Congratulations to all those attending Chester University. Here at City of Chester we have a long history of welcoming students, many of whom make Chester their permanent home. Our recent committee meeting is possibly unusual in that the majority of members of the committee are under 30 and we have a few students in various sections to welcome you aboard. Contact us for a warm welcome for whatever brass or percussion you play. 

Both the Training Band and Junior Band will be taking a hard earned rest from Monday 16th July until Monday 3rd September. As in the past we have struggled to have even half a band over the summer holiday season we have stopped rehearsals over this period. Both Bands will return on September 3rd in preparation for an event at Huntington on 8th September. When this is over it will be a mad dash to get ready for the annual band Solo Competition being held on September 23rd at Aldford Village Hall.      

We are a busy band at Chester and our season continued at Pulford on Saturday. The beautiful sun shone on everyone but was particularly dazzling on a few members of the band who have bought their own shiny new instruments!

Despite our very healthy numbers we welcome anyone who fancies coming for a blow , on our not quite so shiny band instruments.

One member of the Junior Band has had Exam success this past week with a Grade 2 Distinction Pass on Trumpet. Very well done to Jake and keep up the good work. 

Many congratulations go out to three(3) members of the training band as they all passed music exams in the last couple of weeks. They are 

Molly Grade 5 Horn Merit .Also Molly passed her Saxophone exam 

Lilly Grade 4 Cornet Pass

Nathan Grade 2 Horn Pass

Very well done to all 3 and also to their tutor Kirsty Bargh for all her hard work.

Members of both bands made a visit to Newton Primary school on 22nd March and had a very appreciative group of children who were very interested in the instruments we took along for them to "have a go with" . The children asked lots of questions about both the junior band and the way that they can join the band. If you would like the band to visit your school please contact [email protected] for further details 

Weeks of hard work paid off for the City of Chester Band on Sunday 28 January with some success in the “Brass @ The Guild” brass band contest held in Preston’s Guild Hall and Charter Theatre.  Playing in the Third Section, the Band were placed third out of thirteen with Kirsty Bargh, Chester’s Solo Horn player, being awarded the “Sarah Gardner Trophy” for the best horn player in the section.  Kirsty started playing the Eb Tenor Horn with the City of Chester Training Band in 2000.

The contest is seen as an opportunity for bands to showcase their playing of the set test-pieces ahead of the regional championships which are due to be held in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens complex on Sunday 25 February.  Bands in the prizes at Blackpool qualify to play in the national championships held in September in Cheltenham with Championship-level bands playing in the Royal Albert Hall, London in October.

Due to professional commitments with the Hallé Chester’s tuba-playing Musical Director, Ewan Easton MBE, was unable to lead the Band at Preston.  Conducting in his place and for the first time at a contest, too, was Bandmaster Matthew Birkett (28).  Not a bad start for Matthew!  

St Helens-born Matthew Birkett is one of a number of talented and enthusiastic young people who have come to study in recent years at Chester University and join the Band before going on to find work and settle in the area. Along with a thriving training band, students such as Matthew have helped to re-vitalise the City of Chester Band (established c.1853) which is a part of the city’s cultural heritage.

As well as continuing to work on the test-piece “Napoleon on the Alps” by Philip Harper, commissioned in 2016 by Jugend Brass Band Forum Ostschweiz (Switzerland), the Band is preparing for a busy summer season of concerts around the region.

For further information about the City of Chester Band and the City of Chester Training Band see: https://www.chesterbrass.co.uk/ .

For over two years the Secretary of the City of Chester Band kept Saturday 14 October 2017 clear in its engagement diary for a special event: a wedding, that of two band members Kirsty Blain and Alexander Bargh who met in 2008 whilst at university in Aberystwyth.Kirsty plays the Eb Tenor Horn whilst Alex plays percussion.In addition to occupying the Solo Horn position, Kirsty is also the Band Secretary!

Kirsty was one of the first to join the City of Chester Training Band when it formed in 2000.Alexander hails from Monmouth.

The wedding took place at St John the Baptist Church in Aldford, the very church where Kirsty’s parents, Paula and Tony Blain, had married in 1986.With warm, sunny weather ideal for a wedding, the fine church acoustics helped the Band to play all the music associated with the ceremony: as guests arrived, accompanying the hymns, during the signing of the wedding register and as Mr and Mrs Bargh left the church to warm applause and the music “If I didn’t have you†from the film Monsters Inc.

In the evening band members joined Kirsty and Alexander, their families and friends, at an evening reception at the Cock o’Barton, Barton Road, Malpas.

Kirsty and Alexander are pictured after their wedding.