Our Present -
This summer, the Orchestra has been successful in being awarded a £500 grant
from the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund.
This has been put to good
use towards funding a new White Pearl drum kit to enable us to take our main
kit into the practice room, where it has replaced the first ever kit we had
donated back in 1985. We have also used some of the grant to help fund a
replacement five piece set of Bass pans from Toussaint Clarke.
2010 proved to be another successful year which kept all the players and parents very busy right through to Christmas with many of our regular venues revisited as well as several new ones that we hope to include again during 2011. We lost nothing through weather and enjoyed good weekends for our annual visits to the Cumbria Steam Gathering at Flookburgh, and the Yesteryear Rally at Malpas, Cheshire.
The highlight of 2010 was our 25th Anniversary in November. We held a big party for all players past and present, and managed to get 68 of the 101 who had played in the Senior Orchestra at some time in its twenty five year history, as well as three of our expert musical directors. Facebook is a great way to keep the players in touch. The current group played a first session and then all comers were invited to see how much they remembered. Its amazing what’s still in the grey matter and a lot gave it their all. It was magic night that those who have been around for many years found quite moving. Many want to do it again in another 25 years but it will need different organisers by then.
The Orchestra also worked hard during 2009/10 with our licensed charity collections and at the 25th Party were pleased to present to Peter Bramhall, from the RMCH Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Trust, two cheques for the last eighteen months work amounting to £3,324. We continue to support the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Trust, which we have since 1985 with our licensed collections in North West shopping precincts and several other donations from supporting organisations. The total donated to date now stands at over £40,000.
Outside of our main charity work, we also supported a number of other charity events during the year including, Cancer Research UK, Childflight and Wish Upon A Star.
There have been some changes in the line up of the Orchestra over the last twelve months but we are still 27 strong and have plenty of players available, even when some are working or on holiday. It will be good for the summer’s busy schedule, which is kept up to date alongside as we progress through the year, with more details if you click on the locations.
During the autumn we recorded our fifth CD to make Volume 7, the 25th Anniversary which is our new addition to the steel music collection. This includes our powerful version of Africa and Pan In A Minor together with other new tunes and some reworked favorites. It was released just before Christmas and sits alongside our other four CDs that are all readily available wherever we play or by post.
2011 will find us all over the north of England but we are saving up to replace our old minibus so you will have to wait until 2012 if you want to catch us in Devon and Cornwall again. You can always come and see us at our many venues and keep in touch through the website.
