The Enderby Band has recently welcomed Brass Band de Remiremont from France for a weekend of international music making.
Remiremont is a small town in the Vosges region of France and it was the ambition of its Musical Director, Pierre-Marie Budelot to create a British style brass band within the town.
The result is all inclusive community band of around 25 players, with players ranging in age from nine to 84.
Central event
The central event of the weekend was a massed band concert that saw Remiremont join forces with 35 players from three of the Enderby Band organisation's senior, youth and concert bands.
A spokesperson told 4BR: "The afternoon was spent rehearsing five previously unseen pieces, with the conducting duties shared between Pierre-Marie Budelot, Simon Oates, Trevor Hounsome and Stewart Osgood.
This was an ideal way for the players to mix and chat together as they rehearsed the pieces in a bilingual environment."
This was an ideal way for the players to mix and chat together as they rehearsed the pieces in a bilingual environmentEnderby
Packed audience
A packed audience certainly appreciated the resulting music making, whilst during the rest of the weekend, Remiremont shared a Sunday bandstand concert at Melton Park with Enderby and performed on the bandstand at Stratford upon Avon.
They also fitted in sightseeing trips to Leicester, Bradgate Park, and spent a day in London on their way home. Enderby is now hoping to continue the friendship with a return visit to Remiremont in 2018.