The Peterphile (Midget Gems) Band has announced that their long-awaited Festival of Youth will take place over the mid-week of 18th, 19th and 20th June next year at the Ella Fitzgerald Showground, Combobley-on-Stour.
The three day extravanganza will feature workshops with many famous banding names and a gala concert at which pushy parents can fight over what seat in the band is given to their young protige.
Organiser Ranulph Carjack told the Bandstand, "As with all these things, I set off with the idea of providing a free event to encourage young people to join our traditional, amateur movement. What I now realise is that nothing comes cheap in brass banding these days. The big names involved have proved quite expensive and one wouldn't even speak to me until I arranged to answer his call after accepting a reverse charges request. The budget is fucked!"
The Bandstand understands that what Carjack advertised recently in the Stourbridge Gazette as "a free event to encourage young players into the brass band movement" will now be re-advertised as "costing up to £850 per child but with some top quality advice from big names and memories they will be able to treasure for a lifetime that a loving parent simply cannot put a price on".
Amongst the tutors, doctors and clinicians are Hugo Leerdammer (Dr. Oetke Symphony Band - Cornets), Carl Golightly (Emley Potatoe Works Band - Tenor Horns), Lardy Stout (Tuppery & Sneedsdale Band - Euphoniums), Markham Spears (Dewsbury Regina - Trombones), John Dumb (Forsdean Colliery - Basses) and Mitchell Fiddler (Windermere Colliery Band - Percussion).
It will prove expensive for parents sending their children.
