Advent Calendar of Carols: Croy Silver Band – O Little Town of Bethlehem

Earlier this year, 2020 looked like it was shaping up well for Croy Silver Band after coming home from Perth as third section champions.  A couple of light rehearsals afterwards, members were saying to each other “See you in a few weeks when this is over”.

Now, a very long nine months later, it has been a case of no rehearsals, no concerts, no Cheltenham!

The band has managed to maintain a presence at local events – although not in a live capacity, of course – taking part in the video replacement for the Croy Corpus Christi Procession by providing music from previous events and the principal cornet player was able to do The Last Post for Remembrance Sunday.

As a group, members have kept in touch as best as they can through video call get-togethers every two or three weeks for anyone who wishes.  The band’s beginners’ group is also meeting online every week for a bit of practice and some tuition, although it is very different from face-to-face sessions.

In what is definitely a first for Croy Silver Band, members decided to brave the strange new world of click-tracks, video recording and performing from home. Here’s hoping everyone will enjoy the result of their efforts, O Little Town of Bethlehem which you can see and hear here at https://youtu.be/eItMtQKHKfI

In the meantime, Croy wishes all fellow bands-people a very happy Christmas and shares the hope that 2021 will see a return to the hobby we all enjoy so very much.

• If you would like to record – or have previously recorded – a favourite carol or melody as a virtual band, a socially distanced ensemble or as a soloist (with or without accompaniment) for inclusion in our Advent Calendar, please email sbbapr@gmail.com with your clip or link for it to be published on the SBBA YouTube channel.