This page will be updated regularly so PLEASE keep visiting and follow what is going on with the band.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NEWS ARCHIVE. The archive includes details of the band's performances as well as all previous band notices.

Last updated: 06/11/2008

6th November 2008: The Great Western Youth Band AGM will be held at St Andrews Church at 7.30pm on Tuesday November 25th. Please do your utmost to attend, players and parents are both encouraged to take part in the meeting. One key item will be setting what the priorities are for the forthcoming year, along with of course voting in a committee.

27th October 2008: There will be no rehearsal next week (1st November) because it is half term and several of the tutors will be away. Rehearsals resume again on Saturday 8th November, at the usual place and at the usual times.

20th October 2008: The weekend workshop details were given out at band recently. However you can also download these details in a PDF format HERE

20th September 2008: Please note that there will be NO rehearsals on Saturday 27th September (next Saturday). Brunel Brass are competing in the National Championships at Harrogate so the tutors and several from the youth band will be away. We will confirm details of the weekend course on the 25th and 26th October shortly. The concert will be on the Sunday evening, venue and ticketing details to follow shortly.

26th August 2008: CHANGE OF BAND START DATE: GREAT WESTERN YOUTH BAND WILL NOW START ON SATURDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER.
NOT THIS SATURDAY AS PREVIOUSLY ADVISED.
Many people are still on holiday so we are planning to start a week later than planned.
Please could you pass this message on to anyone you know.

3rd June 2008: The engagements page has been updated with the details of the next performances for the band. There are also updates on rehearsal details here: 14/06/08: Rehearsals are at St Mary's Church Hall and there are no rehearsals on 21/06/08.

1st May 2008: There are no rehearsals this Saturday (3rd May).

16th March 2008: As next week is the Easter weekend, there are no rehearsals on Saturday 22nd March. The following Saturday, 29th March, rehearsals for the intermediate band and all beginner groups are from 09:00 - 10:00. The Youth Band are playing at Broad Green Community Centre in full Youth Band uniforms, starting at 11:00 and finishing at 12:00. Parking will be difficult in this area due to the event being held there so please allow plenty of time for this.

3rd March 2008: There are no rehearsals next week (8th March). Photos from the recent, highly successful residential summer course are now in the Photo Album. If you have taken any especially good photos from the week which you think should be included, you can send them to sam.toomer@gmail.com and they will be added to the Photo Album.

2nd February 2008: The Youth Band's principal Eb Bass player Jemima Palfreyman is making her Piano Concerto Solo debut on March 16th with the Swindon Symphony Orchestra at St Luke's Church in Broad Street, Swindon. The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available on the door. Her solo will be Saint-Saen's piano concerto no.2 in G minor, and the programme will also include Smetana's Voltava and Nielsen's 3rd symphony.

Jemima's recent Bass solo at the Gwent Youth Brass Band Festival received much praise from the adjudicator and the Youth Band. However, this concert will feature her accomplished piano playing. Support for Jemima in her first Concerto Solo performance with the Swindon Symphony Orchestra would be much appreciated, and the concert is sure to be very enjoyable.

4th January 2008: Happy new year! As the most recent newsletter stated, rehearsals start again at the same venue and times, on Saturday 5th January.

6th December 2007: THE CHRISTMAS RAFFLE! As we had such a poor response to the Easter Raffle, we have decided to hold a Christmas raffle instead. We will start selling tickets at band rehearsals and at the Christmas concert, the tickets that were purchased at Easter are still valid and we have a record of who bought them. Please try to help and buy tickets because all the money we raise is going to the band. One of the prizes will be a BT Synergy 4100 cordless telephone. We are also in need of prizes so If anyone has any prizes they would like to donate then please do. it will help a lot. We will be drawing the raffle at the Christmas concert on the 21st December 07. Tickets cost 20p each or £1 per strip.

3rd December 2007: At our recent AGM, a number of parents told the committee that they like the email news updates from the band. To ensure that all email addresses are kept up-to-date, please can all parents, guardians and band members etc sign up to the email news updates through the link at the top of this website, whether you've received emails in the past or would like to start receiving them now. You can add as many email addresses as you like.

The most recent amendments to the constitution have been made. You can read the latest version here or from a link on the home page.

19th November 2007: The senior youth band is entered into the Gwent Youth Brass Band Festival on 26th January 2008. Please put this date in your diary.

12th November 2007: The band now has two more Christmas carolling sessions confirmed. These are shown on the engagements page.

28th October 2007: Well done to everyone who attended the October Course, it was a great success. There are over 80 photos from Friday night's concert in the Photo Album (see left menu bar). Thank you to Andy Hornsey for taking so many good photos!

19th October 2007: THE WEBSITE IS BACK ONLINE! After a mix up with our hosting and domain name provider, we are now back connected to the web so you can access these pages. There are two important events coming up for which it is important all band members understand the details. These are the move of rehearsal venue to St Andrews Methodist Church, Moredon Road, and the October band course which starts on Tuesday 23rd October. Click here for more details about the band course (including a schedule). It is important that every child has filled in (or had filled in) a medical form before the start of the course. If you still need to complete a form and need another copy, you can download a copy here.

For more details about the new rehearsal venue, click here.

There will be no rehearsals on Saturday 20th October or Saturday 27th October.

Since the website was last online, there are now a few other small updates. The conclusion of Sam's Proms diary is now available here. Secondly, photos from the BBC Proms Brass Massive which included many members of the band, are available via the Photo Album.

23rd September 2007: The new rehearsal times from now on, are as follows:

Beginner Band: 9:00 to 9:45

Intermediate Band: 9:45 to 10:45

Youth Band: 10:45 to 12:15

7th September 2007: Just a quick reminder for all players that band is now 9-12 at St Marks Church.

6th September 2007: There are more details of two forthcoming Senior Youth Band performances, in September and October on the engagements page. More accurate details will be available soon but please put those dates in your diaries!