Putney & Wimbledon Brass Band are delighted to announce our Christmas schedule – please see the table below for all our public engagements. It’s a packed month but we’re looking forward to it, we love bringing the Christmas cheer to the local community! We’ll update this page should there be any changes, but keep an eye on our social media (see links at the bottom of the page) for all the details!

This Friday, 25th May, Putney & Wimbledon Brass Band is very excited to be heading to Saddleworth for its debut outing at Whit Friday. But what exactly is Whit Friday? Read on to find out…

Every year – in a tradition that dates back over the past hundred – brass bands from around the country (and beyond!) gather on the first Friday after the Whitsun to entertain the crowds in the villages of the Saddleworth district, just outside Oldham.

Often referred to as “The Greatest Free Show On Earth,” the bands make a whistle-stop tour around the twelve participating villages in the area. At each stop, they play “on the march” through the crowd-lined streets of the village, before performing a traditional march (this time, standing still!) to be assessed by a ‘blind’ judge hidden in a caravan or similar.

Brass bands of all standards take part and – with prizes on offer for the best performances – each band attempts to visit as many of the villages as possible. Eight is a challenging target, but – with the distraction of beer tents, local food stalls, and the chance to see some of the nation’s most famous brass bands perform for free – most will be happy to make it round the requisite six.

In an area famous for its brass banding heritage, the day brings quite the audience and atmosphere, with the real fun coming from innovative brass arrangements of well known tunes, inventive costumes, and the general chaos of getting 50+ bands through a village in the space of a just few hours.

With fairy-lights – hung from the trees on the village greens – providing the illumination as the sun sets, it’s the perfect setting to meet and mingle with the members of other bands, whilst bonding with those of your own.

Putney & Wimbledon Brass Band has been hard at work, preparing its performance piece, as well as something less traditional to raise some smiles as we march. But what will it be? Follow us throughout the day on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to find out…

As the crowds flocked to the riverfront for arguably the biggest highlight of the Putney calendar – the University Boat Race – the rowers weren’t the only ones testing their lungs that day. Spectators had the pleasure of Putney & Wimbledon Brass Band to entertain them in the moments between the races.

It might have been the battle of the Blues but we were there in our classic green, to play a mixture of some Brass Band classics such as The Floral Dance and old pop favourites like Grease, Abba and Bohemian Rhapsody. The crowds loved it, as did we.

We’d like to thank Positively Putney for inviting us and we look forward to working with them again in the future.

We’re now busy getting ready for the summer, so watch this space to find out more about our upcoming events!

On a chilly Wednesday evening in early February, a quiet corner of Wimbledon was warmed by the rousing tones of Putney & Wimbledon Brass Band.

In Dundonald Congregational Church they performed in front of a packed crowd in support of the Wimbledon & District Guide Dogs, with several of the latter in attendance. Exceptionally well behaved they were, too – perhaps hypnotised by the musical director’s shirt as he led the band through a varied programme, expertly compèred by trombonist Elin.

Along the way, the audience was introduced to a mysterious cornet-toting water nymph (Rusalka’s Song To The Moon), beguiled by lyrical flugelhorn and euphonium solos (Ashokan Farewell) and, finally, sent dancing away to a medley of ABBA’s hits. This thoroughly enjoyable evening also raised just shy of £400 for the Guide Dogs association.