Recording of the band

The first CD of the Bath Spa Band, entitled 'Aquae Sulis' is NOW AVAILABLE for just £10. Further information can be found here. Please contact us to purchase your copy, or come along to one of our forthcoming concerts.

December 2009

Christmas Concerts and Carol Playing
The festive season is always a very busy time of year. This year we were delighted to have a joint Christmas concert with the Silver Ring Choir in St John's church in Bath, in addition to our concerts in Oldfield Park and Broughton Gifford. We were also invited to play in a concert at the University of Bath, alongside some of the student groups. And just for good measure, you may also have caught us carol playing in Bath city centre, or outside one of the local supermarkets in the lead up to Christmas.

November 2009

Wessex Winter Contest, Weymouth
We are delighted to announce that the Bath Spa Band won the third section at the Wessex contest in Weymouth. This year was the first time that the contest has been run in an open format, with 20 bands from all sections competing against each other with their own choice of music. We opted to play Rutter's Suite for Brass, from last year's National Finals. Dave Hayward lead the band through a well-rehearsed performance, and although there one or two little slip-ups, adjudicator Brian Buckley commented how much he had enjoyed listening to us play. He placed us 8th overall, which was the highest of the third section bands, and was higher than some bands that are ranked above us. The final ranking can be found in the forum on theMouthPiece.com. A big thank you to Dave Hayward for all his hard work, which has made a real difference to the band, and to Julie for helping out on 3rd cornet again.

September 2009

Bandstand Marathon, Victoria Park, Bath
With a view of the Royal Crescent from the Victoria Park bandstand, the bandstand marathon was our last performance of the summer season. The concert was one of a series of concerts organised at bandstands around the country on the same day, as part of the Cultural Olympiad, with more and more bands taking part each year until the arrival of the Olympics in 2012.

Wychavon Festival of Brass
The band took a trip up the M5 to the Wychavon Festival in Droitwich for our first entertainment contest for several years. On the Sunday evening we took to the (rather warm) stage at the Community Centre, playing All That Jazz from Chicago, the Salvation Army Song Setting of I Know Thou Art Mine, and the swaggering march Death or Glory. Our star Bb bass player Andy Symes then took centre stage for his solo Nellie the Elephant, which reduced the band to tears, before we rounded off with the Finale from Faust. We were awarded 5th place out of 10 bands for our performance. A big thank you to Roger for his help on percussion, and to Clare and Gary from Midsomer Norton Band on cornets.

Parade Gardens, Bath
The crowds gathered in the late summer sun for our last performance at the Parade Gardens this year. Dave Hayward led the programme this week, which was both varied and challenging, and included the pieces to be played in the Wychavon Festival next week. This was well received by the audience, with many fine comments after the concert.

August 2009

Brandon Hill, Bristol
Larry Coles took up the baton once again for our concert at the top of the hill in Bristol. With no bandstand there is always the risk of getting wet, but the sun shone on us all afternoon (and we were glad of an ice cream in the interval). Thanks again to all of the guest players who came along to bail us out of trouble!

Grove Park, Weston-Super-Mare
A glorious afternoon in Weston-Super-Mare saw the band picnicing in the sun before the concert. There was a large and appreciative audience for the concert, as always, which one reason why we enjoy playing at this venue. We thank all the guests who came along to help us out, as a few members of the band could not make the concert.

July 2009

Parade Gardens, Bath
What happened to the barbecue summer? The weather during our concert in the Parade Gardens was typical of the the rest of July, with showers all afternoon. The band played on regardless, and a few appreciative people sheltered under umbrellas to listen to the end of the programme. Well done to all those who stuck it out to the end!

John Coles Park, Chippenham
A pleasant afternoon in Chippenham, with lots of people out and enjoying the sunshine.

June 2009

British Legion Armed Forces Day, Timsbury
We were privileged to be able to take part in the British Legion celebrations for Armed Forces Day in Timsbury.

MENCAP Concert, Bath
We were a little short on numbers for our summer concert at the Carreswood Centre, but the audience didn't seem to mind as they were up and dancing as usual.

Parade Gardens, Bath
Another sunny day in the park for the Bath Spa Band, and once again there was a large crowd of people enjoying the sunshine with a spot of brass band music. We had a few people missing from the band this weekend, but with the help from some friends from Midsomer Norton, we made it through the programme.

Mayor Making Ceremony, Bath Abbey
We were honoured to be able to play in Bath Abbey for the annual Mayor making ceremony. In this prestigious event, the dignitaries processed through Bath, led by the Cadet band, and we played as they filed into the Abbey. It was the first time that we have played in the Abbey for many years, and were absolutely delighted to be there. Our thanks go to Ann Tipper at the Mayor's Office for allowing us this great opportunity to play in this special venue on this important day.

May 2009

Party in the City
The Bath Spa Band were pleased to take part in the opening night celebrations of the International Music Festival in Bath by playing in the Parade Gardens.

Own Choice Contest, Weston Super Mare
We are delighted to announce that we came third in the third section of this year's own choice contest in Weston Super Mare. Our performance of Variations on Laudate Dominum by Edward Gregson was well received by the audience, and we were very pleased to bring back some silverware.
Our sincere thanks go once again to Dave Hayward for his supreme guidance, but also to BJ for stepping in late on to help with percussion.

March 2009

Regional Contest, Torquay
Our performance at the Areas this year was on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We were drawn 14th, which gave us plenty of time in the morning and early afternoon to enjoy the sunshine. This year, the third section had to play in the Arena, which has a very different feel and accoustic to the Forum next door. However we prepared well, and we thought that our performance reflected our rehearsals. In the end we came 8th out of 16 bands, which was a little disappointing. However, we know how much the band has improved in the last few years, and we will come back next year even stronger! Our thanks go to Dave Hayward for his hard work and commitment since early January. We would also like to thank the Torcroft Hotel for their kind hospitality.

February 2009

Peasedown Concert
With contest rehearsals in full swing, a concert in Peasedown St John gave us a little light relief. We were delighted that Dave Hayward was available to take us for the whole programme, which included not one but two test pieces. The concert was a great opportunity for us to play out the test piece for the Areas next month, but also to perform the pleasant Suite for Brass from the National Finals last year.

January 2009

Saltford Concert and Contest Preparations
Before the Christmas decorations had even been taken down for another year, the Bath Spa Band were back to work, rehearsing for the Regionals in March. This year we are working on Once and Future King, as we prepare for the tight competition in the third section. However, we still had time to slot in our first concert of the year in nearby Saltford. This is the first time that we have played in Saltford for many years, but hopefully it won't be too long before we're back again. The hall was a lovely place to play, and it was great to see so many people in the audience, many of whom were listening to the band for the first time. We all enjoyed ourselves and thought that the band played well, and there were many positive comments from the audience.