Alveley Village Band, known for being the UK’s largest mixed-ability community band in the 1990s, has continued its bid to reinvent itself under its new conductor by taking part in a filming session for ITV1.

No Place Like Home

The Shropshire based band are set to appear on ITV1’s “No Place Like Home?” in February 2009. The series offers British expats who have lived abroad the chance to come back to the UK to experience a taste of modern British life, to decide whether or not they would prefer to remain expats or move back to England.

Ex-pats

The band, which was launched in 1990, will appear in an episode which follows the lives of British ex-pats, Erika and Robert Wadlow and their three talented children, Alastair, 15, and 13-year-old twins Freya, and Imogen (all members of the Northern Sydney Youth Orchestra).

The children will be seen onscreen playing, rehearsing and interacting with Alveley Village Band as prospective members.

It’s been an incredibly exciting, memorable venture for all of us at the band. Had you told us a year ago we would be appearing on ITV1, we would simply never have believed itMD, Iain Masson

Sense of fun

Programme makers hope the programme will capture a sense of the fun and enjoyment that can be had from playing in a community band in rural Britain, as well as documenting the social and musical interaction going on between the players.

Filming has already taken place, and was completed at the band’s rehearsal facilities last week.

Memorable venture

The band’s Director of Music, Iain Masson, told 4BR: "It’s been an incredibly exciting, memorable venture for all of us at the band. Had you told us a year ago we would be appearing on ITV1 as part of a major daytime TV series, we would simply never have believed it.

Come back

"We’re delighted to have been given this special opportunity by ITV, and we’ve made great friends in the Wadlow family from Australia. We hope they will come back and join us soon."

Since appearing on 4BR two years ago, the band has seen a reversal in its fortunes with a massive intake of new members, full attendance at almost every rehearsal, a major overhaul of its music library and the formation of a new website.

Excited

"We’re all very excited about this broadcast and I’m really pleased at how this experience has re-energised our band," Iain added.

"For many of our players, this is the first time they will have been on TV, and for some of our youngest recruits, the first time they’ll have ever had the chance to experience playing under pressure. It was a tremendous team-effort and everyone achieved success by keeping calm and focussed. I was very proud of the band."

Band members were particularly impressed by the way its junior members coped with having TV cameras circling around them throughout the filming schedule.

Keeping his nerve

Glockenspiel player James (10) has only been a band member for two months and – despite having never played with the band in a concert – was able to keep his nerve and play well on the day.

The band is now hopeful that it can beat rival programme “Countdown” for top viewing figures – that’s if 4BR readers remember to tune in in the spring!

Full broadcast details will be available from the band’s website www.alveleyvillageband.com in mid-January.