All posts by Cawthorne Brass Band

Christmas 2020

December 21, 2020 Cawthorne Brass Band

It’s been a very different Christmas this year, but Cawthorne Brass Band have still been out playing carols.

Small groups, distanced, with bell covers. We can adapt!

Members of Cawthorne Band are playing in a distanced line on the green grass of Cawthorne Village Green with a tree in the background — Playing Carols on Cawthorne Village Green

We’ve had two weekends of carolling, and have really enjoyed bringing a bit of Christmas cheer to the local area.

Members of Cawthorne Band are playing in a distanced line across the street. The sky is a beautiful yellow in the background - the beginning of sunset — Carolling

Our trip to Hall Green in Wakefield was particularly special, as it was by special request from a band friend and follower, Dr Neil Verner. He has Motor Neurone disease, and is currently developing a new treatment for Motor Neurone Disease.

The Band have donated £100 towards his GoFundME campaign, where he hopes to raise the £95,000 needed to fund this life saving research.

Margaret is playing the Bass, outside, sat on a stool with her music stand in front of her. The pavement is wet. — Margaret playing the Bass

3 cornet players are standing outside playing from music stands. They all have Santa hats on — Christmassy Cornets

A baritone player and trombone player are tanding outside playing from music attached to their instruments by a lyre. They are wearing wooly hats. — Carolling

All that remains to be said is that, this year especially, we wish all of our Band friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Covid-19 – Band cancelled

March 16, 2020 Cawthorne Brass Band

I sincerely hope that you are all well at the start of a difficult time with coronavirus and possible isolation.
It has come to the point where unfortunately we need to cancel band rehearsals.
Some of our group may be considered high risk, some will want to avoid unnecessary outings and some may wish to continue as normal. It’s very likely that decisions will be out of our hands in the coming weeks so I’d like to think we are being prudent at this early opportunity and saving unnecessary worry.
Please keep in touch with one another through social media/ phones. Take care of yourselves, don’t worry about band and let’s hope we’re back together all fit and healthy as soon as possible.
We will let you all know as soon as anything changes.

Statement from Brass Bands England

Cawthorne Band at Christmas

January 18, 2020 Cawthorne Brass Band

What a Christmas we had!

Cawthorne Band had a wonderful festive period. We joined Cawthorne Choral Society for a spectacular Christmas Concert, ‘The Stars of Christmas’, with a great variety of music and even some enthusiastic audience participation.

We took part in the Cawthorne Christmas tree festival, with a theme of International peace. Each tree was themed around Christmas in a different country. Our tree had a Kenyan theme, decorated with black, green and red, the colours of the Kenyan flag, and many toy African animals:

Small christmas tree decorated with black, green and red, the colours of the Kenyan flag, and many toy African animals. — Our Kenyan Themed Christmas Tree

We enjoyed playing carols at the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ service, where all of the decorated trees were lit up.

There were many traditional carol sing-a-long occasions throughout December too, including lots of the old favourites, and some of the local carols.

Elvin is playing the tenor horn, in a pub

Band members play carols in a pub, wearing festive clothes

We also enjoyed playing at Legacy Church Christmas service, where we even got some help from a passing elf!

Merry Christmas everybody, and a Happy New Year!

Scarborough Day Trip

June 27, 2019 Cawthorne Brass Band

At the end of May, Cawthorne Brass Band and friends had a wonderful day out to Scarborough. It was really lovely to go out together on a coach trip to the seaside. Everyone had a lovely time at the beach, where ice cream and fish and chips were consumed, and at least one sandcastle was made. And of course, it wouldn’t be Scarborough without a donkey ride!

the beach is covered in mist but the sky is blue — There was an eerie mist creeping across the beach

2 girls are riding donkeys which are being led along the beach — Donkeys at Scarborough Bay

2 girls eat fish and chips from cartons — Fish and Chips

a sandcastle is in the foreground. There is a lighthouse in the mist in the background — Sandcastle

For the afternoon we moved on to the hidden gem that is The Scarborough Fair Collection. If you have never been, we all thoroughly recommend it. We had such a wonderful time looking at vehicles from years gone by, and riding on Fairground Rides dating back to 1893!

An old fashioned grey bus with red wheels — Fancy a ride?

The AA

2 old fashioned Fire Engines — Fire Engines

An old fair ground ride where there are moving walkways. 2 girls are walking around it — The Old Tyme Cake Walk

there are 4 little cars in primary colours. 2 girls ride in them happily — The Mini Cars ride

A row of old tractors, red, blue and red. — Tractors

A close up of two carousel style horses — The Golden Gallopers

Holly on the terrifying Caterpillar Ride

There was also an impressive collection of Mechanical Organs dating from the 1900s to 1984, and not just one, but two Wurlitzers!

A large, white Wurlitzer organ — The ‘M Ranch’ Wurlitzer

Brightly coloured lights light up this gigantic organ — The most modern organ in the collection

The world famous ‘Munich Oktoberfest’ organ

After Scarborough Fair, we headed back to home on the coach, via a fantastic carvery in Wakefield.

An event that should definitely be repeated!

Our Sixties Extravaganza!

May 1, 2019 Cawthorne Brass Band

Last weekend, we took a step back in time, nearly 60 years, to the Swinging Sixties!

A shot of the band playing, taken from the back of the hall. You can see the bunting and glitter ball. the room is set for a party. — Cawthorne Brass Band do the sixties

Cawthorne Village Hall was transformed, ready for a good old-fashioned sixties shindig. There were sixties sweets, and drinks like cloudy lemonade, cream soda and bitter shandy. People were given a quiz sheet as they entered, and made themselves at home around the tables, ready for an entertaining night.

Everybody made a great effort with the costumes, it really made us feel we were back in the sixties. Alyson and Gwyn won the prize for best dressed on the night.

Alyson and Mick in psychedelic sixties style outfits — Alyson and Mick in their psychedelic outfits

Martin is wearing all black and holding a box of milk tray — Martin as The Milk Tray Man

Four band members, some holding their instruments, in sixties outfits, doing peace signs. — Band members ready for the sixties event to start

Margaret and Ellie with amazing extended flowery flares and full hippy chic

4 band members stand in a line. They are dressed in sixties outfits, they have big smiles. — Remembering the old days

Jen is wearing a short green black and white dress with high white boots. — Jen as 60s Mod girl

The cornet section is playing a piece — In full swing

After a few bits of sixties music, it was time for the fish sellers to bring around cockles and whelks – actually they served that good old party favourite, prawn cocktail.

2 men in white coats hold trays with small pots of prawn cocktail — Cockles and Whelks anyone?

The euphoniums and trombones, playing — A taste of sixties music

Everyone knows chips taste better out of a newspaper cone. I don’t know if it was that, or the amazing cooking skills of our resident ‘Chip King’, but they were certainly delicious!

Elvin is frying chips in 2 small chip fryers. There is a tray of chips by the side. — The best chips I’ve tasted in a long time! Cooked to perfection by our resident chip specialist, these chips were served in good old fashioned newspaper cones, as they should be!

Here Gwyn, dressed as a Cub Scout, and Rachel help to serve. Gwyn’s dedication to this costume won him a prize; it even includes a genuine badge that he wore in the sixties, when he was still in the Cubs.

Rachel is wearing a sixties outfit including a black hat and boots and red tights. She is holding 3 newspaper cones of chips. — Rachel serving chips

Gwyn dressed as a Cub Scout, holding newspaper cones of chips — Gwyn dressed as a Cub Scout

A photo of the whole band. You can see MD, John Grinnell at the front, conducting. — Cawthorne Brass Band – sixties style

And to finish, no sixties party would be complete without Black Forest Gateaux

Nigel is wearing a stripy shirt and holding 2 bowls of Black Forest Gateaux — Nigel serving Black Forest Gateaux, a typical sixties dessert.

After all the music was finished, and all the delicious food eaten, there was just time to draw the raffle, and mark the quiz sheets. A wonderful evening. I hope our audience had as much fun as we did in the band!

The raffle prizes laid out on a table, featuring LPs, 60s sweets, Babycham, Old Spice, a knitted toilet roll cover, and more — The amazing 60s themed raffle

Goodbye Alan and Christine

March 19, 2019 Cawthorne Brass Band

On Thursday we said goodbye to long standing member Alan, and Christine who has been invaluable behind the scenes and supporting the band. They will both be missed.

They have shared this message:

Alan & I would like to Thank you all for our gift, and send off on Thursday. We have both enjoyed coming along and we were made welcome from the start, sure Alan will keep up playing and no doubt I will get involved with a new band somehow!!!

So, once again thank you, we shall miss you all, but will be following you to see where you are when we come to visit family. Best wishes, and good luck with the 60’s night.

Christine & Alan

Barnsley Inner Wheel 80th Birthday

March 19, 2019 Cawthorne Brass Band

We really enjoyed playing at the Barnsley Inner Wheel 80th Birthday celebrations.

Special thanks to our two guest players, including one all the way from Sullivan, Indiana!

The Band playing with the conductor at the front — The band playing at the Barnsley Inner Wheel 80th birthday celebrations

A woman sits, in band uniform, holding her Bass Trombone — Our visiting Bass Trombone player, all the way from Sullivan, Indiana!

Christmas Carols at the Travellers Inn

December 13, 2018 Cawthorne Brass Band

Cawthorne Band had a great time playing carols at The Travellers Inn in Oxspring earlier in December. What could be more festive than a Brass Band playing carols in a traditional pub?

Join us on December the 18th for the next carolling session.

Band members smiling during carolling sessions — Carols at the Travellers Inn

Band members wearing Christmas jumpers and hats play carols in a pub — Carols at the Travellers Inn

All Saints Church, Darfield

December 13, 2018 Cawthorne Brass Band

Cawthorne Brass Band played an excellent concert at All Saints Church, Darfield at the end of November. A beautiful Saxon church, with great music, raising money for the church and for the 24th World Scout Jamboree at West Virginia, USA next year. £150 was raised towards the Church replacement bell tower ropes, and £140.52 for Megan’s Jamboree Fund.