New Sheffield youth brass band project

The first rehearsal of the Sheffield Youth Brass Collective has taken place – the new band has been generated by an alliance between the Sheffield Music Hub, the Sheffield Brass Network and Brass Bands England.

Stuart Young from the Sheffield Brass Network said: “For several months, these organisations have been working to put together a new pilot brass ensemble for all the young brass and percussion players across the Sheffield region. It has always been intended that this would be an ensemble that welcomed as many young players to take part as possible, while at the same time ensuring that any alliances with existing brass bands remained unaffected. 

“The Sheffield Youth Brass Collective will enable brass and percussion players of grade 3 to grade 8 level, and a maximum age of 18 years old to take part in this exciting project."

One rehearsal has already taken place last Sunday with more than 50 youngsters attending and the next will be held on February 10 at the University of Sheffield Diamond Building.

The pilot project will culminate in a special Music Hub Gala performance at the Octagon Centre on March 24 where the Sheffield Youth Brass Collective will play a contemporary selection of music led by their Musical Director, Rob Horscroft.

Ian Naylor, Head of Music at the Sheffield Music Hub, who opened the first rehearsal, said that the event was, “by bands, for bands, and with bands.”

Due to the enormous positive interest in the project, plans are already being arranged to extend the initiative, and Stuart Young, secretary of the Sheffield Brass Network added: “This will undoubtedly benefit the 10 brass bands within the Sheffield city boundary and the 40 or so more within the wider Sheffield City Region”.

 Visit  www.sheffieldbrass.net or search Sheffield Youth Brass Collective on social media.