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Abingdon Concert Band

bingdon Concert Band WindsDespite not being able to rehearse
since March, Abingdon Concert Band have kept busy. We’re aware

A that, for many of our members, the regular contact with a group of like-

minded people is as important as the musical side of things. Since March
we’ve maintained a medley of online quizzes and chats alongside the video
collages, made with no small degree of skill and patience by our Musical

Director, Neil Brownless.

Our members range from students from Most of our members have attended Recently, we even managed to have
nearby Oxford, to stalwarts who’ve one of our regular online video chats, a small get-together and played
played with us for several decades, which have enabled members old some socially distanced quintets in a
including one who was a founding and new to keep in touch, and have band member’s garden. With a band
member in 1977. We’ve even gained actually given us more time to chat numbering almost 60 it’s a shame to only
some new players during lockdown. than we have at a regular rehearsal. be able to play in small groups, but after
It seems that as some people have had a this experiment we’re considering trying
bit more time on their hands, they’ve Several of us have hosted online to do more of this type of thing, if we can.
dusted off their instruments and are quizzes.These have been great fun and
looking for a way to make music provided a different way for members
together as soon as it’s possible. Having to get involved and keep in touch,
no band on Thursday evenings has left a without the difficulties of having lots of
big gap in our week! people on a video chat at the same time!

2019 was a really successful year for We’ve thought very hard about how to observing social distancing guidelines,
us musically, with highlights including resume rehearsals. We conducted a but once we’re hiring the venue and
a gold award at the National Concert survey of our members, which indicated paying our Musical Director, we
Band Festival at the Royal Northern that the vast majority are keen to require a minimum of 30 attendees at
College of Music and outdoor concerts rehearse as soon as we can demonstrate our current subscription rate to break
at Abingdon Airshow and Henley Mill that we have a robust risk assessment even. It’s sad that the finances have
Meadows bandstand. This year’s plans in place. The guidance for members to come into it, but this is also part of
included a trip to the seaside, for of Making Music has been invaluable the reality. We haven’t been asking
which we were hugely looking forward in this respect, helping us to interpret the members to pay subscription fees as
to playing on the newly refurbished Government guidance, and providing long as we’re unable to rehearse, as we
bandstand in Swanage, Dorset. templates for risk assessment etc. know the pandemic has presented a
challenge to many people’s finances.
We’re hoping that our members will stick For us, the main difficulties are around We have, however, been able to pay
by us, and that we’ll be able to get back to our size, but also the financial viability. our Musical Director a ‘retainer’.
rehearsals and start rearanging those Our regular rehearsal space can only
plans soon. accommodate around 15 people
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