The lives of two Cornishmen with a love for brass banding will be remembered at a special fund raising event at the Hall for Cornwall in May.

Organised by former Camborne Band soprano player Jeremy Squibb and friend Nel Wilton (above) it will see four Cornish bands come to raise much needed funds for Cornwall Search and Rescue Team (CSART) and Carrick MIND.

Tragic loss

In 2013, Nel's husband, a great brass band enthusiast, took his own life following an extended period of severe depression, whilst at Christmas last year, the highly regarded euphonium player Robert Jose also took his own life.

Now, on 24th May, Camborne, Roche, St Austell and St Dennis Bands will each perform their own showcases before joining forces in a massed band finale under the baton of Royal Marines conductor Phil Trudgeon, not just to pay tribute to the much missed men, but to also raise essential charity funds.

Each band has agreed to dedicate a piece to Robert's memory, as he played with all four during his long career. A further tribute will be made during the massed bands finale, featuring a new arrangement by composer Mike Kilmartin, featuring all eight euphoniums on stage.

Support

Jeremy told 4BR: "A combination of local sponsors support and advanced ticket sales has meant that the concert is already set to raise in excess of £12,000 for the two charities, with the potential of a full house being able to take this amount well over £15,000.

Having already released additional seats due to the demand, those wishing to attend are advised to book as soon as possible.

We have been astounded by the generosity and enthusiasm of everyone involved and I'm delighted that Steve Sykes and Garry Cutt will be conducting bands during the course of the evening.

The concert is not just about raising funds for the charities, but also in raising awareness of mental health in young men, and that there are people out there to talk to, and that no matter how bad things seem, there is a way forwardJeremy Squibb

Raising awareness

He added: "The concert is not just about raising funds for the charities, but also in raising awareness of mental health in young men, and that there are people out there to talk to, and that no matter how bad things seem, there is a way forward."

Tickets for the event are available from www.hallforcornwall.co.uk