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. There are lots of pictures of the band on Facebook. We meet on Tuesday evenings in the band hut immediately to the left of Tesco in Kingsbridge. We are always looking for new members of any age or ability to keep this fine tradition going. Please contact Neil Taylor if you would like to know more and/or are interested in joining the band.
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.
The band’s 2023 programme has included:
- Friday 26 May: Malborough school 100-year anniversary celebrations
- Wednesday 19 July: Glove hanging ceremony and floral dance, Kingsbridge Fore Street
- Sunday 23 July: Open-air service outside Hope Cove Methodist Church
- Sunday 6 August: Party in the Park, Kingsbridge
- Sunday 12 November: Remembrance Day ceremony, Kingsbridge.
The band’s traditional Christmas carol engagements for 2023 are:
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- Saturday 2 December: Kingsbridge celebrates Christmas:
1030-1100hrs in the Town Square; 1115-1145hrs near the Anchor Centre - Saturday 9 December: 1100-1300hrs: Carols in Kingsbridge: Fore Street*
- Sunday 10 December: 1800hrs: The Anchor Inn, Ugborough
- Wednesday 13 December: 1900hrs: British Legion, Mill Club, Kingsbridge
- Friday 15 December: 1800-1900hrs: Kingsbridge: Carols on the Quay
- Saturday 16 December: 1100-1300hrs: Carols in Kingsbridge: Fore Street*
- Sunday 17 December: 1900-2030hrs: Sloop Inn, Bantham
- Tuesday 19 December: 1830-1930hrs: Carols for Rotary/RNLI, Whitestrand, Salcombe
- Wednesday 20 December: 1800hrs: South Pool Nativity Play, Millbrook Inn
- Saturday 23 December: 1100-1300hrs: Carols in Kingsbridge: Fore Street*
- Sunday 24 December:1100-1300hrs: Carols in Kingsbridge: Fore Street*
- Saturday 2 December: Kingsbridge celebrates Christmas:
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- *When the band plays in Kingsbridge Fore Street, it starts at Peacocks at 1100hrs
and moves up Fore Street, finishing near Tesco at around 1300hrs.
- *When the band plays in Kingsbridge Fore Street, it starts at Peacocks at 1100hrs
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.