New Year, New Members - The band is really pleased to welcome new members in the form of Chloe (back row cornet) and Luke (Eb Bass) Smith. They are both very welcome and have already been set to work (read warmly welcomed) at rehearsals. We still have a couple of vacancies for a tuned percussionist and a front row cornet so roll up! Roll up! And sign on the dotted line – you know you won’t regret it!

The band has a busy agenda through the year as we need to be self-supporting and we can be seen throughout the Bolton area over the next months so check out the website at www.eagleyband.co.uk/agenda.html for further details.

Anyone wanting us to perform please contact Debs on 07731 996 925 or Nick on 07841 201 701 or through the website contacts page on www.eagleyband.co.uk/contact-us.html

New Year at Eagley - The band has had a restful Christmas, once the carolling was over, and now we are raring to go with the new contesting season. We are looking forward to outings at Preston and Blackpool and are enjoying rehearsing the area test piece "The Once And Future King" by Andrew Baker. I think that, whatever we do in the contests, this will be a popular piece with the band.

Eagley hear those Christmas Bells! - As the festive season moves ever closer, the band are now preparing to launch themselves into the welter of mince pies, jingling bells and wine - lots and lots of wine. In the coming month, we are performing a veritable feast of concerts in the following venues:

Friday 5th December - Christmas concert at Hilltop Social Club, Eagley’s rehearsal room, at 7:00pm.

Saturday 13th December sees the band returning to St. Maxentius Church at 7:00pm.

Sunday 14th December is the band’s own Christmas concert at the Old Links Golf Club, Chorley Old Road, Bolton. Tickets for this concert go like hot-cakes, so get your order in to Debs now on 07731996925.

We will also have many small groups performing throughout the run-up to Christmas at various venues in Manchester and Bolton, please give generously! It’s a good job I’m a bit more organised than usual this year as there’ll certainly be little time for shopping for me before the big day. Turkey leg, anyone?

Well, after becoming nationally recognised as the 14th band in the country in our section, the band is now turning its attention to the St Helens Contest. We are looking forward to a gentle recuperation from the exertions of Harrogate/Wetherby and concentrating on improving our concert programme.

Thanks to all those people who sponsored a band member in the sponsored blow. We raised a total of £731.00 which helped towards the cost of the weekend’s accommodation and travel. Even though the actual result was a bit of a disappointment, we didn’t boo the winners or other placed bands and we had a jolly good time as you can see if you look at the many photos taken by various “David Baileys” over the weekend.

We do have a couple of vacancies if anyone would like to join us. We’re a very warm and friendly band, with a great social as well as a musical side, and are looking for one or two strong front row Cornets as well as a Bass player of either persuasion. We practice in the picturesque village of Blackrod, which is just off the A6, North and West of Bolton. There’s also a bar as it’s a social club. Rehearsals are Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:00 till 10:00.

Sponsored Blow!! - The band are currently preparing madly for Harrogate – and not only on a musical front. MD Gareth (Sub-di-vide) Westwood has persuaded the band to put on a sponsored blow at St. Osmond’s Parish Church Hall on Sunday 21st September. This involves 7 hours of continuous playing and will help to raise much needed funds. The band has so far raised a substantial amount towards the weekend, but we need still more money to pay for the incidentals like hotel bills, coaches and so on. If you feel like helping us out, approach any member of the band who will gladly take your cash and your signature and promptly hand it over to Debs (Money, money, money) Lyons. Although the blow is not open to the public – due to health and safety reasons (you can only listen to the same piece just so many times before you go mad) -we will be publishing details of how much we raised towards ours costs so that you know your hard earned dosh is being spent on our good cause.

The next thing, of course, is that we will do our best to please the adjudicator and bring back a trophy.

Rain Stops Play! - The band were very sorry about the cancellation of two jobs recently, due to the foul weather this summer. The Haigh Steam Rally, a two-day event, and Doe Hey Park were both cancelled because of the heavy and persistent rain. It is particularly bad at this time of year as we  need every penny we can get to finance our trip to Harrogate for the National Finals.

The band is finding it a little hard to find the money for the trip and has now arranged a Sponsored Blow. This will take place on the 21st September, the weekend before the finals in an attempt to raise some more cash.

Concert Success - The soloist concert held at the Old Links Golf Club was a great success and helped raise over £400 for the band. Click here for a review of the night.

Soloists Announced!! - The soloists to be featured at the Old Links Concert are as follows:

• Mark Wilkinson, (Principal Cornet)
• Richard Poole (Assistant Principal Cornet)
• Glyn Williams (Principal Euphonium)
• Les Neish (Principal EEb Bass)
• Mark Landon (Principal Percussion)

Tickets are limited, so to get your chance to see these fine players ring Deb Lyons on 0773 199 6925 asap!!