Cumbria Youth Brass Band Blasts Back to Nationals After 30 Years!

The Cumbria Youth Brass Band is preparing for a major event that marks a significant milestone in its history. After a 30-year break, the band will participate in the National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain. This group, which relaunched in 2023, includes young musicians aged seven to seventeen from across the Cumbria region. They rehearse in various venues, sitting on grey plastic chairs and following sheet music as they play their brass instruments. The band members wear blue hoodies, creating a sense of unity and team spirit. Their musical director, Stuart Humphries, took over last year and describes the recent weeks as 'a bit of a whirlwind. ' He believes the upcoming national competition is an 'amazing opportunity' for the children to showcase their talents on a big stage.

Many of the young musicians are excited about the chance to perform with their friends. For some, it feels like a 'once in a lifetime' experience. Ten-year-old May Birkett from Langdale is one of the band’s cornet players. She admits to feeling a bit nervous about performing on stage, but she is also thrilled to share the moment with her friends. May, who wears her dark blonde hair in a plait and dresses in a green polo shirt and blue hoodie, says that being part of the band is both fun and challenging. The band’s efforts to encourage more young people in Cumbria to take up music have been supported by an outreach program. Undergraduate students from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester have been coaching the band members, helping them improve their skills and confidence.

Philip Goodwin, who leads the college’s community engagement program, explains that they are providing free brass tuition across the county. In addition to in-person lessons, they offer an online course for young musicians. The five-year program aims to boost music education and engagement for under-18s in West Cumbria, giving them access to world-class teaching. Stuart Humphries, the band’s director, is proud of what the young musicians have achieved so far. He believes that performing at the championships in Birmingham on March 28 will be a memorable experience for everyone involved. The band hopes to inspire more children in the region to discover the joy of playing music and to continue building a strong tradition of youth brass bands in Cumbria.