The earliest surviving record of the band’s training section is from 1927, although the reference (in a newspaper article) implies that the band has had a training section since its founding in 1906 and probably before that in the old Temperance Band. The Training Band is lead by the group’s Musical Director Sharon Stansfield and under her leadership has grown from 1 player in since 2001 to a thriving band of 49 (and that is excluding those in the beginners’ group!) .
The player’s ages currently range from 8 years to 86 years. Most of the children (and some of the adults) who attend have learnt to play an instrument and read music with the band, whilst other adults have taken up playing again after a break. Many players choose to remain with the training band even after the progressing to the senior band: currently we have 17 players who are members of both bands!
The band rehearses in our band room every Monday (except bank holidays and between Christmas and New Year) between 6:50 p.m. and 8 p.m. and always welcomes new players of any standard to play any brass instrument (or percussion). The band provides the free loan of an instrument, music and tuition.
The band is not registered for contesting, although it may enter occasionally enter an unregistered or training band sections: the band won the training band section of the “Battle of the Bands” contest in 2010 and 2011 and was second in the training band section of the “Brass on the Grass” contest in 2016.
The band gives a number of concerts each year: the band uniform is white shirt/blouse, black trousers/skirts and black socks and shoes. The band provides a band jacket and tie.