[DavenportSharky]

The festive pre match entertainment at the AJBell tomorrow features Stretford Band playing carols and other Christmas music outside the stadium. 3 members of the band are West Stand season ticket holders including yours truly on second baritone. Feel free to say hello and put in a request (apart from go home!). Those of you who came to the season ticket holders BBQ in the summer may remember us playing at Carrington. We will certainly not be playing When The Saints Go Marching In.

Stretford Band, dates back to the 1840s and continues a proud tradition of British brass band music played to a high standard. Formerly a prize winning band, it is now an amateur community based non competitive band playing purely for pleasure.

The band welcomes players of all abilities and from all backgrounds. If you have played a brass instrument in the past and would like to rekindle that pleasure you are assured a warm welcome as are complete novices. The band rehearses on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and performs regular concerts with an extensive repertoire to suit any occasion. We would love to see you.

If you would like Stretford Band to play for you at an event speak to a band member at the stadium or ring John Quirk on 07590 507494. If you would like more information on the band or to find out about future events we are on social media and YouTube.

Our website is www.stretfordband.co.uk.

Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the music before we thrash the Saints

[SimonG]

Good luck! (Must admit I had to look up what a baritone is in brass band terms).

[Lord Elpus]

I hope you play some of our traditional Derbyshire village tunes like Lyngham (aka Nativity) rather than the boring churchy ones. Carols are best roared out with a pint in hand.

Btw - if you want the dots for quite a few village carols I know a place where they are in the public domain. Message me for a link.

[DavenportSharky]

Thank you for the replies. The band thought it went down well and we had approval from a number of people including Simon O and Sir Bill. True there are some excellent Derbyshire carols but most people don’t know them and won’t stop and listen to unfamiliar tunes. A mixture of traditional carols with popular Christmas music is the safest bet.
If we were invited back, a big if I know, then Nkosi Sikeleli Africa, We are Saleing,
and Sweet Caroline would probably go down well!
The baritone horn has an unwound 9 feet length the same as a tenor trombone and a euphonium and in the U.K. is only played in brass bands. The Americans confuse the instrument with the euphonium and have a marching baritone played horizontally. It has brighter but less mellow sound than the euphonium with a constant rather than tapering diameter. It’s generally regarded as easier to play than most of the other brass band instruments.
Any feedback good or bad would be welcome.