The ever expanding Wantage Band organisation will be fielding no less than three contesting outfits at the forthcoming London & Southern Areas Regional Championships.

Fourth Section debut

In addition to their Championship Section ‘A’ Band and Second Section ‘B’ outfit, a new contesting ensemble, Wantage Academy Brass, will now compete in the Fourth Section at Stevenage.

Conducted by Nikki Jones, the new band consists largely of the new generation of youthful talent from the organisation’s Training Band, with a handful of older, more experienced players, including euphonium player Doug Brand who founded the Wantage organisation 41 years ago and Eileen Sykes, who has been Wantage Bandmaster for 30 years.

The opening of our new band hall, the promotion of ‘B’ Band and the arrival of conductor Nikki Jones makes this the ideal time for Wantage to launch its new bandEileen Sykes

Ideal time

Soprano player Eileen told 4BR: "The opening of our new band hall, the promotion of ‘B’ Band and the arrival of conductor Nikki Jones makes this the ideal time for Wantage to launch its new band, based on our Saturday morning Brass Academy.

All that and we are delighted to play Alan Fernie’s wonderful ‘Spanish Impressions’."