New players at Rode Hall Silver Band

Posted by Dave Giannasi

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!

Celebrating the Incredible Women of Rode Hall Silver Band

Posted by Dave Giannasi

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!

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Rode Hall Silver Band victory at NEMBBA

Posted by Dave Giannasi

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.

2023/24 Rode Hall Silver Band Awards

Posted by Dave Giannasi

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.

AwardAward Winner
Rising StarSeren Bates
Most Improved PlayerPhoebe Wright
Pierpoint Trophy (Best Soloist)Brian Rogers
Band Managers AwardEd Gillespie
Graham Tilley Trophy (Bandperson Of The Year)Dave Giannasi
Long Service AwardJoseph Whitehurst (5 Years)
Phoebe Wright ( Years)

Musical Director Appointment

Posted by Dave Giannasi

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.

Rode Hall Silver Band D-Day Commemorative Concert

Posted by Sue Howell

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

2023 Awards Evening

Posted by Sue Howell

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

Our new badges celebrating 5, 10, 20 and 30 years of service
Best Soloist was awarded jointly to our percussion team - Kat Slater and Ed Gillespie, presented by Musical Director, Nigel Butler
Joseph Whitehurst was the very worthy recipient of our 'Most Improved Player'
Our Chairman, Vicky Sherwood, received the first ever badge recognising over 30 years playing in the band!

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!

Congleton Rotary Last Night of the Proms 17th September 2022

Posted by Michael Whitehurst

Rode Hall Silver Band were delighted once again to be invited to play the Congleton Rotary Last Night of the Proms Concert on Saturday 17th September. The excellent Sarah Anne Francis also performed some great solo numbers and also accompanied us for Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Brittania and God Save the King.

The planned programme was preceded by a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, led by Steve Hodgkinson, followed by the band, Sarah Francis and the audience joining together in a rendition of 'God Save the King'.

We'd like to thank John Gauld Photography for sharing these great images of the evening. https://www.johngauldphotography.co.uk/