On Sunday 26th January 2020 the Shepherd Group opened the bandroom doors to budding brass players, supporters, friends and family in a day full of musical activity. Members of the Shepherd Group Senior band were on hand throughout the morning offering drop-in come and try sessions. There were over thirty families who attended this session, giving everyone the opportunity to try a brass instrument for the first time.
The sessions which followed were focused on ensemble playing, starting out with a group of younger players who had potentially never played as a group before. Players worked on listening skills, as well as several pieces before presenting results to an audience of family members. Within later sessions players worked on larger scale pieces include Max Stannard’s ‘Into the Future’, National Youth Brass Band Championship set work ‘Saint-Saens Variations’ by Philip Sparke, as well as Christopher Bond’s ‘Neverland’.
The Shepherd Group organisation, which now boast six separate ensembles, was awarded Brass Band England’s ‘Social Impact Award’, and last week’s series of workshops demonstrated the community following that the band has nurtured.
We have already had loads of new recruits to our Monday night Brass Academy and are looking forward to more inclusion events in the future.
For photos see:- https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CcSuiW5sLJCbDUhY_SPGAsqiBxB9MMXg
