Kingsbridge Silver Band was founded over 100 years ago in 1921 and has been playing ever since. This makes it one of the longest continuously-playing bands in the country: many bands had to stop during the wars and we weren’t (quite) stopped in our Centenary year by Covid-19. We are always looking for new members of any age or ability to keep this fine tradition going. We meet on Tuesday evenings in the band hut just to the left of Tesco in Kingsbridge. Please contact me if you would like to know more. There are lots of pictures of the band on Facebook.
The Silver Band has customarily done a number of carol engagements at Christmas, indoors as well as outdoors; for the glove hanging and floral dance during Kingsbridge Fair week in July; a summer open-air service at in the square outside Hope Cove Methodist Church; occasionally for Kingsbridge British Legion; in the bandstand at Kingsbridge (click to see some video); and at Kingsbridge’s Remembrance Sunday ceremony each November.
Covid-19 made it difficult for the band to play or even practise. Blowing brass instruments indoors, or outside in crowded venues, was not considered Covid-safe and this prevented the band being able to play in crowded venues or indoors in pubs, as we have done so often in the past. Nevertheless in its 2021 Centenary year the band nevertheless managed to play its traditional carols and Christmas music in the open air: Alwyn has written a blog to mark the band’s centenary.
In 2022 the Silver Band returned to playing in the open air, as it did on Sea Sunday, 17 July, outside Hope Cove Methodist Chapel; in July for the Glove Hanging and Floral Dance as part of Kingsbridge Fair Week; and on Remembrance Sunday by the War Memorial on Kingsbridge Embankment,
The band’s traditional Christmas carol engagements for 2022 were:
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- Saturday 3 December: 1000: starting at Kingsbridge Methodist Church:
Kingsbridge celebrates Christmas
- Saturday 10 December: 1100-1300hrs: Carols in Kingsbridge: Fore Street*
- Sunday 11 December: 1830-2000hrs: Anchor Inn, Ugborough
- Thursday 15 December: 1830-2000hrs: British Legion, Kingsbridge
- Saturday 17 December: 1100-1300hrs: Carols in Kingsbridge: Fore Street*
- Sunday 18 December: 1830-2000hrs: Sloop Inn, Bantham
- Monday 19 December: 1800-1900: Whitestrand car park, Salcombe
- Tuesday 20 December: 1830-2000hrs: Ring O’Bells, West Alvington
- Wednesday 21 December: 1830-2000hrs: Millbrook Inn, South Pool
- Saturday 24 December: 1100-1300hrs: Carols in Kingsbridge: Fore Street*
*When the band plays in Kingsbridge Fore Street, it starts at Peacocks at 1100hrs
and moves up Fore Street, finishing at the top at around 1300hrs.
- Saturday 3 December: 1000: starting at Kingsbridge Methodist Church:
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so expect a similar programme in 2023.
The band’s 2023 summer programme included:
- Friday 26 May: 1500hrs: Malborough school 100-year anniversary celebrations
- Wednesday 19 July: 1845-1930hrs: Glove hanging ceremony and floral dance, Kingsbridge Fore Street
- Sunday 23 July: 1800hrs: open-air service outside Hope Cove Methodist Church
- Sunday 6 Aug: between 1145-1215 and 1330-1400hrs: Party in the Park, Kingsbridge
Here is the band playing in the rain for the floral dance at Kingsbridge in July 2017 – as you can also see from this link to the Kingsbridge Gazette. And there’s another (exclusive!) video here.