Over twenty years ago, when our MD Chris Wormald was Head of Performing Arts and Assistant Headteacher at Smithills School, a government scheme existed where schools which excelled in the arts, sciences, languages or sports could apply to receive additional funding and facilities. Part of the successful Smithills arts bid, built on the global reputation of its World and National Champion school bands and outstanding academic exam results in classroom music, was to offer free brass instrumental tuition to local senior citizens in school on Saturday mornings.
Our vision
Advertised through Age Concern UK, Chris began teaching 21 retired people in small groups every Saturday, none of whom had either played a brass instrument or could read music. Very quickly, almost all of the new recruits became proficient at both, and the number of new starters doubled. Within weeks, Chris decided that all of the players should pool together to form the first band of their lives and, aided by players from the school brass band kindly volunteering to play and mentor the senior citizen beginners, the initial Saturday Band was formed. With an excellent reputation quickly established, local woodwind players soon asked to join the band and what had started out purely as a brass band welcomed Flutes, Clarinets, Saxophones and players of all ages, very much younger than just retired. The Community (Saturday) Band was therefore formed and enjoyed a permanent membership of 70 players for 17 very happy years through to the pandemic of March 2020.
Our commitment
By this time, Chris had retired from teaching after 35 years and already begun his second, extended spell as MD with us at Eagley Band. The enforced closure of all arts activity across the UK for a year and a half meant that when the Saturday Band restarted in 2021 it needed a new home, so the band left its former base at Smithills School and immediately became part of the Eagley family, continuing very successfully onwards past its 20th anniversary, still under its founding conductor every rehearsal and still completely free to all who take part. Eagley always has a handful of spare, available brass instruments because some of the main band personnel choose to play on their own owned instruments rather than band supplied ones which are available.
If you are interested in joining our Community Band, e-mail via the Contact link on our website or contact Chris directly at cj.wormald@btopenworld.com
EAGLEY BAND 