50 brass band musicians from as far afield as Birmingham and Cornwall came together for the second John Packer Brass Band Workshop, recently held at Castle School in Taunton.

Tuition and guidance

Led by Dr Chris Davis OBE, former Principal Director of Music for the Royal Marines, the players received expert tuition and guidance whilst performing an interesting range of challenging pieces.

From the flamboyant ‘Danza Orgiastica’ by Respighi to the more serene, ‘The Ellis Island Lament’ by Robin Dewhurst, players were treated to a wide selection of pieces, including the demanding, ‘The Saga Of Haakon the Good’ by Philip Sparke, which tested players throughout the whole band with its fast pace and complex melodies.

It was such a slick and well organised brass day. Chris Davis was greatWorkshop delegates

Question and answer

Following the exhilarating morning of playing, the afternoon saw Chris host a question and answer session to give the players a well earned rest. With over 30 years of experience, he was able to impart invaluable advice and musical knowledge to the attendees.

Organised and run by John Packer Brass Manager Steve Herbert, the day was run with appropriate military precision from start to finish, and ended with a concert performance of selected pieces.

Further events

Further events are already planned for the future, especially as delegates told 4BR: "It was such a slick and well organised brass day. Chris Davis was great."