Band is desperate to find new headquarters
Croft Silver Band needs new rehearsal space
A BRASS band which has been entertaining audiences across Leicestershire for more than 100 years has launched an urgent appeal to help find a new home.
In the past few decades, Croft Silver Band has rehearsed in a room inside Aggregate Industries’ Croft Quarry.
However, they have been told that from Christmas Eve this year, they will no longer be able to use the space.
Gina Needham, band chairman, said: “We’ve enjoyed a very close relationship with the quarry for many years, and are truly grateful for their support. However, we now need to urgently find a new home.
“We don’t have a huge budget, so we are really appealing to businesses and people in the area to have a think about any suitable venues, and get in touch if anything springs to mind.
“I think it’s really important that the Croft Silver Band stays in, or close to, Croft. That’s definitely a real consideration for us.”
The band plays at many events in the area, including the Cosby Air Show and the Croft Remembrance Day Parade, one of the biggest village parades in the country.
They also provide a great opportunity for young people to learn to play and meet new friends, with some of the group playing in the band having known each other for more than 40 years.
Gina added: “We are such a part of the local heritage, it would be a real tragedy if the band folded because we couldn’t find a new home, but that’s the reality we are facing.
“We need a home in order to continue with the great musical contribution we make to the local community. I really hope someone can help us.”
A typical brass band is made up of around 25 musicians plus a percussion section, meaning that the rehearsals space should, ideally, be large enough to accommodate a group of that size, along with storage space for the band’s instruments and extensive library of music.
Unfortunately, the new Village Hall being built in Croft won’t be able to accommodate it, so the band’s members are hoping someone can offer a solution to ensure brass music continues to be a part of life in Croft.