With the backing of none other than Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson the countrywide 'Bandstand Marathon' will be taking place at some 70 locations on September 26th.

Joy

The journalist wrote recently about his joy at hearing a local brass band playing an impromptu concert he was attending, and has backed the event run by Somerset based not for profit organisation Speract! to promote bandstand concerts around the country.

Huge numbers

The event hopes to showcase a huge number of talented bands and musicians and bring free music and performance to the beautiful bandstands which have stood silent for too long in hundreds of parks across the country.

The Top Gear front man was worried when he saw that brass band and folk music would die out because they get little air-time on radio stations.

I once went to listen to a colliery band play some mournful tunes at the National Mining Museum near Wakefield and I swear to God it was the best, most hair-tingling concert I've ever heardJeremy Clarkson

Hair tingling

"Now folk music...well no one's going to miss that but, brass bands are different," he blasted in his Sun newspaper column. "I'm a man who likes rock very much....but that said, I do love listening to a brass band. I once went to listen to a colliery band play some mournful tunes at the National Mining Museum near Wakefield and I swear to God it was the best, most hair-tingling concert I've ever heard."

Further information

The national Bandstand Marathon on September 26th takes place many locations including throughout the coutnry and further information can be found at: www.bandstandmarathon.co.uk