Introduction
The Kingsway Printers Cleethorpes Band is available to hire for music making at your next event. The band offer not only traditional brass band music, but are versatile and can play a wide variety of music to match most occasions. The band has access to over 1,000 pieces of music.
This guide has been produced to help you get the most from the Band when they are booked to perform at your concert. It has sections that provide you with information on booking the band, what you will need to provide, timing and outdoor events. Finally, a description of the type of engagements/music the Band has provided in the past may give you some help; we also welcome new ideas or locations.
Booking the Band
If you are interested in booking the Band in the first instance contact
2010 Fees
The average cost of hiring the band is between £150 - £350. The costs vary depending on the type of event, location, music required and time. Quotations are offered on a per-engagement basis, we try hard to keep fees to a minimum, particularly for community or charity events, we have helped raise many thousands of pounds for charities. Any fee charged is a contribution to the running costs of the band. We are an amateur organisation, players are not individually paid and the Band is entirely self-funding. It costs a lot of money to run a band, a cornet costs over £1000 and a bass £7000, music, uniforms and rehearsal facilities all have to be paid for. The funding for this comes from the jobs we do and from the members' personal contributions.
Cleethorpes Band devotes time and resources to supply instruments and provide teaching to young people and adults. Our Junior and B Bands are capable of simple but engaging performances and need to gain experience, either may be available to play for you free of charge or for a small donation.
What to Provide
The full band is made up of around 25 performers, including one or two percussionists.
A suitable playing area is required to accommodate the band. An area about 5m x 4m is fine, though we are prepared to be flexible and rearrange to fit in with differing configurations where size is limited. Requirements can be discussed at the time of booking.
Please provide seating. Chairs without arms are best as arms make things difficult for brass players. The Band usually sit in horseshoe 'formation' (i.e. 3 sides of a square), usually two rows deep.
Nearby parking is helpful, players of the larger instruments, such as tuba and percussion, will appreciate being able to get a car close to the venue in order to unload and load.
Ideally the band should be provided with a room near the playing area, where we can dress, store instrument cases, and tune up instruments prior to the concert.
To allow for the setting up of the playing area, at least 30 minutes in advance of the concert is normally required, preferably without the audience in place.
Light refreshments would be a good gesture half way through. If you would like to reward the musicians with more substantial refreshments, please do that at the end, it's not good to play immediately after eating and drinking well!
Timing
The Band can get booked up well over a year in advance so please book early, at a minimum please give a few week's notice. The band's busiest times are during the summer season and in the run-up to Christmas. Our Band is amateur and most of our players hold full time jobs so it is often difficult to get a band together during working hours.
To get the most from the band, a performance of one to two hours is normal. Less time than this often makes it less desirable for the band because of all the time and work required to prepare for, attend and put on a concert. When performing for longer than an hour, it is normal to give the band one or two breaks or intervals. Two sessions of 45 to 50 minutes with a 15 minute interval is typical.
Outdoor Engagements
The open-air is a good place for a brass band in the summer, but it needs special attention.
From a practical point of view the ground needs to be level and firm. If you want the band to play on grass, please pay particular attention to the type of chairs you provide as straight legs will sink into soft ground!
Even on a lovely day some form of protection from the wind and sun is appreciated to prevent music stands blowing over and shade the band and instruments. In case of rain there should ideally be an alternative indoor venue or some form of shelter, the band is unable to play outside in the rain due to the vulnerability of drums, uniforms and sheet music.
Please locate the band for the enjoyment of the audience and try to avoid areas of heavy activity or where animals may get startled. Also it is not safe to locate the band near a busy road.
Past Engagements - Locations
The band is open to new ideas but here are some locations where the Band have already successfully performed both formal concerts and informal entertainment: -
- Agricultural Shows
- Beachcomber, Clubs and Pubs
- Central Hall, Memorial Hall and various concert halls in the area
- Churches and Church Halls
- Cleethorpes Carnival
- Community Centers
- Festivals, Shows and Historic Events
- Golf Clubs
- Hotels
- Local Parks and Bandstands
- Medical Centres
- Nursing Homes
- Private Events (such as garden parties, birthday and anniversary celebrations)
- Schools
- Shopping Centers and Markets
- Supermarkets
- Theatres and Playhouses
- Town Halls, Town Centres, Village Greens
- Remembrance Parade
- Village Fetes
Past Engagements - Music
The band music library is extensive and constantly being updated and added to. Music is selected by the Musical Director to match the occasion and audience; however we can tailor programmes to suit your 'theme'. The band has performed joint concerts with the Orpheus and other choirs and also with Leo Solomon and other guest soloists. Here are some ideas of the styles of music the Band have successfully performed: -
- Big Band and Sinatra
- Celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, Grimsby Town cup winners)
- Christmas Music and Carols
- Classical and opera
- Film music
- Hymns
- Last Night of the Proms (very popular)
- Marches
- Music from around the world
- Nautical theme (Cleethorpes lifeboat launch)
- Popular Music from Abba to Z..? Yes we can even play Bohemian Rhapsody!
- Selections from Musicals
- Sing-a-longs
- St Georges Day
- The 1940's
- Traditional brass band music