At a recent charity concert for Blythe House Hospice, Whaley Bridge Band premiered a new work by composer Lucy Pankhurst.

Dedication

Lucy was commissioned to write a march dedicated to the bands sponsors Bill and Lynne Wilson of Cedar Finance – as although Bill loves listening and supporting bands he likes nothing better than a traditional march.

Cedar funding

Whaley Bridge Band has been in the fortunate position that through the funding of Cedar it has been able to work with Lucy as a tutor over the past year.

Great march

Band MD Marcus Jones told 4BR: "The idea to get a piece commissioned has been in the pipeline for a while. As Cedar was to fund the concert for the Hospice we thought it would be the ideal concert to premiere the piece. Lucy has written a great march for us that ticks every box that we asked for.

The biggest problem was keeping it as a surprise for Bill has he comes to listen at rehearsals."

The band had managed to keep this from me. What an honour it is to have a piece dedicated to you. It’s a proper brass band march with a tune you can whistleBill Wilson

Stuck for words

Bill Wilson admitted to 4BR that he stuck for words when he heard the piece. "The band had managed to keep this from me. What an honour it is to have a piece dedicated to you. It’s a proper brass band march with a tune you can whistle."

The march ‘Cedar’ helped the concert raise £773 for the hospice, which is the only one of its kind in the High Peak area.