A newly formed Brass Band School in the North West is celebrating an overwhelming amount of interest from pupils.

Encourage

Laura Dawson, music teacher at St. Anne’s Academy, based in Middleton, Greater Manchester decided to launch the scheme in conjunction with Brent Warren, a peripatetic brass teacher and the Heywood & Middleton Youth Band to encourage more youngsters to take up a brass instrument.

Pupils have been so keen and enthusiastic and we simply could not ask them for anything moreLaura Dawson

Need

In its former incarnation as the Queen Elizabeth School, the school brass band at one point had over 60 members and regularly competed against other school and youth bands in the borough.

But, only 10 years later, despite many attempts to sustain the band it sadly disappeared, which is symptomatic of the recruitment problems that many brass bands across the country are facing in the current climate.

Re-launch

Upon commencing her post as the school’s music teacher in September, Laura decided to re-launch a programme of brass for pupils at St. Anne’s Academy and some of our feeder primary schools, Hollin Primary and Furrow Community School.

The school was fortunate to have already built up strong links with the Middleton and Heywood Youth Band, who we knew had a surplus of instruments not being used at the moment.

Join local bands

Pupils who have signed up for band school are tutored within their own schools by Brent until they reach a stage whereby they are able to join Middleton & Heywood Youth Band.

Such a success

Laura told 4BR: "Originally, we requested 30 instruments which we thought would have been more than enough to keep us going for some time. However, the response from the primary schools and our own Academy has been such that we have had to request a further 16 instruments and then set up a waiting list for pupils wishing to join until we can accommodate them with an instrument and a tuition slot."

Biggest concern

Laura added: "When speaking to music teachers and community brass bands, their biggest concern is that the amount of young people willing to take up an instrument. So we are absolutely delighted with the response that we have had at St. Anne’s. Pupils have been so keen and enthusiastic and we simply could not ask them for anything more."