London and Provincial Music

It is rare for me to hear the same band twice in a season. Four times, well, that is virtually unheard of. When you add in the April 24th date from the church, it actually comes to five. That is how many times I have heard a band which I only discovered for the first time last year. Part of this is obviously due to the fact that the fixtures have just worked out this way, with this band playing on dates when there were no other quality bands in action, but part is also due to the fact that the Bradwell community is the most welcoming you will find anywhere.

Going to hear Bradwell Silver Band is not just a trip to hear music, it is an insight into a community where the band still plays the type of role it should be playing everywhere. Whenever there is a community event being held, there is a very good chance that the band will be involved. Today, it is the school carnival which will play host to the band, in another new venue for me, not far from the church. It is Saturday again, so St James Church is having another coffee morning.

I take advantage of this, hoping to find some directions as to the route the band might take as it marches through the street. This is indeed what happens, and the march is by far the longest I have ever seen a band take. Don’t let Daventry Brass ever moan about the march at Everdon again – it is pitifully short compared to this one. After the march, the band plays for around an hour in front of the school building. As with the event at the Mill on the May Bank Holiday, the band does not really play for long enough for the event to compete with many others, but it is worth the trip nevertheless.

It is unlikely, though, that I would choose a repeat visit if there was a top quality brass band playing in St James’s Park for three hours. What happens in future years depends entirely on how the fixtures fall. There is also the issue of weather, which we are lucky to escape with today. There is no over provided for the band, and although there must be an assembly hall in the school there are plenty of other groups who might want to use it. It is reassuring to see a big turn out, though, and plenty of people lining the streets. Hopefully, the event will endure for many years to keep, and keep giving much needed support to Bradwell Silver Band.