Desford Colliery Band's long association with tours to the Far East continues this month when they fly off to Singapore promote brass banding through educational connections to local schools and working with groups and bodies with the local community.

The band will be led on this occasion by Assistant Conductor Jonathan Pippen for the series of school and community concerts and events, including a massed band link with the Mahidol Brass Band, part of the prestigious College of Music of Mahidol University.

Vibrant and welcoming

Speaking about the trip, Jonathan told 4BR: "Conducting Desford is always a highlight, not only because as a member you get to direct your fantastic fellow musicians, but also because the trips here are always so vibrant, welcoming and exciting."

He added: "The work that's gone into organising the tour by David and Peter Smith is extraordinary. Alongside that our composer Andrew Stevenson has created specialist 'academy' arrangements to allow the students to join in with us.

All this and given the weather in the UK we can't wait to head out and enjoy ourselves."

Concerts

The band travel to Thailand on the 26th of January for a series of outreach projects and then on to Singapore for concerts before returning to the UK on the 4th of February.