Belgium 2006
Sarah Cooper
On July 14 2006, the Bisham Concert Band descended on Bruges for a long weekend of eating, drinking, chocolate-buying - oh yes, and playing a bit of music. Throughout the weekend, band members could be seen staggering up bell towers and around bars, investigating chocolate museums and bandstands, floating up and down the canals (in boats, just in case you were wondering), and searching fruitlessly for somewhere they could get a drink after 10 pm.
Despite all this exhausting activity, we also managed to fit in two concerts: one in Ostend, which was probably the windiest gig ever played, and one in the Markt in Bruges itself, which was probably the hottest. (Windbreaks and sombreros in band colours will have to be seriously discussed by the committee before we risk any further foreign ventures.) Both concerts attracted appreciative audiences, particularly in the Markt, where we were lucky enough to have a captive audience of tourists queuing up for pony and trap rides. These gigs also had the distinction of being the final ones to be conducted by Bea Taylor, who has decided to give up her baton and concentrate on horn playing. At the end of the final concert, we presented Bea with a commemorative plate designed by Sam Dixon.
The trip as a whole was a great success, both musically and socially. As we move on to a new conducting era, it's true to say that the blend of enjoyment of the music that we played and the fun we had throughout the trip is representative of Bea's success over the past nine years in improving our musical standards, but also making sure we enjoy ourselves as we do so.
Copyright © 2006 Bisham Concert Band