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It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Martlesham Brass has always held her in great esteem and we will miss her dedication and constant care for us.
We have followed her example of making our organisation open and welcoming to all.

We look to the future when we can celebrate her life and that of our new sovereign, King Charles III.

Newsletter

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1st April, 2011 - April Newsletter

It is with a considerable amount of regret, mixed with a lot of understanding that we publish the note below from Ian Harvey;

Hi All,
I'm afraid the time has come for me to call it a day with Prelims. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to commit to band as fully as I, Di and (most importantly) the Prelims deserve and need to help them become as successful as they should.
I have always said that the Prelims require a consistent approach to help them and unfortunately I can no longer guarantee to be at practice most Fridays so am unable to provide that consistency.
I am immensely proud of both what I've (with the not insignificant help of several assistants) achieved with the Prelims and what we've achieved with Martlesham Brass as a whole and am honored to have been part of such a successful organisation.
I've made a lot of very good and close friends through and because of Martlesham Brass I intend to keep in touch with everyone.
Cheers,
Ian

As I am sure most of you will be aware, Ian has been a very important part of Martlesham Brass from the very beginning being one of the founder Band Leaders. Ian has been an inspiration to several generations of Martlesham Brass players many of whom have gone on to great things musically both within and outside the band due in no small part to Ian�s influence (and shouting). I am sure that you will join with the main committee in giving Ian and Nina our very best wishes for the future and an open invitation to come and see us at any time. We will be collecting money for a card and leaving present for Ian, if you wish to contribute please see Mary or the front desk. Di Russ, who has been assisting Ian for some time, will be taking over as the bandleader for the Preliminaries; we all wish her good luck and �bon chance.�

Chairman�s comments

I would like to express my grateful thanks to the outgoing committee for 2010/2011, and to those who have put themselves forward for the committee for the coming year. As a band we all rely on those who give their time and effort to ensure the band runs smoothly, and generate income for the band.
I would particularly like to thank Sean Marner for his valuable work as the main band player representative. I also would like to express my very grateful thanks to Joy Porter for her long and very valuable work for the band as secretary.
Simon Chalklen, Chair, Martlesham Brass

Watchet Practices

There are only three practice sessions before the band heads of to Watchet. Dates are as follows:
8th April (8pm-9pm)
9th April (1pm-3pm)
23rd April (9am-12pm)
Can everyone make a big effort to be at as many practices as possible as there is still much to be done.
Take a break
The band will not meet for practice on the 22nd April (Good Friday) and the 29th April (Royal Wedding).

St Georges Day - 17th April

We will be taking a mixed Main and Intermediate band for St George�s day parade in Felixstowe this year. Any Intermediates who would like to join in are invited to practice from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. on the 15th April.

49 Club Winners

12th March Di Russ
19th March Sarah and Adam
26th March Russ family
4th April Jayne Howlett (fix!?!?)
We currently have number�s 30, 31 and 32 available, if anyone fancies their chances of winning please let Jayne Howlett know.

Player availability

Our band leaders work very hard to ensure that practices are as enjoyable and different as possible. You can all assist them by making sure that if you are not going to be available for practice you let either your band leader or player rep know. This is especially important if you are away for a number of practices. With this information the band leaders are able to adjust practice material to suit the band members who are available.

Summer Fayre

Now that the weather has started to improve our thoughts are turning to the annual Summer Fayre which will be on the 11th June this year. As always we are looking for your help to ensure that this yearâ��s event is a big success. We will be sending out Grand Draw tickets in the next few weeks with a 1st prize of £100. There will be the usual BBQ and also a selection if inflatableâ��s. If you have an idea for a stall, playing a game or selling produce we would be very pleased to hear from you. Please contact Jayne Howlett or any member of the fund raising committee.

Uniform

Initial uniform is provided free of charge by the band as people join. As our youngsters grow (and sometimes leave) this uniform is returned as re-cycled as appropriate. However, it has been noticed that on several occasions recently that uniform items are being returned without being laundered. This is an additional cost that the band has to carry. Can we please ask that any uniform that is returned is cleaned and ironed before being given back.

Notification of Band Events

Liz is putting together a list of e-mail addresses for people who would like to have notification of band concerts and events. If you would like to have your name included or that of your family or friends, could you please either send Liz an e-mail at [email protected], or speak to her on a Friday evening

Bill Bell retires from Main Band

Bill Bell has decided to call time on his playing days, after many years in the main band.
I think it goes without saying that he�ll be immensely missed as a player. Fortunately, he continues to be a member of the band and is still our President.
I�d like to personally thank Bill for his commitment to the band. He�s a great role model, and he has showed true dedication to Martlesham Brass.
It�s quite fitting that the last event Bill played in was the �Our President�s� concert we held in February.
Thank you Bill.
Adam