Enjoy music on a whole new scale with Brass Day
Toot your trumpet — Renfrewshire’s first Brass Day is happening in Linwood next month.
The event is the brainchild of June Deans, chair of Johnstone Band, who was given funding from Renfrewshire Council’s Culture, Heritage and Events Fund.
It takes place on Saturday, October 7, in Tweedie Hall, Linwood, and everyone is welcome to come along.
Jean said:“We wanted to put together an afternoon of brass music to encourage people to dig out their instruments and get involved.
“We’ve got a samba band playing, and workshops with some well-known brass players of different genres.
“We’ve got Chris Bradley, who’s a principal cornet with the Whitburn Band, and Dávur Juul Magnussen, the principal trombone with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
“We’ll also have workshops with some of the teachers who work in local schools and plan to have a big brass finale with everyone playing along.”
People can take part in workshops or just come along and listen to the music, with performances from Johnstone Band, JP Berrie Big Band, Brass, Aye? and Levern Valley Community Brass.
There will also be a chance to try out the instruments.
June, who started learning the trombone when she was 10, is keen for people who have played, but maybe stopped and youngsters who are currently learning, to come along.
She said:“We’re trying to encourage people to keep playing when they leave school. A lot of people stop when they go to college or university because there’s nothing to keep them playing. There’s a big investment made in teaching them in school.
“We’re a local band and we’d love to encourage younger members. We don’t have a junior section and that’s something we’d like to look at.”
Johnstone Band was founded in 1834 and members rehearse twice a week, on a Tuesday and Sunday at 7.30pm, at its band hut in the town’s Canal Road. Members take part in competitions across Scotland.
Brass Day takes place on Saturday, October 7, in Tweedie Hall, Linwood, from 12.30pm and concludes with a big finale at 5pm. All are welcome.