Lewes, Glynde and Beddingham Brass Band celebrate their centenary and launch ‘Brass Sparks’, their next generation initiative

On Saturday 30th of June 2022 we, along with 200 of our friends and supporters, celebrated the band’s 100th anniversary. The occasion was marked by a concert, hosted by kind permission of the Mayor of Lewes, at Lewes Town Hall.

Originally formed in 1922 as the Glynde and Beddingham Brass Band, the band has had a rich and varied history. We moved to Lewes in 2002 by invitation of the then Mayor and cemented our relationship with the town through the addition of Lewes to our name. We have been a feature of Lewes’ entertainment calendar ever since, with regular appearances at events including Proms in the Paddock, Bonfire Night and Christmas carolling.

The centenary event included a memorabilia wall, looking back over 100 years of achievements, and the musical programme included the premier of ‘A Sussex Celebration’ – a piece commissioned to mark the occasion with support from the Norman Jones Trust and Brass Bands England and composed by Christopher Bond. The band also played a range of old and new favourites, including ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’, ‘Moon River’ and ‘Sussex By the Sea’.

We would like to thank everyone who joined us for our celebrations and for all of the kind donations made towards our new junior band, BrassSparks. We are launching this new training band to help ensure the next generation of brass players have an accessible and enjoyable space to develop their skills. You can find out more about BrassSparks, including how to register your young people at the BrassSparks page.