On Saturday night December 20th, we took to the stage at the Victoria Hall once again to a packed audience of a thousand people who came along to support us as every Christmas in spite of the annual clash with the BBC1 Strictly final. What a fantastic night everyone had too in the presence of the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton and Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Judith Bromley together with her husband.

From the very first notes of the stunning opening piece (A Christmas Fantasy by Gordon Langford) to the final notes of the concert’s encore at 9.50pm (What A Day by Elio Pace) the evening was as light hearted and fast paced as ever under the direction of our MD Chris Wormald and as it was the first concert we had given in the Victoria Hall since the announcement of our King’s Award, there was an additional buzz all evening. Everyone certainly went home happy, uplifted and energised after another stunning Eagley evening whether performing or in the audience.

We were joined on stage throughout the concert by our Community Choir and from the interval onwards by our Community Band,

and the concert delivered highlight after highlight with pieces ranging from the Michael Buble Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and John Williams Somewhere Out There (from Home Alone) to an extended suite from the Narnia films and a number of Christmas compositions by John Rutter which our choir had never previously performed.

The 12 year old daughter of our Principal Cornet Lynsey Hayes sang the Christmas number one from 2008, Hallelujah, and just as she did two years previously, Olivia wowed the audience and everyone on stage with her ability, maturity of performance and control of any nerves she may have had on the inside, but certainly nobody present will have thought Olivia had any nerves at all. As with her Eagley concert debut in 2023, Olivia was again charming and brilliant.

The second half of the concert featured lots of audience participation in well known Christmas songs and chart hits rather than any traditional carols, and at the invitation of Chris, our Assistant Conductor Dec Cullen left his Bass Trombone seat three times to conducted pieces after the interval.

As always at our Victoria Hall Christmas Concert, the annual player awards are presented on stage during the first half and this year’s winners were Adam John and Steve Wheeler (Musical Director’s Award), Sophie Dunlevy (Players’ Player of The Year), Sarah Ferguson (Bandsperson of The Year for the second year in a row) and Emily Colgan (Most Improved Player of The Year).

During the second half Christmas hamper raffle presented by our Band President Gerry Russell, our MD Chris quietly led a quintet of principal players down from the stage into the audience stalls to ready themselves for another Eagley concert first. With all six of the performers spread out many metres apart, Lynsey Hayes (Cornet), Janet Walsh (Flugel Horn), Deb Lyons (Tenor Horn), Marcus Rowbotham (Euphonium) and Will Jordan (E Flat Bass) played two beautiful verses of the Normandy Carol (Away In A Manger alternative melody) and received a rousing ovation as they made their way straight back to the stage.

There was just time for Chris to invite former teaching colleague Andrew Whittle from the audience and two singers from the Community Choir, basses Graham Johnson and Chairman David Warburton, to join him in singing the Rat Pack joyous big band Christmas song It’s A Marshmallow World – another first for Eagley on a night of many.

Before leaving, the Mayor personally handed a letter from his office to Chris stating how much the town of Bolton was indebted to him, to Eagley, to the Community Choir and to the Community Band for countless years of community music making in the town and that The King’s Award was fully and richly deserved.