Wantage Silver Band

Part of the Wantage Silver Band structure, Wantage Concert Brass is a non-contesting band whose members play for fun, and to entertain.

Many members are parents of children who play, or used to play, in one of the bands in the Wantage organisation. The band contributes to the annual round of local summer fetes and outdoor concerts in more distant locations, together with fund-raising supper concerts and other indoor concerts in aid of charities.

Conductors

Alan Sykes

Alan Sykes was brought up in the village of Dobcross in Saddleworth (then Yorkshire), where "… every child, at the age of three, is taught to blow a double-B" but it was not until moving to Wantage that son Chris came home with a euphonium, and the Sykes family joined the Wantage Band. The longest serving player in the Band, Alan has seen the A band progress from its first local contest (where he played ‘The Ploughboy’ on B♭ bass) and move up through the Sections from 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st and now Championship. Favourite instrument nowadays is playing the bass drum on Marches. Musical highlight was winning the Oxford & District senior solo competition (twice). Most useful activity is owning and driving the Band Van. He is the band's Publicity Officer (responsible for the monthly newsletter) and undertakes minor instrument repairs.

Gareth Coulson

Gareth began playing in the Wantage band and has become one of the band’s most versatile members, being an experienced cornet and horn player and a frequent conductor of the Concert Brass, Youth and ‘B’ bands.