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We have 45 talented players in our main youth band. Our conductor since July 2011 is Michael Eccles who has replaced Andrew Hirst. Andrew replaced our founding conductor Les Hall in February 2002. Andrew conducted his first competition with the band in June 2002 when we were thrilled to achieve 2nd Place at Rhyl. The next year at Rhyl Youth Festival of Brass Andy led the Youth Band to achieve 1st Place, Best Conductor, Best Soloist ( Flugel Horn ) and Best Percussion Section prizes.
The band has had a very successful eight years under Andrew's guidance and have achieved recognition for outstanding performances in contests at Rhyl, Pontins, Tameside, Royal Northern College of Music and Blackpool. The latest success was achieved in April 2011 at the National Youth Brass Band Championships, being awarded 2nd place and a Gold Award in the Intermediate Section.
The band practices every Friday Night from 7 - 9.15 pm, they play a varied and wide range of music. We host four concerts annually and take on many other engagements. Christmas is a very busy time and the band can regularly be seen at Handforth Dean as well as at the band's Christmas Concert at the Romiley Theatre. In July 2011 the Youth Band entertained a very appreciative audience at the Stockport Plaza as guests of the Fairey Band. The band was in Paris in August 2011 where they gave a wonderful performances on the bandstands at the Jardin Du Luxembourg and outside Notre Dame Cathedral.
March 2011 saw the band perform at the Manchester Monastery, in July at The Middlewood Way Open Day and at the Poynton Show in August. In past years the Youth Band has given performances in the City of York, Valkenburg and Maastricht in the Netherlands and Disneyland Paris.
We are looking forward to challenges of competing in the 2012 Youth Entertainment Contest at Blackpool in February and at the Youth Championships at the Royal Northern College of Music in April.
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