East London brass band has no brass to reach championships
AN AWARD-winning brass band may have to pull out of the National Championships of Great Britain because it doesn’t have the cash to get there. The East London Brass Band has struggled from near collapse to winning a place in the brass band equivalent of the FA cup final—much like the film Brassed Off
AN AWARD-winning brass band in East London may have to pull out of the National Championships of Great Britain because it doesn't have the brass’ to get there.
The East London Brass Band has struggled from near collapse two years ago to winning a place in the brass band equivalent of the FA cup final-much like the film Brassed Off.
But it seems to have reached the end of the road in its centenary year because of the economic downturn.
CREDIT CRUNCH
“The credit crunch has had a real impact on the band, with bookings down from previous years,” said Dan Gibbons, the band's chairman.
"We are struggling to fund the trip to the championships in Harrogate and may have to withdraw because of the recession.
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“Local authorities and fete organisers just don't have the spare funds to book live music.
“The knock-on effect is that community bands like East London Brass are struggling to survive.”
DONATIONS
So East London Brass is holding a free public concert to raise donations from the audience.
The band, which blew its first note in 1909, are getting ready to represent the Southern Counties for the national championships next month, competing against the North, Scotland, Wales, The Midlands and Yorkshire—if they can scrape the �4,000 needed for transport and accommodation.
The concert is at Trinity Church in Orford Road, Walthamstow, on Thursday week (August 20) at 8pm.
