leroy Anderson and arranged by Geoffrey Brand. This then led to our final item of the first half, Ken Smith's arrangement of the stirring music to the film, 'He Man and the Masters of the Universe'.

As the audience began to interrupt by blowing the hooters that were on sale, you could sense that they were getting into the Proms style party mood. They had to wait just a little bit longer though as our guest soprano singer, Sue Black, took centre stage with two special numbers. 

The party then began as we played the Last Night of the Proms favourites 'Fantasia on British Sea Songs' by Henry Wood, arranged for Brass Band by Denis Wright, which led into 'Rule Britannia' where we welcomed back soprano soloist Sue Black. The other favourites included an audience sing along to 'Jerusalem' and to 'Land of Hope and Glory' (Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance No.1').

The stage and audience was a mass of flags, including our conductor, who was wearing a specially made union flag coat (made by his loving wife!). Encores were flowing with several renditions of the hornpipe, Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory. The clapping, singing, whistling and hooter blowing of the audience was performed with such energy that I thought the concert would never end. Sadly it had too, but I'm sure a good time was had by all!

Jubilee BBQ, Tredworth, Gloucester.
After a month of rehearsing music to entertain the crowds at the Queen's Golden Jubilee festivities the wonderfully hectic weekend of banding and partying finally arrived. Our long weekend of activities began at 7pm on Friday 31 May in Tredworth, Gloucester. Here the band provided the musical entertainment for a community Jubilee BBQ. Slight hiccups such as the late arrival of the supplies for the beer tent did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the partygoers who were presented with a feast of musical treats by the band. 

The event opened with the bright concert march "Missassauga Spirit" by Ty Watson which was swiftly followed by the audience favourite "Mr Jums", one of four pieces written by Chris Hazell to describe the personalities of his cats. Next came the theme tunes from "The Adventures of Tin Tin" and "Thomas the Tank Engine", two excellent arrangements by our talented Eb Bass player Ken Smith and the first of five of his arrangements to be featured during the evening. A change of pace and mood was provided by Marcangelo's rousing "Clog Dance". Ted Huggen's "Choral and Rockout" followed without the usual drum break due to a minor oversight by our percussionist in his packing leading to him having a drum kit with no cymbals!! Another Ken Smith arrangement, "He-man and the Masters of the Universe", took us to the refreshment break just as the beer arrived. 

After refreshments we began the second half with Darrol Barry's jolly concert march "McArthur Glen", an original piece commissioned for brass band by the well known shopping mall chain of the same name. The ever popular "Summer Nights" from Jacobs' & Casey's hit musical Grease followed. The final Ken Smith arrangement of the evening was "Don Giovanni", a masterful tongue in cheek arrangement which probably has Mozart turning in his grave and certainly left the audience smiling. As the audience was now in the mood for some dancing the bad led them in a paso doble in the form of "Spanish Gypsy Dance" by Pascual Marquina. A wonderful evening was brought to a close in patriotic style with renditions of Henry Wood's "Fantasia on British Sea Songs" and Elgar's "Pomp & Circumstance No.1". The former highlighting the sweet cornet sound of the band's principal Helen Morgan, who had soldiered on despite an upset stomach, and the striptease technique of musical director Nigel Morgan who ably removed his jacket in the middle of the hornpipe to reveal a union flag waistcoat.