The Fishburn Academy Band (or 'FAB' for short) was created in November 2014, as a band with a fresh start but with a lot of banding experience.
FAB is the Academy (or feeder) Band for the senior Brass Band, Fishburn Band, which has a long and distinguished history in North-East banding and has won many regional and national awards www.fishburnband.homestead.com
FAB includes the full range of brass instruments, with some older players helping out mostly with the larger instruments but also with the cornets - sitting in with the younger players so that they can get the most of band rehearsals. There are weekly rehearsals in school terms as well as a growing list of concerts at Christmas time, 2014 / 2015.
FAB is starting up from scratch and so we are looking for help in purchasing instruments, music and music stands.
In this phase of development, FAB aims to win funding to purchase new instruments so that they can provide a better brass-music learning experience for the young people of County Durham and especially those players living in Fishburn and Sedgefield.
The Fishburn Band has been very supportive in this stage of FAB's re-emergence.
To maintain and further the appreciation of our brass musical heritage into the 21st Century, by:
1. teaching a brass instrument to all interested persons under 18 years of age, living in the village and the surrounding areas
2. teaching the larger brass instruments in the band to a minority of adult learners, to ensure complete musical balance in the band
3. giving concert performances to the public at invited village events, to schools and other organisations and to the general public.
4. acting as a focus at County level for high-quality brass performances.
5. providing a steady stream of members graduating to Fishburn Brass Band to help with ensuring its continuing viability.