This weekend has seen the band fully committed to its latest compact disc recording. Led by MD Leigh Baker, producer Mick Howley and sound engineer Ben Marshall, the band has taken over the new hall at Aston Fence Junior and Infants School. The facilities are amazing and the band has really enjoyed the venue and today’s experiences.

As I type we are about half way through our programme, tomorrow morning sees our Corps of Drums solos lined up to impress, followed by a quick march through Blaze Away. More to follow tomorrow....
18.10.09 - Well my lips still feel sore from yesterday's blowing. There's no finer alarm clock on a Sunday morning than listening to our Corps of Drums in the recording studio! I wonder what the neighbours thought of that. Our sound engineering team also videoed proceedings and the samples will soon be added to the website.
9.45am - Back to it and we were soon polishing off two pieces an hour, Flowerdale, a soprano cornet solo played by Wendy Hart then an interesting take on Phantom of the Opera with Sam Fisher flying around on his picollo trumpet! it really is exciting stuff, but the band thinks that the ending sounds like the cartoon Danger Mouse theme, hmm, the mind boggles.  Vicki Whelan soon nailed the old classic Rimmer piece 'Grandfather's Clock' on euphonium.  The practical advice from producer Mike Howley really did add polish to the proceedings. He's a stickler for detail and the CD will be a much better snapshot of our work because of him.
After an excellent home made lunch provided by Mr. and Mrs. Payne, we settled down to finish off the solos followed by the Hymn Deep Harmony as an appropriate finish to a Sunday.
To conclude, the band played well, concentration levels were high and overall it was an enjoyable weekend. A tiring but worthwhile adventure. Thanks to our guests Richard Walker, Tracy Marsh and Alex