Bletchington is a small village in Oxfordshire, a few miles from Bicester and Kidlington, and is proud to have had a Silver Band since 1920 when the local publican purchased a complete 'job lot' of second hand instruments for the princely sum of £10 and arranged for the men and boys of the village to learn bandsmanship. The band turned `00 in 2020, but sadly our centenary celebrations were curtailed by the Covid Pandemic. We are please to say that we have been back in rehearsal since May 2021.
The Band has always been a real family institution. We currently have five or six family groups playing in the band with non playing wives or husbands providing support. We are always seeking to improve the standard of the band. Rehearsals take place on Tuesday and Friday evenings in our village hall at 7.30. New players of all levels are always welcome.
The Band is essentially self funded, raising money through donations, engagement fees and membership subscriptions. We have also attracted sponsorship from local businesses and individuals, which is an enormous help with the costly business of running a band.
If you have never played an instrument before but would really like to give it a try, you would be most welcome to attend our Training Band rehearsal, which is held every Friday at 6.30 prior to the senior band practice in Bletchington Village Hall.
The Training Band currently numbers about 14 members of all ages, and several real beginners learning how to play brass instruments, read music and other bandsmanship skills, often joined by some of the senior band players who assist with the training. Several members of the current senior band have made the transition from being players in the training band.
