A chilly success!

On December 10th, the Senior Band took on a new Christmas Challenge at St Andrews Church in Bishopthorpe when they performed the live soundtrack to a showing Raymond Briggs’ animated film “The Snowman”. This was a new experience for the band, playing film music is a very different performance to a concert performance and the build up to this has been quite intense.

The band was joined by Buffy Breakwell who played keyboards with us and Sophie Sylvester who provided the vocals for the iconic song “Walking in the Air”. Everyone in the band was really impressed with the professionalism and superb musical ability of both our guests for the day. We can only hope this will not be our last collaboration.

We could have sold the tickets for this ten times over so next year we will be back to do it all over again. Watch this space!

That wasn’t the only thing we did on the day though!

In the interval between performances, the band went along to Bishopthorpe Sports and Social Club to play Christmas Carols for the Lollipop children’s Christmas party. Lollipop is a charity for D/deaf children and their families in York and the band’s Principal Cornet player Sean Chandler is involved in making music with the children the charity works with.

When Sean asked if a few players could go, the whole band said yes. Playing “Away in a Manger” with a choir signing the words was such a powerful moment.

If you want to know more about Lollipop and want to support their work, check out their website.

Joint Concert with Black Dyke

On February 5th 2023, the Senior Band will join forces with the World Famous Black Dyke Band from Queensbury near Bradford in order to raise money for York Against Cancer. This will be the second time the band has taken part in the York Against Cancer events with the last concert back in early 2020 with Brighouse and Rastrick.

This is a great opportunity to take in a great afternoon of Brass music held at York Grand Opera House, while contributing towards a great York charity. Do keep your eyes open for tickets, bookmark the date and we look forward to seeing you there.

Platinum Jubilee Concert

Join five of the Shepherd Group Brass Bands as we celebrate HM Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. 🇬🇧 
The concert will take at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre York, Saturday June 18th 7pm.
Grab your tickets now and don’t miss out 🎫 
👑🇬🇧🎺👑

https://www.josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/concert/platinum-brass/1517#

Instrument Amnesty

With the increase of new members joining the Brass Academy we are starting to run short of instruments. 


We currently have a substantial list of missing instruments, some of which are still signed out to current and past members. 


This week we will be starting to contact ex players we believe to still have a loaned SGBB instrument. 
If you have more than one instrument at home not being used, or are an ex-member and still have a instrument, please drop off for me at the bandroom or contact me on 07973442249 or email richardwilton@nesyork.org to arrange collection. 


Your help and assistance in this matter would be very much appreciated, let’s keep the sound of Brass Alive at the SGBB organisation.

Spring Festival 2022

The Senior Band made a return visit to Blackpool for the first time since 2019 when the the British Open Spring Festival returned to the contest calendar. The band performed Freedom by Hubert Bath in the Senior Cup after being promoted from the Senior Trophy in the 2019 contest. It seems such a long time ago that happened.

The test piece was originally chosen to mark the 100th spring festival but COVID intervened and the contest was delayed for 2 years. Freedom was originally written for the National Championships of 1922 so playing it in the Senior Cup 100 years later is still quite fitting.

It would have been great to come back with qualifiation for the Grand Shield next year, but the band produced a creditable 12th out of the 20 bands competing and saw a number of well known bands come below them. The result consolidates our place in the Senior Cup and will be something to build on next year.

Vacancies – Flugel Horn Senior Band

Shepherd Group Brass Band Require – A flugelhorn Player.

A Very Rare opportunity has arisen within our North Of England Championship Section Band. The Shepherd Group Band are looking to recruit a FLUGELHORN PLAYER to join the ranks of our friendly band.

We have a sensible concert and contest diary, with the emphasis very much on quality entertaining concerts in a variety of exciting venues.

Our rehearsal facilities are second to none, based in York at the conference centre of the Head Office site of our sponsor, Shepherd Group.

If you would like to find out more about the band, or just have an informal chat please contact our Musical Director Richard Wilton richardwilton@nesyork.org or call 07973442249.

So proud of Imogen.

Imogen being presented with her award at Harroogate Ladies College

The whole organisation are unbelievably proud of SGBB Principal Baritone Imogen Fewster, who recently attended The National Youth Brass Band Of Great Britain’s Easter course. After a seating audition with Euphonium Virtuoso Dr David Thornton, Imogen once again secured the solo Baritone seat. However, she didn’t stop there as she was later in the week awarded the Katie Ogden Euphonium/Baritone prize playing Vassily Brandt’s Concert Piece for trumpet. Imogen will now represent the Euph/Bari section in the concerto final held at the summer course in late July/August, where she will perform Martin Ellerby’s Baritone Concerto. 

The principal players at the easter NYBBGB course


The Easter course was held at Harrogate Ladies College and saw 70 of the best young brass and percussion players in the country attend. 
Well done Imogen.  


If any of our young players are interested in audition details for both the NYBBGB or the NYBB Children’s Band, please speak to Richard or Imogen.

End of term treat

The Shepherd Group Brass Academy end of term concert took place on Monday 4th April.

All three Monday night Academy groups performed at our band HQ in Huntington. The showcase opened with Brass Roots, under the baton of Audrey Brown, before the nearly 50 strong Academy Brass and MD Richard Wilton took the stage. The evening’s entertainment concluded with our highly talented Youth Band and Craig Brown, showcasing their recent Music For Youth set!

For many of our young players, the evening provided their very first public performance to over 100 enthusiastic parents, carers and families.Huge quantities of coffee, cake and juice were consumed afterwards and rounded off a fantastic end to a simply amazing, if not a challenging, term for the SGBBA

North of England Championships 2022

The Senior Band made the trip up to the Gala Theatre in Durham to take part in the Regional Championships on March 20th.

The test piece was the challenging Contest Music by Wilfred Heaton. This is a piece that looks deceptively simple when you first see it but which takes no prisoners and has ttraps for the unwary.

Frustratingly the band were placed 6th yet again, this is becoming a habit! However, the trip didn’t see us come away empty handed as the bass section were awarded the trophy for best basses on the day, something they have been very reluctant to mention since.

Joint Concert Success

What a fantastic night with both our Senior and Youth bands performing at the brand new York St John University Creative Centre. The Youth band ran out their pieces ready for Music for Youth Regional Festival, whilst Seniors previewed Wilfred Heaton’s ‘Contest Music’ in preparation for next weeks North of England Brass Band Championships. We closed the concert with a massed band rendition of the Ukrainian State Anthem, which received a poignant and unanimous standing ovation. A great evening of brass and solidarity!