THE CORONATION of King Charles III will provide the inspiration for Annan Town Band’s spring concert next weekend.
Following on from a fantastic fourth place finish at this year’s Scottish Championships, the band will perform a varied programme of music under the baton of interim musical director Lewis Wilkinson at the concert at St John’s Church in Dumfries on Saturday May 27.
The concert will also feature a performance by a special guest choir led by Jamie Brand MBE.
Band manager Dale Simmons explained: “The royal family has a long association with brass band music so it seemed fitting to use the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla as the inspiration for our spring concert this year.
“Our programme will include some of the traditional pieces that were played by the official coronation orchestra during the ceremony, alongside a selection of popular favourites and modern brass music.”
This will be the first time the band has performed locally with Lewis at the helm, after he stepped in at short notice to lead them on stage at the Scottish Championships in March when their conductor fell ill.
Dale continued: “Unfortunately our musical director Andrew Warriner has been forced to temporarily step away from his conducting duties due to ill health, and we all wish him well on his road to recovery.
“Lewis already amassed a wealth of experience in his young conducting career and we’re very excited to introduce him to local audiences at the coronation concert.”
Annan Town Band attracts players aged 18-80 from across Dumfries and Galloway and Northern Cumbria, with some members making a round trip of almost 180 miles to attend rehearsals.
In 2021 the band became a registered charity and is committed to spreading the benefits of brass banding and music making across the region.
Tickets for the coronation concert are available at the Midsteeple Box Office, Pet Savers in Annan, Dumfries St John’s Church office, and at www.ticketsource.co.uk/annantownband.
