Crawley launches into new brass band season

Kicking off the series on Sunday, October 24 at 3pm is Hammonds Band. Hammonds has performed in venues throughout the UK, Europe and around the world. Founded in 1855 as the Saltaire Band by Sir Titus Salt as one of the amenities for the workers at his recently opened mill, later the band had a long association with Hammonds Sauce Works under the baton of Geoffrey Whitham. It is from these two parts of the band’s past that it now performs under its current name, Hammonds Band, under the direction of Morgan Griffiths. Sunday, November 14 at 3pm brings the Fairey Band. The Fairey Band is one of the most successful contesting brass bands in the world. Founded in 1937 by a group of employees at the Fairey Aviation Works in Stockport, the band achieved many musical successes under the direction of Harry Mortimer, their musical director for more than 30 years. Since those early days, the band has won every elite band event on the contest calendar, including the National Championships of Great Britain on nine occasions and the British Open 16 times. Sunday, February 27 at 3pm offers Flowers Band. A brass band from Gloucestershire now in its 53rd year, they are the number one band in the west of England and currently ranked the fifth best brass band in the UK. Flowers Band, based in Gloucester, was formed in 1968 as a result of the disbandment of the Royal Gloucester Hussars (Territorial Army) Brass Band. After negotiation with the Ministry of Defence, the instruments were bought and most of the former RGH bandsmen, with other local players, formed the City of Gloucester Band. Sunday, March 27 at 3pm welcomes the Desford Band. The Desford Colliery Band is considered one of the finest exponents of the brass medium. It comprises 25 brass musicians with percussion and performs a repertoire spanning baroque to jazz. The Desford Colliery Band has recorded many CDs gaining much critical acclaim. More recently they starred in their very own hit television show The Real Brassed Off, a fly on the wall documentary series which portrayed the day-to-day running of a brass band in modern Britain. Tickets £14 (discounts: £13; see all four concerts for £11.75 each) are available at hawth.co.uk or by calling The Hawth box office (12 noon-3pm, Monday to Friday) on 01293 553636.