The Fairey Band has enjoyed a couple of busy weekends of high profile contest and concert music making of late — including success on the Whit Friday circuit coupled with a wonderful concert with the visiting Windcorp Band from Sweden.

Rovers

However, an ensemble from the band has also been in the recording studio, putting the final touches to the music that will he heard on the forthcoming Sky TV comedy series 'Rovers' created by 'Royle Family' comedian Craig Cash.

Associate Conductor Tom Davoren told 4BR: "It's been a fantastic mix for the band — with the traditional Whit Friday contests balanced by a great concert with our friends from Windcorp and with Garry Cutt and a number of players taking part in the Major Peter Parkes Celebration Concert in Oldham.

However, the recording for the new Sky Arts series has been another great new venture."

Dishevelled

Following their successful appearance on Sky Arts' 'Brass Band Wonderland', aired last Christmas, Fairey was approached to provide the soundtrack and credit music written by Kit Turnbull for the series about a rather dishevelled amateur football team called Redbridge Rovers FC.

Football related songs

Kit told 4BR: "When producer Gill Isles approached me about composing the music for the series, she wanted to look at the possibility of using a small brass group. I started working on quartet arrangements of a variety of football-related songs and approached Tom Davoren to link with Fairey.

We did a short test recording for Sky, and I spent the next week putting together a 'toolbox' of cues, different versions and lengths of all the football songs that were needed."

Sound rubbish!

He added: "When it came to the recording session I can safely say it's the most memorable time I've had in a studio. Having players of this calibre made it so easy to get everything done, particularly when we needed to be creative!

It was strange to find yourself saying at the request of Craig Cash to ask the Fairey players to sound as authentically rubbish as a real football terrace band!"

The quartet delivered beautifully, and I'm just so pleased that what has the potential to be a major new comedy series has gone out with brass music at its heart."

Having players of this calibre made it so easy to get everything done, particularly when we needed to be creative!Kit Turnbull

Millions of viewers

Tom Davoren was also delighted that the band has played its part in a series that has already been featured on 'The One Show' on BBC 1 with one of its stars Sue Johnston explaining to millions of viewer just what it will be about.

"Working with Kit, Craig and Sky has been a fantastic experience. When Kit and producer Gill first visited the bandroom to show us the pilot episode and workshop some of the music it hooked us straight away. It's been fantastic for Fairey to yet again take brass band music beyond it's traditional boundaries."

Watch

You can watch 'Rovers' for yourself tonight at 10.00pm on Sky 1.