What a fantastic weekend of playing! The ncbf Play Days 'Blow Away the Cobwebs' and 'Back In The Groove' were two full days, aiming to bring musicians together and make music again.
On Saturday, wind band players participated under the direction of Duncan Stubbs OBE to explore British wind band repertoire. Sectional rehearsals were also held with professional tutors to work on ensemble playing and technique development before bringing the full band together again to harness the days progress.
On Sunday, jazz pianist, composer, educator and big band leader Nikki Iles, supported by ncbf's Barrie Johnson worked with the big band ensemble, producing some great sounds and grooves!
Windology Music Woodwind & Brass Specialists & Forton Music Music Publishers also exhibited during the day, displaying instruments, accessories and sheet music for attendees to browse and ask questions.
There were some great sounds and lots of progress made throughout the weekend. We hope you all enjoyed the chance to get back to playing, socialise and re-energise those musical batteries.
Thanks go to:
Wrekin College for hosting 'Blow Away the Cobwebs' Wind Band Play Day
Warwick School for hosting 'Back In The Groove' Big Band Play Day
The ncbf Trustees who coordinated the weekend.
We hope to hold more play-days in the future! Want to hear about future events? Register here
“I enjoyed every minute including the times when I was out of my depth.”
"Really good day. Very well directed and great fun. More please!"
“ I had a blast - literally.”
"The whole day was fabulous. It was wonderful to be playing in person again and a real treat to be conducted by the composer of the pieces. A very happy day indeed."
“So great being able to play some music with like minded individuals.”
“ Fantastic day! Can’t wait for the next one. It was great playing in such a big band.”
Saturday 21st August 2021 - Wind Band Play Day