This evening, members of The Rode Hall Silver Band joined with members of the local community, outside Scholar Green Village Hall at 2130 to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
As part of a nationwide tribute, we played “I Vow to Thee, My Country” - a moment of reflection and remembrance for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, and a celebration of the peace they helped secure.
Together, we honour the past and look to a future of unity, hope, and peace.
Rode Hall Silver Band will be taking part in the national tribute for the 80th anniversary of VE Day by playing two verses of “I Vow To Thee, My Country” at 9:30pm on Thursday, 8th May.
We’ll be playing outside Scholar Green Village Hall, in the car park (weather permitting), and we’d love for residents to come along, sing with us, and mark this special occasion together.
VEDay80 #ScholarGreen #RodeHallSilverBand #IVowToTheeMyCountry #CommunityTribute #LestWeForget
We are delighted to welcome five new musicians who have joined Rode Hall Silver Band over the last few months:
Marcus Redgrave – Euphonium
Marcus is a talented euphonium player who brings a strong sound and great musicality to the band. He’s a real team player and a committed bandsman, always ready to support and strengthen his section. His enthusiasm and positivity will be a huge asset, and we are excited to have him on board.
Harrison Lewis – Trombone
Harrison is a gifted young multi-instrumentalist with experience on euphonium, baritone and Trombone. His enthusiasm for brass playing is evident in his commitment to developing his skills across multiple instruments. Now joining us on Bass Trombone, Harrison’s musicality and versatility has already show him to be a great asset to the section and we are delighted Harrison has chosen Rode as his first major contesting band.
Lindsay Clowes – E♭ Bass
Lindsay is a highly respected brass musician with a distinguished playing history. A former cornet player of great renown, his experience in top-level brass bands speaks for itself. We are thrilled to have him supporting the bass section, bringing a wealth of knowledge and musicianship to both his section and the whole band.
Martin Popple – E♭ Bass
Martin is an accomplished orchestral musician with a strong background as a French horn player and more recently strung Double Bass! His transition to E♭ Bass (via Bass trombone!) demonstrates his versatility, and his orchestral experience and positivity brings a positive dynamic to the lower brass section.
Seren Bates – Tuned Percussion
Seren is a talented young percussionist who has developed her skills through Lions Youth Band. Joining Rode Hall Silver Band as her first major contesting band, she is already making fantastic progress and thriving under the guidance of our experienced percussion section. Her enthusiasm and dedication make her a wonderful addition to the band.
We look forward to introducing our new players in our forthcoming concerts and are excited for the musical contributions they will bring to the band. Keep an eye out for them in our upcoming performances!
On International Women’s Day, we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible women of Rode Hall Silver Band, past and present, who have shaped our band and continue to inspire us with their dedication, musicianship, and passion.
Brass banding used to be a male-dominated tradition, but times have changed and we are proud to be a band where women play a vital role both on and off the stage. Whether leading sections, mastering complex percussion parts, supporting the band behind the scenes, or bringing their energy and enthusiasm to rehearsals and performances, the women of Rode Hall Silver Band are at the heart of everything we do.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we also acknowledge the generations of women who have helped throughout the history of the band. From those who first broke barriers in brass banding to those who continue to champion the next generation, we are grateful for the lasting impact they have made.
To all the brilliant women in Rode Hall Silver Band—thank you for your talent, dedication, and the spirit you bring to our music and community. The band wouldn’t be the same without you.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Following a successful period of appointing new players and a new Musical Director, Rode Hall Silver Band emerged victorious from the North East Midlands Brass Band Association (NEMBBA) contest, held on February 16th 2025 at the Post Mill Centre in South Normington.
Under the baton of their new Musical Director, Ken Mackintosh, Rode Hall Silver Band delivered a captivating performance of the test piece "Arkansas" by Jacob de Haan. Their performance, adjudicated by Mark Wilkinson, Principal Cornet player with the world-famous Foden's Band, clearly impressed and took first place, despite playing off the fateful first band on position.
The band's hard work and dedication over recent months paid off, culminating in this well-deserved victory and sets the stage for the upcoming North West Area Championships at Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
Adding to the band's accolades, their Principal Cornet player, Anna Whitehurst, won the coveted "Best Soloist" prize.
On Saturday night, members of the Rode Hall Silver Band gathered for a slightly belated celebration of the 23/24 contest and concert season and to recognise some outstanding individual contributions from our band members.
| Award | Award Winner |
| Rising Star | Seren Bates |
| Most Improved Player | Phoebe Wright |
| Pierpoint Trophy (Best Soloist) | Brian Rogers |
| Band Managers Award | Ed Gillespie |
| Graham Tilley Trophy (Bandperson Of The Year) | Dave Giannasi |
| Long Service Award | Joseph Whitehurst (5 Years) Phoebe Wright ( Years) |
Rode Hall Silver Band is pleased to announce that, after a series of successful rehearsals and a great concert performance, we have appointed Ken Mackintosh as our new Musical Director.
Given the alignment between his vision and the band's aspirations, the band has decided to conclude the application process early and will not be accepting any further applications. The band would like to thank all those who expressed interest in the position.
We are excited to begin this new chapter under Ken’s leadership and look forward to continuing our journey of musical presentation and development.
For more information and updates on our upcoming events, please continue to visit our website.
The band will be striking up the music with patriotic and foot-tapping tunes of the period when they commemorate the D-Day landings on Thursday, June 6 in Congleton.
The award-winning band is marking the 80th anniversary of the day Allied forces swarmed over the Normandy beaches to begin the liberation of Europe after four years of war with Germany.
But the sound will be all that much sweeter if they can attract new players to the band - principally basses and trombones for the evening concert at the New Life Church.
The concert will be accompanied by video and photographs of the historic day screened behind the band with readings between the pieces of music.
"It will be will be great event for people to come along and will contain a lot of topical music to mark the anniversary," said a spokesperson for the band.
"We will be creating a street party family mood and asking people to bring along their drinks, food and flags to celebrate one of the most momentous days in history.
"We need new players and this will allow any potential recruits to visit us on the night and see the band in action."
The £10 tickets for the event are available from Congleton Information Centre, band members and from email bandmanager@rodehallband.org.uk
This year's awards evening was held on Saturday 22nd April along with a party buffet and quiz.
The Rode Hall Silver Band celebrated a number of major milestones, handing out our newly pressed Long Service badges issued to 5, 10, 20 and 30 year service players. The commitment individuals have shown to this band is outstanding and worthy of celebration, particularly our Chair, Victoria Sherwood, who has played for the band for 34 years and our Band Manager, Steve Twemlow, who has played non-stop for an incredible 42 years and received the great honour of becoming a 'Lifetime Member'! Thanks to all those who have committed so much time and effort to keep this band alive for over 186 years.
Here are a few photographs from the evening
Other awards went to Dave Giannasi - band person of the year (including the Graham Tilley Cup); Thomas Conibere - best newcomer; Liam Mosedale - junior most improved player; Brian Rogers - band manager’s award
Long service awards were presented as follows:
5 years service - Donna Bates, Simon Greasby, Stephen Holdcroft, Sue Howell, Cari Latham, Steve Moore Steve Neville, Katharine Slater, Mike Walker and Emma Wild.
10 years service - Nick Brown, Nigel Butler, Charlotte Danford, Dave Giannasi, Mike McCann, Anna Whitehurst, Michael Whitehurst and Nick Wright
A very special 'Lifetime Member' award was presented to Steve Twemlow for 40 years service! Pictured here with Vicky Sherwood and Dave Giannasi
Many congratulations to all!
