We're delighted to announce that Edward, who is currently playing percussion with the Town Band on loan from Lydbrook Training Band, was awarded the ODBBA George Tutte Memorial Cup for the youngest player at the recent ODBBA Contest!

His father, Dave, spoke about Edward's journey as a young musician: "It all started when his grandad bought a second-hand drum kit at an auction and Edward decided that drums were going to be his instrument. He started drum lessons at school aged 6. When he was 7, he started playing with Brookfield Music Centre taking part in the National Concert Band Festival at Royal Northern College of Music, and playing at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. He also plays with Lydbrook Training Band, with whom a highlight has been playing under the wings of Concorde at Aerospace Bristol in February 2020. He passed Grade 3 drums during lockdown and is currently working towards Grade 4." 

Recalling his first Lydney Town Band engagement, Edward said: "I really enjoyed the experience of playing in my first senior contest at the ODBBA."

Today we competed at the Oxfordshire and District Brass Band Association Contest, our first contest since March 2020, and placed 5th in the third section with Olympus (Philip Harper).

...but that was only the finale of what has been a challenging 48 hours for the Band!

On Thursday we found out that our Musical Director, Thomas Dunne, would be unavailable to lead us in the contest due to ill health. It was decided that the Band would only withdraw if a replacement couldn't be found. Cue a mad dash by Kevin and Kerry to find someone who knew the piece well enough and was willing to conduct the Band with very minimal rehearsal time (in the end, they got just 20 minutes in the warm-up room).

Enter Josh Ruck, who did a phenomenal job of settling the band and giving us a well needed morale boost before leading us on stage to a brilliant performance! We can't thank Josh enough for helping us today, it would have been a massive shame to put aside months of work. As it is, we're now in a brilliant position to move onto the Area Contest in April!

Special mention as well to Thomas Dunne: without his work with the Band, we wouldn't have had the confidence to achieve what we did today; and to Kevin for leading last night's final rehearsal after just announcing the tricky situation that the Band in which had found itself!

​After a two year wait, we finally held our annual awards evening involving members of the Starter Group and Training Band. This year’s event was held at Lydney Rugby Club.
It was marvellous to finally get the band members, plus a number of supportive Town Band members, together for an evening of skittles, fun, food, chatting and socialising.
The Band has worked hard during a rather unusual 2020/21 gradually coming together from smaller to larger groups and finally as a full band as the pandemic restrictions were lifted. All our public performances were cancelled but it didn’t stop the band members playing music together.
It was a great pleasure to say hello to our new intake of brass players, welcoming them with a certificate and a round of applause. ‘New member certificates’ were awarded to: Cody, Liam, Finlay, Sadie & Evie.

At the Lydney Training Band Awards evening today, Malcolm Hannaford, on behalf of the GBBA, presented Kerry with a special certificate marking her 50 years' service to banding. 

After a rewarding and fulfilling 50 years’ service to brass bands in the Forest of Dean and Gloucestershire, Kerry Ford (Secretary, Development and Welfare Officer, and Town Band Principal Cornet) was very proud to receive the GBBA accolade.

Kerry started playing a cornet when she was 9 years old by joining the Yorkley Junior Band where she was taught by Mr. Cockcroft, Mr. Clive Lewis and Mr. Brian Howard.

Launching a career in music teaching, Kerry has been a keen advocate of promoting playing brass through fun and performance, reaching out to the community. In 2005 she helped to launch a brass players development programme in Lydney Band, establishing a programme and team to make it happen. Working tirelessly to promote interest in the movement, she was rewarded in 2019 when she attended Buckingham Palace with her husband Kevin in recognition of their work in youth development.

Kerry says “I was lucky to be inspired by my music teachers when I was young, and I try to light that fire in my students. I believe that everyone has the right to be able to express themselves through music”.

During the 2020/2021 pandemic, Kerry faced the challenges of teaching music online and enabling her students to still develop and perform, using various online platforms. Adopting ‘the band plays on’ idiom, Kerry has ensured the continuation of brass playing in Lydney and the success of the team into the future.

Well done Kerry!

​WEBBA have today announced that an alternative venue has been found for the Regional Championships! The contest will now be held at Cheltenham Racecourse, with the third section part taking part on Sunday 3rd April.