Founded in 1896,the Warbleton Brass Band is entering its 115th year since being started in the late Victorian era. As we look at the photographs of that early band, their faces gaze back at the camera-young and old expressing the same pride that today’s band feels; the pride of membership of an organisation that has served the local community for so long.

Would they have recognised the tunes that today’s band plays; would we recognise theirs ?

They would certainly have had comments to make about our more modern arrangements and we would reciprocate about the traditional style of their music-appropriate for their time as indeed ours is today. We would express delight at the comparative prices of instruments-a four valve euphonium then cost £7/10 shillings-a top of the range instrument today costs the best part of £5,000 !

The band of yesteryear were nearly all local residents; today’s band hail from further afield-some can trace their membership back four generations, others never thought they would make music in this way. But the two things that bind them together with the original band of 1896 are the pride of belonging and the satisfaction in bringing pleasure to the inhabitants of local villages at fetes,flower shows,festive occasions and family celebrations.

Every Friday night from 7.30pm the band can be heard practising in Dunn Village Hall at Rushlake Green and you can come along and join them,simply email secretary@warbletonbrassband.co.uk  or go and listen to them at one of their many engagements.