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📣 Filton Concert Brass are excited to welcome some new faces in preparation for the upcoming contest season! 📣 On Soprano Cornet, Mark Johnson joins the band following a happy 29 years with Midsomer Norton and Radstock Silver Band. During this time, he won multiple ‘Best Soloist’ prizes, and saw the band rise from the 4th section up to the 2nd. Mark says, despite some regret in leaving familiar territory, he is “excited to take the next steps” in his banding journey’, and the opportunity to join the band was not one he could turn down. Aidan joins to complete our Front Row, again from Midsomer Norton and Radstock Silver Band. Aidan started playing at the age of 6 and joined the band on the back row at the age of 8. He has worked his way up through the cornet section, and became Principal Cornet last year. Aidan also plays with the NYBBGB, and is very excited to be joining his first Championship Section band to push himself further, and “experience the much more challenging music and competition”. Also within the cornet section, Rachel Onions joins following a recent relocation. Rachel started her banding career at Long Eaton Silver Band, and transferred her banding skills to Sheffield during university. During this time, she played with a few local bands, and gained a huge amount from playing in the University Brass Band. The band also welcomes Sarah Milne, adding to the tenor horn section. After a long break, Sarah started playing again during lockdown, and is looking forward to the challenge, joining from Tewkesbury Town Band. 📢 MD Nathan Jenkins said, “It’s great to be able to attract some fantastic players to the band, and I’m looking forward to working with them for our upcoming engagements”. ❗️We are still looking for Euphoniums, Percussion, and a Bb and Eb Bass to complete our lineup - get in touch via filtonconcertbrass@gmail.com or Neil Allen (Band Manager) 07878 722614 ❗️  Jason Sellars joins the band on the Front row following a thirty-year career in The Royal Corps of Army Music. Since his retirement from the Army, he has established himself as a freelancer with several semi-pro-orchestras and pit bands on the musical theatre circuit, coupled with Brass Band contest successes with Yeovil, Shrewton Silver and Woodfalls bands. Jason says he is “delighted to be back playing at the very top level of banding and looks forward to competing once again in the Championship section” The band also welcomes Jason Andrews, adding to the lineup for Wychavon Contest on Bass Trombone. Jason, who is Head of Music at Rednock School in Dursley, is looking forward to the challenge, joining from Wotton-under-Edge band where he has spent four happy years. A band spokesman said, “It’s great to welcome these new players into the band and we are looking forward to welcoming even more over the next few weeks as we look to strengthen our ranks into the new contest and concert season.”  Filton Concert Brass will host a Festival of Remembrance concert featuring the Bristol Military Wives Choir and Royal British Legion to remember those who have fallen. Book your tickets via Chipping Sodbury Tourist information centre e-mail: bookings@chippingsodburytownhall.co.uk Tel: 01454 852222 The band will perform their entertainments programme as well as wartime music, and the concert will feature the Last Post ceremony with a Royal British Legion standard bearer. The concert takes place on Saturday 13th November 2022 at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol. Doors open at 4pm for a 4.30pm concert. 
Filton Concert Brass will host a Festival of Remembrance concert featuring the Bristol Military Wives Choir and Royal British Legion to remember those who have fallen. Book your tickets via Eventbrite or phone 07757 744 116. The band will perform their entertainments programme as well as wartime music, and the concert will feature the Last Post ceremony with a Royal British Legion standard bearer. The concert takes place on Saturday 13th November 2021 at St Michael's Centre, Stoke Gifford, Bristol. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm concert. In the interval, there will be refreshments available for a donation, and opportunities to donate to the Royal British Legion and buy Filton's CDs 'Tales of the West Country' and 'Christmas with Filton Concert Brass'. Donations to the band are also gratefully received. Book your tickets via Eventbrite (www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/remembrance-with-filton-concert-brass-bristol-military-wives-choir-tickets-190499999627) or phone 07757 744 116. Tickets will also be available to purchase on the door. Seats will be unreserved, but please consider sitting in family groupings, practising social distancing, and wearing a face mask. Please note that there is limited parking at the venue but on-street parking is available and there are nearby car parks: Meade Park Car Park (1 minute drive, 10 minute walk) and Stoke Gifford Car Park (4 minute drive, 12 minute walk).  Filton Concert Brass is recruiting for the following positions:
Filton rehearse on Mondays and Wednesdays 8pm to 10pm at Easton Salvation Army hall, Bristol. The band is led by Resident Musical Director Daniel Hall, BMus (Hons), who is also an award-winning Composer and Arranger, and professional Musical Director Erik van de Kolk, a highly respected Dutch Conductor who won the European Conductors Contest in 2011. Interested? Contact filtonconcertbrass@gmail.com or ring 07901 622 122 in confidence or for more information. Filton Concert Brass is Bristol's Championship Section brass band, and can be heard regularly performing in a diverse range of annual engagements including competitions and concerts. In 2017, the band qualified for the National Brass Band Championship Finals, performing at London's Royal Albert Hall alongside some of the most revered names in the brass band world. The band's entertainment ability has also been much acclaimed, winning the Welsh Open Entertainment title in 2016, followed by a hat-trick of wins in 2018, 2019, and 2020, also claiming the Wychavon Festival of Brass title along the way in 2018. To find out more about our recent performances and activities, please visit our news page, or click here to discover more information about Filton Concert Brass. If you would like to hear the band in action, check out our listen & watch page. 
The YTLArena is planned to open in early 2023 and will be a fantastic music venue for the city of Bristol. The Arena wanted to promote “local high end musical organisations” and has partnered with Filton Concert Brass to build a mutually beneficial relationship for the future and for Bristol.
Barry Scott, our Strategic Fundraising Officer and bass trombone player, did a Q&A session “Backstage with Filton Concert Brass” with YTLArena, talking about what has contributed to Filton Concert Brass’ success, to lockdown Zoom-performances, to mental health. Read more here. Filton Concert Brass are looking forward to working with YTLArena to showcase innovative concerts, youth development, ad-hoc rehearsal facilities, plus more. The partnership is at its embryonic stage but we are very excited and grateful for the partnership, knowing that the band and the Bristol community can really benefit in the future.
The evening was filled with anecdotes, which brought to life a man many banders have only seen before at a distance on stage, conducting the world famous Black Dyke Band. Kevin Darby, Filton's Principal Cornet player said of the event:
It was a privilege to share a fascinating and up close and personal evening on Zoom with Nick Childs. On a personal level, it was great for Cath and I to catch up with him and remember shared experiences. Nick also shared stories from his early playing days with Tredegar Band under his father’s guidance and his first conducting experiences, and the highlights of his long and successful career with Black Dyke. Interspersed with audio clips and rounded off by an inspiring question and answer session, it was an insightful reminder of what we have all been missing during lockdown and why Nick is regarded as a living legend in brass band circles. The evening finished on a positive note; banding, Nick Childs said, is something we will all be proud to go back to and will all enjoy together again.
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