This time last year the future for the Wychavon Festival of Brass was looking rather bleak. Funds were very low, there seemed little prospect of raising money and, in fact, it looked unlikely that there would be brass bands in the Vale of Evesham in September, 2007.

But then things changed for the better. The promise of longer-term funding from Wychavon District Council was a big boost and, backed by sterling efforts by the very hard working members of the Executive Committee, there was sufficient commitment for the Entertainment Contest to go ahead as planned. And what a tremendous success it was, both from the number of bands taking part and the number of people attending the various venues. We are all very grateful to the team of volunteers who stepped in to help on the day and enabled the programme to run so smoothly.

It is a great pity that the Wychavon festival of Brass is not appreciated more by the traders in the town centre. All the people who come to Evesham for the day and fill the pubs, restaurants and cafes and yet the proprietors of those establishments appear to go deaf when asked to make even a small contribution to our funds.

But we must continue to look to the future. A return to Pershore with the completion of the works at Number 8 and then, after an absence of some years, the prospect of staging the event in Droitwich once again.

Our thanks are also due to those responsible for the Youth Music Festival and organising the concert at the Norbury Theatre, both of which can only enhance the reputation of Wychavon Festival of Brass through its efforts to encourage the youth of the county.

Thank you all for your support over the past years and we look forward to it continuing into what we confidently expect to be an even brighter future.

 

 Gerry Barnett

 Chairman