Long Service Awards for City of Chester

Whilst the City of Chester Band did not feature in the prizes at the recent North West Regional Championships, the band did have cause to celebrate as at the conclusion of the contest three band members received awards for long service to the brass band movement.  

Malcolm Kerry, 78 (living in Bromborough but originally from Liverpool) has been playing for over 60 years, having played tuba in the highest section when a member of the former Liverpool Edge Hill (BR) Band before moving on to Skelmersdale Prize Band and Chester.

Sylvia MacDonald, originally from West Yorkshire but long settled in Warrington, married Ian, a trombone player. They had two sons who started to play in the Prescot Band along with Ian and, rather than sit knitting during rehearsals, Sylvia decided to learn to play, too. Sylvia joined Chester as an Eb Tenor Horn player when the Prescot Band ceased to exist. Her award was for over 25 years’ service.

One of the MacDonald sons, Robert, joined Chester as a Flugel Horn player ahead of Sylvia. He has also qualified for recognition for over 25 years of service. Incidentally, Robert’s brother, Andrew, plays for the Bolton-based Wingates Band which, incidentally, qualified on Sunday at Blackpool to play in the Championship Section National Finals to be held in the Royal Albert Hall in London on 8 October. Both brothers married brass players!

The Band, under the direction of Ewan Easton MBE, are now busy rehearsing concert items to be performed during the summer and also working on the set test-piece to be performed in the French Open Brass Band Championships to be held in Amboise on Saturday, 4 June. This will be a return to the Loire Valley for the Band, which first entered the competition in 2014.

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