Village band marks 150th landmark (From Wiltshire Times)

Village band marks 150th landmark

12:00pm Saturday 17th January 2009

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A VILLAGE band that has created ‘lifelong friendships’ is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

The Bratton Silver Band formed at St James Church, Bratton, in 1859 and since then has won several competitions including the South West Brass Band Association contest in 1986 and 1991.

Pivotal to the band’s success has been the Smith family from Bratton who have had at least one member in the band since its inception, and held the position of bandmaster for 145 years.

Current president, Stephen Smith, 51, is a member of that family and joined the band when he was just 10-years-old.

He said: “Every village band has a family that is central to the band, but it’s like a football team - its not about one player it’s about the 20 or 22 players in the squad.

“The band has brought people together from different walks of life and has created lifelong friendships.”

The band was rocked last year when the president’s brother, Graham Smith, who played euphonium, died after suffering a blood clot.

Mr Smith said: “He was very well thought of by the people in the band and by our audiences. We are all still getting used to the fact that he’s not around.”

Carol Bowes, 42, from Dilton Marsh, has been in the band for 31 years and has been the bandmaster for the last four. She said: “Our trips abroad to places such as France, Germany and Switzerland have always been brilliant.

“The first time I went with the band was when I was 15. It was my first time away from home without my family and I remember it was just a great experience.

“The band always seem to gel when we go away.

“We’ve also done really well in the national competitions - we’ve got to the national finals four times and on one occasion we played at Wembley conference centre.

“We’ve also won the regional south west finals.”

Maria Fricker, 31, from Westbury, is the band’s musical director, a position she has held for a year.

She summed up what makes the band so special.

“I think what makes the band is the atmosphere; it’s a friendly, welcoming and above all a hard working band.” she said.

The band, which has 25 players in the senior band and about 20 in the training band, rehearse twice a week and play a mixture of original, classical, popular film and traditional marching music.

It will be playing a number of concerts this year to mark its 150th anniversary.

*VIC Beers is celebrating his 50th year in the Bratton Silver Band making him its longest serving member.

The 70-year-old, who lives in Dursley Road, Trowbridge, played in his first band in 1949 aged 11 - the Winsham Silver Band in Somerset.

Mr Beers’ family moved to Bratton three years later and he immediately joined the village silver band, playing the cornet. He later played baritone and euphonium, and was also conductor between 1979 and 1987.

In 1959 Mr Beers joined the army and played in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers military band, but in 1965 he returned to Bratton and his beloved village band.

He said: “When I got back after my time in the forces there was only 10 members in the band and there was no proper committee so I thought we’ve got to do something to keep the band together.

“I formed the committee and we started doing fundraising events, and then I formed the training band. The band has gone from strength to strength since then.”

Mr Beers said his funniest moment with the band came at the Trowbridge Carnival in 1984.

“The band was marching over the railway bridge by the Rose and Crown and the carnival procession stopped to take a breather, but the pony and float carrying the butterfly queen and her assistants didn’t stop and went straight into our bass player, Stan Champion,” he said.

“The drum ended up in the shape of an egg.”

When asked what the secret behind the Band’s longevity is, Mr Beers said: “Its the enthusiasm of the players and the comradeship of the band; we’re like a family when we get together to practice and that’s important for any band.”

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