It's Not a Trumpet

31/07/2024

2028 is set to be a big year with the return of the European Championships to the UK 🇬🇧 🎺

The European Brass Band Championships are set to return to the UK in 2028

25/07/2024

Tredegar Town Band set to perform at 10th Anniversary screening with live orchestra and choir 🏳️‍🌈🎺

https://www.itsnotatrumpet.com/post/tredegar-band-to-play-at-10th-anniversary-screening-of-pride

Tredegar to Join Forces with Orchestra and Choir for 'Pride' AnniversarySwansea Arena is set to host a special 10th anniversary screening of the iconic film "Pride," featuring a live orchestra, local choirs and Tredegar Brass Band. This event marks the 10th anniversary of the film and the 40th anniv...

23/07/2024

The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain announce details for 20th Anniversary Concert with guest soloist, Daniel Marsh 🎺✨️

Find out more: https://www.itsnotatrumpet.com/post/nybbgb-announce-details-for-children-s-band-20th-anniversary-concert

22/07/2024

With this Summer marking 20 years since I first stepped into a bandroom - here are 10 things I wish I knew then that I hope will help any young ba**er!

If you’re a young ba**er, here is what I wish I knew when I was your age…or had listened to when people told me!

21/07/2024

Summer Pops 2024 done ✅️
3 nights of great music, superstar soloists and lots of laughs with Rainford Band 💕

12/07/2024

✨️Recommendations Please! ✨️

I'm looking for some repertoire to add into my practice sessions, specifically:

- Solos for cornet or flugel
- Test pieces with interesting parts/solo lines for cornet or flugel

Drop your recommendations in the comments! 👇

10/07/2024

Hopefully, if I remember these, there will be more progress and less swearing when I practise this evening...we'll see 🤞🙄

07/07/2024

This week has been brought to you by coffee 😴

What a week though!
🎺 Concert with
🎺 Scarisbrick Awards Ceremony
🎺 Regular band rehearsals with
🎺 Watching England with the banding besties
🎺 Lovely day out at Brighouse March and Hymn Contest with Longridge Band

A wonderfully brassy week, as much as I'm knackered, I wish every week was like this 💕

06/07/2024

Spotify: Tell me what you want, what you really, really want, because your music taste is chaos and I haven't a clue 🤯

05/07/2024

This is a fantastic opportunity with a conductor who really cares about exploring fun and interesting repertoire, as well as the musical development of the musicians within the orchestra - if you're a young player Warrington Youth Orchestra is a brilliant organisation and I would really recommend giving it a go! 🎺

18/06/2024

Brass Bands England have announced that the set work for the 2025 Youth Champs contest will be from the pen of Philip Sparke 🎺

Read here: https://www.itsnotatrumpet.com/post/youth-brass-band-championships-reinstates-test-piece-for-2025-event

Sparke Work Chosen for 2025 Youth ChampsAfter a hiatus prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain (Youth Champs) is reintroducing the Championship section test piece for its 2025 competition. This event, organised by Brass Bands England (BBE), pro...

01/06/2024

Happy Pride Month! 🌈 🏳️‍🌈

Brass banding has made great strides in becoming more inclusive, but there's still work to do. Let's keep moving forward to ensure everyone feels welcomed, accepted, and loved for who they are.

Here's to making our community even more inclusive for all! 🌈

24/05/2024

Here we go! 🎺

See you out there 😊

23/05/2024

This Saturday!

Two brass bands, one night of amazing music and an opportunity to support an amazing charity that looked after an inspirational ba**er!

Tickets are free - donations gratefully received!

https://www.itsnotatrumpet.com/post/cheshire-constabulary-and-canning-city-brass-band-join-forces-for-charity-concert

Here's everything you need to know 👇

For one night only the Band & Drums of the Cheshire Constabulary will be joining forces with the Canning City Brass Band from Perth.

22/05/2024

A fire-breathing, tour de force of a recording that takes you through the The Cory Band's illustrious heritage - here are my thoughts on the band's latest CD - 140 🎺

https://www.itsnotatrumpet.com/post/cd-review-140-cory-band

To celebrate their 140th anniversary, the Cory Band’s new CD, simply titled: 140, commemorates key milestones in the band’s history with som

15/05/2024

The most enjoyable contest performance to date and falling off a see-saw at 5am - here's my experience of the 2024 spring festival!

https://wix.to/H5cdkkc

'A Brussels Requiem' will always have a special place in my heart because of the wonderful people I had the privilege to share this performa

12/05/2024

TL;DR: Yesterday was amazing, Rainford Band - I love you and I'm utterly knackered...

Well, where to begin?

Brussel's Requiem was an Everest of a piece, but both the piece and our performance are my favourite to date and it's all down to the wonderful, incredibly hardworking people who I'm privileged to be able to call bandmates.

The sheer amount of time and effort every single band member put into this piece, both in and out of rehearsals, every single week is staggering, especially our unbelievably talented soloists.

8th place out of 20 on such a difficult piece is more than commendable and I'm so proud of what we achieved.

To our soloists - you inspire me every week, but even more so in the run up to and performance at this contest - just brilliant! To Sarah, thank you for your insight and encouragement and to Matt, and Andrea for your efforts with our prep. And to the band - what can I say without sounding cheesy? On and off the stage you are the most wonderful, funny, amazing people to be around and being a part of this team is something so special 💙💛🖤🎺

And with that, I'm going for a lie-down - celebrating 8th place in style was wonderful...but too many pints and not enough sleep has taken its toll 🤣

11/05/2024

Well, here we go...

11/05/2024

Blackpool bound - really looking forward to today! Good luck to everyone performing at the Spring Festival!
See you in the bar 🌞 🎺 🍺

09/05/2024

ICYMI: with just two days to go, until I compete with Rainford Band at the Grand Shield, I've delved into this year's test piece, A Brussels Requiem 🕊

Read it here:

It is an epic work for brass band with plenty to test, but most importantly it is an utterly outstanding piece of music full of visceral emo

05/05/2024

With less than a week to go before performing at the Grand Shield, I've delved into this year's set work - Bert Appermont's cinematic and vividly illustrative, 'A Brussel's Requiem' 🕊️

https://wix.to/KQ2x8Lf

It is an epic work for brass band with plenty to test, but most importantly it is an utterly outstanding piece of music full of visceral emo

21/04/2024

Review: Pemberton Old Wigan DW Band Gala Concert with guest soloists, Glyn and Helen Williams 🎺

A fantastic evening of entertainment with the Pemberton Band and guest soloists, Helen and Glyn Williams.

20/04/2024

Fantastic gala concert from Pemberton Old Wigan DW Band with guest soloists Glyn Williams and Helen Williams!

Congratulations to all involved with brilliant Solo Contest and Gala Concert this evening!

🎺💙🖤

17/04/2024

Brass and percussion musicians in school years 11, 12 or 13 - this is your chance to play with The Cory Band

Find out more about the 2024 Side-by-Side scheme from the Cory Band and the RWCMD for young brass band musicians.

17/04/2024

Calling all young conductors! 🎶

Get yourselves signed up to this fantastic masterclass!

Details for brass band conducting masterclass with Katrina Marzella hosted by AMP and Brass Bands England.

15/04/2024

From dragons to heroes - these are 10 of my favourite pieces from the pen of Philip Sparke: https://wix.to/LE520df

I'm willing to bet that there isn't a brass band musician out there who hasn't played or at least heard of Philip Sparke's music.

08/04/2024

Bathgate Brass Band announce sponsorship from Clarus Networks Group

Bathgate Band benefit from sponsorship from Clarus Networks Group.

05/04/2024

Written by a brass ba**er, marrying a brass ba**er - this is the guide to everything you need to know before you say "I do" 💒🤵👰🎺

Everything to expect when marrying a ba**er.

05/04/2024

See Foden's Band Brighouse and Rastrick Band and The Cory Band , all in one day with one ticket at the inaugural Elgar International Festival of Brass! 🎺

Here's everything you need to know 👇

Details for the inaugural Elgar International Festival of Brass has been announced.

04/04/2024

UniBrass announce details for 2024 band camp 🏕️🎺

https://wix.to/09HfO3z

Unibrass have announced the details of their annual band camp and it's set to be a fantastic experience.