Dear Friends,
Wow! What a fantastic time we had. Who’d have thought that as we arrived at the bandroom, contemplating whether the line of instruments, percussion, luggage and 35 tour members could possibly fit on the coach, we would top our tour to Bruges in 2024, but we did!
It all started in the early hours of Saturday morning with Keith and Sally selling teas and coffees as we arrived. Once the coach was loaded by our team affectionately known as the “humpers and dumpers” led by Adam, we were on our way. It may have been just after 2am but the party had started and clearly little sleep was going to be had. The ferry crossing from Dover was beautifully calm arriving in Calais at 12:30 (French time) and then on to the hotel. We all congregated at the hotel restaurant an hour or so later. After some very welcome cold refreshment the evening would be ours to enjoy but not before we had all raised a glass to Emma Britton, a dear friend of the band who lost her battle with illness earlier that day.
Sunday morning was free for us to relax or explore Bayeux. Unfortunately, the Bayeux Tapestry was in London so that would have to be visited another day. The view of the Cathedral rooves and spires towering over the town was enough to entice us into the town. The Cathedral did not disappoint. The marvellous stained-glass windows with the sunshine pouring through and the 11th century crypt paintings were enhanced by the sound of the choir practicing for their later services. Sitting outside the cathedral with some of our friends enjoying some cafe culture (trying to squeeze under the canopy out of the sun) with the Cathedral bells ringing felt so serene but we had to leave and prepare for our first of three concerts.
Our first concert was held in front of the Town Hall in Bayeux. There was some trepidation that there may not be an audience for our performance but as soon as we started playing, led by Stephen Sykes our Musical Director, we drew people in from around the town. Still jaded by the journey and the heat we entertained the crowd and even received a standing ovation. Our soloists Chris, Paul, Rob, Greg and Adam were outstanding. What a great start to the tour.
Arromanches was the venue for our second concert to be held outside the D-Day museum on Monday morning. We were glad of the earlier start as we knew we would be playing in full sun again. As we approached Arromanches, we could see the remains of the Mulberry Harbour before us. Those of us who had not been there before, were astounded by the scale of the structure, something you cannot comprehend from photos or stories. We were to learn more of the history after we had played. Once again, we attracted a large audience and once again, received a standing ovation. Music such as the Requiem from Band of Brothers were emotionally received, several of the audience recanting war stories of relatives and friends to the Supporters nearby. Whilst these pieces were fitting for the venue, we were there to perform a full brass band concert, so these were mixed with more lively music such as Bare Necessities from the Jungle Book, James Bond and others. Once the coach was re-loaded, we visited the museum to learn of the events around the D-Day landings. The ingenuity, planning and organisation of the Allies along with the bravery and sacrifice of those involved in the D-Day landings was truly humbling. More emotion was to follow the next day.
Before returning to the hotel, we visited a local cider and calvados farm “Ferme de Billy”. Coming from Somerset, the home of English cider, this may have seemed rather an odd activity but we appreciated the tour of the farm and an explanation of cider-making. Before leaving we were invited to taste a variety of apple juices, ciders and calvados made on the farm, a very welcome treat in the heat. A number of purchases were made, just shows how tasty they were.
Juno Beach was the destination for our third and final concert of the tour. On the way, we stopped at the British Normandy War Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, an impressive memorial to the Allied Forces who fought and died during the D-Day offensive. The columns of white stone engraved with the names of those who had fallen pulled you in. The letters from the soldiers to their loved ones at home and those of the officers writing to the same to convey the manners of their loved one’s death, were displayed for all to read. We were also very fortunate that the art installation “Standing with Giants” was there for us to see. The trail of individual, black, metal statues from the sea, up the beach to the memorial amidst the poppies was an emotional sight.
There was some free time to explore Courseulles-sur-Mer and grab some lunch before our concert. At last, some shade from the Juno Beach Centre for us to play under. Another concert, another success. The D-Day assault at Juno Beach was a joint Anglo/Canadian affair so we included music from pieces such as the 49th Parallel to commemorate those involved in the landings 82 years ago. With the final concert over, it was time to return to the hotel and prepare for our final meal together in Bayeux. This was our chance to thank all those who had contributed to making the tour run smoothly.
The coach was loaded quickly Wednesday morning for our trip home. The weather was still hot, so we were thankful for the coach air-conditioning. The journey home was quiet compared to the outward one, all tired from the activities of the tour and maybe more than a few sore heads. Back at Congresbury at 10:30pm we unloaded the coach and made our way back to our homes. We packed a lot into our short tour but we had fun, entertained the public with great music, appreciated the sacrifice many had made for us over 80 years ago and I am sure we will share stories of our trip for many years to come. Final thought – where do we go next time?
Love from
Weston Brass