Brigstowe Village Band

The next Brigstowe Village Band rehearsal will be on Sunday 20 January 2019, Jubilee Pavilion, Long Ashton Community Centre, 2 – 4.30pm.

Welcome to Laurel Swift our new musical leader who will be rehearsing with us for the first time. Please be ready to start to play at 2 o’clock. Apologies to Liz.

In this first session Laurel will be working out what we need to work on and what we can already play well and familiarising herself with our current repertoire.

The list of tunes to be rehearsed can be found here.

NB. Subs are now due. Please click here for payment info.

Happy New Year for you and BVB.

With Laurel replacing Matt as our musical leader the steering group would like your views on future planning by asking you to complete this survey which will take about 10 minutes. We know that no survey is perfect so if you need to clarify your view make a note in the margin. Don’t forget to sign it.

Please return via BVB email by 12 noon on January 5th so Liz can process the data and share with Laurel.

Word version:Brigstowe Village Band Survey d1

PDF version:Brigstowe Village Band Survey d1

The next Brigstowe Village Band rehearsal will be on Sunday 16 December, Jubilee Pavilion, Long Ashton Community Centre, 2 – 4.30pm.

Matt has posted the list of tunes to be played here.

Hope lots of you can come – it will be Matt’s last rehearsal as our Musical Leader.

Brigstowe Village Band have been invited to take part in a Wassail event in aid of Feed Bristol (Avon Wildlife Trust), Frenchay Park Road, Bristol, BS16 1HB on Saturday 2 February 2019. We will be playing at 12.30pm for approx 45mins and joining in the Wassail Ceremony at approx 2pm.

Long stay parking will be available in Begbrooke Social Club, Frenchay Park Road, BS16 1HY (approx 200yds up road). Limited parking on site – disability spaces and dropping off space for instruments etc.)

We will play on the ‘mound’ or under a large canvas canopy if the weather is good  or in a heated classroom which holds around 60 people if wet or cold. Wrap up warm in BVB attire. There will be limited seating (wooden benches). Free hot food (vegan stew) will  be supplied but we buy our own drinks.

This is a public event. The event will start around 12 noon and the programme will comprise:

12.30pm     Brigstowe Village Band  seasonal tunes, songs and deances

1.15pm        Mummers Play

1.40pm       Charging of glasses

2pm             Blessing of the Tree Ceremony and toast

2.30pm        Island Folk Choir

3pm             End

The setlist can be found here.

There will be a practice for this event on Friday 1 February, 23, The Crescent, Henleaze. BS9 4RP, 7.30 – 9.30pm. This will include some practice playing for dancing.

Dear BVB,

I wanted to write and thank you all and Matt, for I think the best and most disciplined and tuneful gig in the three years that the band has been playing together. Hark the Shepherds brought a lump to my throat (in the right way) and the dances like Jockey and New Rigged Ship had the ‘lift’ that Matt has tutored us so well in, all enhanced by Michael McMahon’s reading.

St Stephens have of course asked us back and the steering group are very happy to accept their invitation to play and support such a welcoming venue. I am thinking I will talk with Laurel about May Day / Midsummer.

Finally …… it is clear that we are assembling a multi talented group that can bring many skills to a performance such as todays. If any of you have performing or other skills that you are willing share, reading, acting, circus skills (just testing if you are awake) playing a different instrument ….. writing or researching for scripts such as todays, or ideas for themes we could explore, alternative histories of Bristol or tunes you would like to play, please let me know – don’t hide your light under a bushel …

A grand day – thank you –  see you in the basement of John Lewis – and PLEASE look at the carols.

Best

Liz

(Please look here for some photos of the day)

Sunday December 9th, 12.30 – 1.15pm (ish), Brigstowe Village Band will be playing in the basement section of John Lewis at the Mall, Cribs Causeway in aid of the Southmead Hospital Buskathon.

Please arrive at John Lewis via the partners entrance by the Mall bus stop by 11.50. Personal items will be stored in a secure room during the performance. We will go down to the basement area together at 12 noon to set up and start playing by 12.30.

If there are any problems the link person with John Lewis is Nicola Mason.

The playlist can be found here. Please look especially carefully at the carols on the playlist as we haven’t rehearsed them.

As indicated at the rehearsal on Sunday, a technical hitch has meant that we do not have accurate band numbers for Fair Saturday on Saturday 24 November or St Stephens on Monday 3 December.

Please email Liz at elizabethnewman@live.com by Wednesday 21 November, 6pm at the latest indicating  YES or NO to both gigs.

On future occasions we will ask you to email the BVB address but for these two dates please email Liz.

Thank you

The next Brigstowe Village Band rehearsal will be on Sunday 18 November, Jubilee Pavilion, Long Ashton Community Centre, 2 – 4.30pm.

Matt has put the list of tunes to be practiced here.

Look forward to seeing lots of you there.

Following a very enjoyable and well taught afternoon we are thrilled that Laurel Swift has accepted the role of Musical Leader for Brigstowe Village Band. She will be taking over from Matt in January 2019.

We look forward to working with her.

Brigstowe Village Band will perform for Fair Saturday on 24 November, 2.30 – 3.30pm in the downstairs foyer at the Colston Hall. They will make sure it is very accessible. PA will be available. NB. Parking is tricky as builders are now in the compound, but the performers will be able to drop off gear outside the venue. Nearest parking NCP located behind the venue. Colston Hall will provide one of the meeting rooms as a green room.

The idea of Fair Saturday is to bring culture and good causes together as a positive response to Black Friday. There is a Fair Saturday app which can be downloaded.

The charity we are raising money for is the Quartet Community Foundation (quartetcf.org.uk) – Emma works for Quartet.

The setlist can be found here.

The practice on Friday 23 November has been cancelled. So there is a time for a run through please arrive at the Colston Hall as near as possible to 1.30pm – there will be a Green Room set aside for bags, cases etc and there should be a chance of a warm up.