Christmas time is one of the busiest times for any Brass Band as the dust is blown off the Carol Books for yet another year, but this Christmas has been a record breaking season for Seindorf Beaumaris.
Last weekend saw a total of 168 musicians playing across Beaumaris' family of five bands in two sold out concerts at Canolfan Beaumaris.
"It's an incredible achievement to have so many players on stage," said Seindorf Beaumaris' Musical Director, Gwyn Evans.
"It didn't really dawn on us how many players we have in our family of bands until we sat down with the stage plans for each band on the afternoon of our first concert.
"We knew we had a lot of players in the family of Bands, but we hadn't really sat down and counted them all! For a Band in such a rural area, to have 168 musicians on stage in one concert is absolutely amazing," he added.
Seindorf Beaumaris have always been extremely proud of their Youth Sections with the Junior Band, Intermediate Band and Youth Band the first steps on what the Band hope is a long and fruitful journey in Brass Banding.
"The Junior Sections play such an important role in both the players' musical education as well as the long term future of the Band," explained Gwyn.
And with Gwyn's father, Fred Evans, conducting the Junior Band and Gwyn's daughter, Bethan Evans, conducting the Intermediate Band, Seindorf Beaumaris is a real family affair, but that ethos stretches to the bands themselves too as it's not just the youngsters who enjoy a musical education at Beaumaris.
The newest addition to the family is Beaumaris' Social Band, the Last of the Summer Wind.
The LSW were formed in 2008 after Gwyn returned from a visit to Norway inspired by the fact that the bands there included the whole family with children, parents and grandparents all playing in the same family of bands.
So an invitation was made to former players, parents and friends of the band who had decided that listening and watching their friends and family play wasn’t enough.
On the first rehearsal night nine people turned up but now the LSW has over 40 members all of whom started out because they "just fancied having a go".
2017 promises to be as busy as ever for Seindorf Beaumaris as the Youth Band return to the Winter Gardens in Blackpool to try and recapture the Youth Brass Band Entertainment Championships of Great Britain title they last won in 2014.
The LSW head to Norway in March having accepted an invitation from Tasta Gubbekorps of Stavanger to take part in the Gubbiaden Contest and with the National Eisteddfod of Wales being hosted on Anglesey in August, Seindorf Beaumaris have promised a return to competition is on the cards for a Senior Band too.
"Seeing as the Eisteddfod is in our own back yard we felt we had to take part and with such talented youngsters moving through the ranks, it was only natural that they should move up to the Senior Band," explained Gwyn.
"It promises to be an exciting and incredibly busy year, but that's how we like it in Beaumaris!"
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