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Macclesfield Concert Band
Macclesfield Concert Band was formed as KEMS Concert Band in 2005 and its
membership continues to grow under the popular leadership of Julia Harding.
We play a broad range of light music: film scores, musicals, classical, jazz and
swing, and band classics such as Sousa marches. We perform in local churches, village and community halls, shopping centres and,
weather permitting, bandstands.
Macclesfield Concert Band is a community wind band whose members range in age from late
teens to 70+. We always welcome enquiries from prospective players; in the first instance,
please e-mail us brief details of your playing experience.
At the present time, we have a particular need for trumpet, string bass/bass guitar, euphonium, tuba players. Contact Laura Blackburn if you would like to know more.
Macclesfield Concert Band Music Director Julia Harding looks back on the 2023-24
season
Our first concert this year was a new venue for us – St Michael’s in Bramhall with the
Maia Singers which provided an opportunity for us to present some of our new pieces as well as revisit one
or two more familiar items from our repertoire. Many thanks to David Rose from Bramhall Rotary for the
organisation of this event.
Christmas saw us performing our regular gigs on Victoria Park’s 279 Bandstand and then
at Tatton Park.
In May, we were hosted by the Friends of Brough Park in Leek for a pleasant afternoon in
the sunshine (no rain!) on their Bandstand and we hope to be invited back next year. We’ll also be playing on
Victoria Park Bandstand on 30th June as part of the 1261 Festival – weather permitting.
Our final indoor concert of the year was a new venture for us – a concert with KEMS
Macclesfield Singers. The feedback has been very positive from the audience, singers and band and I was really
pleased with how well it worked. My thanks to Mark McCombs for working with us.
It’s amazing to be able to say that the band is now into its twentieth season, and we have
many loyal members who have been with us for all or most of that time. We’ve welcomed some new members this year
– Cat, Emily, Josh, Alice and Naomi as well as saying goodbye to Gillian Sly (who was at our very first
rehearsal) and Graham Fosh.
As ever, thanks to the Band Committee for their support and to all the members of the band who
do jobs which help with the running of rehearsals and concerts. When the band first started, the KEMS Chair was
Anne Thomson who supported the idea from the start – thanks to her and the committee for supporting us in the last
twenty years.
This summer we will be going on our sixth tour – this time to Bournemouth, Swanage and
Christchurch so let’s hope for some good weather over the Bank Holiday weekend. Next season we’ve set the dates for
indoor concerts in Macclesfield and Congleton as well as our usual gigs at Victoria Park and Tatton.
CONTACTS
You can contact the band committee either by email (click on the name) or by
telephoning the Secretary.
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Position
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Name/email
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Tel
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Secretary
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Music Director
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Concerts Manager
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WORLD PREMIERE
On 15th October 2017, KEMS Concert Band gave the world premiere performance of
Martian Saloon, by Christopher Schlechte-Bond. Click here to hear the BBC Radio 3 recording.
Macclesfield Concert Band Director: Julia Harding
Julia Harding started playing the recorder at her primary school but really caught the music
bug when she was asked to play the drums and cymbals in a secondary school
production of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by David Bedford - at about the
same time she had started to play a clarinet that used to belong to her dad.
When the school formed its jazz band, Julia started to play the saxophone and played in many concerts, school
productions and shows. She first played with KEMS Orchestra at this time - third clarinet in Verdi's
Triumphal March! She then studied for a BA in Music at Dartington College of Arts and Master's Degrees at Reading and Sheffield Universities.
Julia assisted in founding the KEMS Concert Band. She teaches woodwind and leads
ensembles in Staffordshire and Cheshire schools, has a private teaching
practice at her home in Macclesfield and conducts the Newcastle-Under-Lyme
String Orchestra. She has appeared with the Beckford String Quartet, the KEMS
Concert Band and Newcastle Strings as a soloist.
