Photos for sale

Graham ShawNo Comments

As part of the band’s fundraising efforts for Switzerland, a large number of photos from recent concerts are available for sale. Photos are priced at £1 for a high resolution digital download and the band will get 66p from each photo purchased. 3 July 2018 All 3 bands Remembering Nell / Awards Concert – https://goo.gl/amc6BA 7 July 2018 Junior Band Whiston Contest – https://goo.gl/9xyu9n 8 July 2018 All 3 bands Congleton Park – https://goo.gl/1qsYKc 8 July 2018 All 3 bands Macclesfield Lions – https://goo.gl/2Hww9e

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LBB say thanks!

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Hot on the heels of LBB’s wonderful performance at last Sunday’s Nationals competition I just felt now was the right time to say a few thank yous. Firstly, a huge thanks to the committee. It’s no mean feat organising three bands, three performances and three MD’s, but somehow you do it, year after year. Thanks for all the support and the hard work you put in to raise the money to get us there. Secondly, to the wonderful team of tutors I am lucky to work with. Derek, Charlotte, Julian and Chris truly work miracles with the children and the results are clear to see. I enjoy working with you… Read More

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National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain

Charlotte BirchNo Comments

  The annual National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain was a roaring success for the young Lions as the Youth Band secured second place. The success didn’t stop there as the Beginner Band were awarded a certificate of merit and the Junior Band a silver award – a top result in a category containing 12 bands! It was all change for the competition this year as the venue moved to Warwick Arts Centre in order to avoid a clash with the East holidays. Brass Bands England chairman Mike Kilroy told audiences the competition could well stay put next year as well. Junior Section A section containing 12 bands… Read More

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Younger Lions roar at Newcastle!

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Our Junior and Beginner bands were in action at the weekend, taking part in the annual Newcastle-under-Lyme Festival of Music, Speech and Drama. It was an early start for the Beginners, who took to the stage in the Under 14 stage before 10 am. Performing last in their section they played a short programme that included Madrigal, Mini March and concluded with Ode to Joy. A performance that MD Chris later described as ‘close to perfect’ was rewarded with a hugely well deserved second place, placing the band (who had an average age of around 8/9) ahead of older and more advanced bands. Full of euphoria they then joined in… Read More

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Half Term Concert

Graham ShawNo Comments

Parents and friends enjoyed a concert this evening featuring all three bands. Starting with our beginner Band, the audience was treated to a selection of pieces that the band isworking on ahead of the upcoming Nestle Festival of Music. The junior band then featured the band minus their conductor, Tom, showing just how well the band can play before continuing to play a varied set. Finally, the youth band brought a preview of their upcoming CD “Carnival” featuring a couple of “mature” additions to the percussion selection. Well done to all our bands. You are sounding in fine form and are sure to do really well at your upcoming competitions.

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LBB 2017: a year in review

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2017 has been a year of progress for the Beginner Band, and what progress it has been! Everyone connected to the organisation has been delighted to see the huge increase in numbers we’ve had join the band since September. We now total a very healthy mid-thirty in terms of membership and it has been a real privilege to see these new, eager, young musicians settle in and develop their musical skills. I can’t wait to get working with them on our chosen programmes for our forthcoming competitions. I was very pleased with the performances the band gave at both the Newcastle and National contests. Newcastle was particularly pleasing due to… Read More

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Macclesfield & Chester Lions

Charlotte BirchNo Comments

  The audience was blown away on Saturday (15th July) as all three bands played at the 27th annual Macclesfield and District Lions Club musical concert. As well as some fine performances for the bands a number of the young players picked up awards, including an eight-year award for a 13-year-old! The evening started with a dance as Chris and the Beginner Band started with the toe-tapping Tango Time before featuring the young trombone section in Slippin’ ‘N’ Slidin’. The next to feature was the horn section in Country Rock before the Beginners completed their set with Highland Cathedral. The audience wanted more and were duly rewarded with The Mickey Mouse Club March, which was… Read More

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Awards Night 2017!

Charlotte Birch1 Comment

  Forget about the Brits, or the Grammy’s, it was time for the most important awards night of the year on Tuesday night – the prestigious Lions Youth Brass Awards. The judges had scratched their heads, deliberated, and managed to whittle down their shortlists before announcing the final winners at Ruskin Community High School, in Crewe. Each band gave out awards to players they thought were showing potential, or going above and beyond what was expected of them. Chris and the Beginners flew straight into things with the Batman theme tune before debuting two pieces; Slipping N’ Sliding featuring the magnificent Trombone section followed by a trip to Disney’s magical… Read More

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Lions Hit High Notes at Congleton Park

Charlotte BirchNo Comments

Lions Youth Band struck a chord with the audience as the sun shone over the Costa del Congleton (as Chris elegantly put it). The afternoon, courtesy of Congleton Lions Club, started with a strong performance from the Youth Band, with highlights including Crazy Little Thing Called Love, popularised by Queen, The Music Man from Sandy Smith, Aerosmith’s Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing, and Velocity by Jonny Bates. With the audience tapping their feet and clapping their hands enjoying the warm afternoon in the park, it was time for Chris and the Beginner Band to take over. For three of Chris’s players, Harry, Max, and Dominic, Congleton was their first Lions concert and it definitely started with a… Read More

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Meanwhile, in the Beginners…

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There is lots of hard work going on in the Beginner band room at the moment as the band prepare for the summer concert season. New items are being prepared, to be performed alongside concert favourites such as ‘Batman’ when the band perform in several venues across Cheshire East in July. Our ‘Cool Crotchet’ award is, as ever, hot contested, with several children having taken Jeff, the band mascot home for the week. Jeff always returns to band the following Tuesday having had a great time!

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