Strict covid regulations were in place as a much-loved band held its first in-person rehearsal since March.
Strict covid safety rules were in place
Cricklade Band has also announced that its traditional Christmas carol-playing will go ahead, albeit with some changes.
It said in a statement: "On Monday 16 March this year, all live Band Academy rehearsals, all live Performance Band rehearsals and the one-to-one mentoring lessons of our beginner musicians came to an abrupt stop.
"As time went on, every single event the band had been booked to attend in the spring, summer and autumn was also cancelled.
"Regardless of all that, the band’s instrument teams began to meet regularly on WhatsApp or Skype to rehearse and chat. We even managed to play an online Bandagram greeting of Happy Birthday and an Act of Remembrance for the VE Anniversary!
"The whole band was invited for a weekly catch-up on Skype, everyone had a say on a variety of topics and there was the inevitable banter between us, as ever!
"There was also something called the Tuesday Ramble, a weekly email newslettery thing running for 27 editions. Everyone seemed to like Tuesday Ramble, not least because they knew when Tuesday was!"
The band recently held its first live rehearsal since the national lockdown, with stringent covid-19 precautions under the guidance of national organisation Brass Bands England, which is advised in turn by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
The statement went on: "For 132 years now the band has upheld the most firm of our traditions of playing carols around and about Cricklade in the lead-up to Christmas.
"Right from the first Christmas of the band’s existence in 1887 the coppers that were donated were designated towards paying for the band’s rehearsal facilities for the next year. Not only do we plan to keep this magnificent tradition going – it’s also going to be the only income the band receives this year!
"We’ve had to rethink how we do it, of course - there won’t be any door knocking going on! Instead, we’ll have some bright red buckets near the band for you drop in some coins (or notes!). We’ll also have an online funding facility for all our tech-savvy supporters!"
Further details can be found on the band's Facebook page.
Your Comments
Be the first to comment on this article
Login or Register to post a comment on this article