It's the Simple Things

At the weekend I had the rare pleasure of listening to a brass band. Firstly, I realise that that sentence is a peculiar one for someone, who is involved in banding, to write. However it is not untrue to say that if I’m not playing in the concert then chances are I’m not at the concert.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the ‘other side’ and I very much enjoyed it. I find I get so consumed in my own rehearsals, concerts and contests that sometimes I forget that banding is my hobby. Even when I’m listening to band CD’s it is generally with the intention of reviewing them, and not simply enjoying them. So it was nice to sit in a park, on a glorious spring afternoon and listen to a band perform.

I’m not going to do a detailed review of the programme because, it seems to me, that would defeat the object of this blog. I will merely therefore note that it was a pleasant bandstand programme, with no ‘big’ pieces but a really good mix of easy listening music including pop and musical numbers that got the audience involved.

As a consequence, there was great buzz among those seated in deckchairs, benches and picnic blankets around the bandstand. People of all ages were sat together relaxing, talking about the band playing but also bands more generally and all were having a good time. The weather certainly helped, as did the ice cream van which made the whole afternoon wonderfully and quintessentially ‘British’.

It got me thinking that a brass band, good company, some sun and wafer cones with frozen milk on top were all it had taken for a hundred or so people to have a great afternoon. It really was an example of the simple things being the most enjoyable. Perhaps that’s something banding should remember more often.