Yes, but you can learn to read music as you learn to play your instrument. If you have played a different instrument in the past and are ‘converting’ to a brass band instrument then you have a head start.

New music is regularly added to the band programme and so, over time, members develop good sight reading skills. However, if you are not sure about something there are always more experienced players willing to offer advice and guidance.

Not necessarily ‐ some members play on their own instrument and others on an instrument loaned to them by the band.

See our instruments page for more details.

No, there are no auditions.

We encourage you to attend a few rehearsals before you decide to join.

See our rehearsals page and contact page for more details.

In all brass bands the 1st and 2nd trombone parts are written in treble clef and the bass trombone part is written in bass clef.

See our instruments page for more details.

There is no ‘right’ age to start playing a brass instrument.

Unlike piano or string instruments, there is no benefit in starting a brass instrument very young. You need a level of strength and stamina that is unusual in a child before 9 years of age and many players start after that.

Many children begin learning a brass instrument at age 11 when they begin secondary school and there are people who went on to become professional musicians who began at 14 or 16 years old.

There is no reason why you cannot start from scratch as an adult.

Nothing! There is no subscription or joining fee.

If you join the band the expectation is that you will attend most engagements thus allowing the band to earn an income to cover its running expenses.

Costs you may have to cover are:

• An instrument if you do not already have one and the Band does not have one it is able to loan you. See our instruments page for more details.

• Some items of uniform if you do not already have them. See our uniform page for more details.

• Transport to engagements. Band members are responsible for getting themselves to engagements although lifts are often arranged between members.

The main band and the training band both meet on a Friday evening.

See our rehearsals page for more details.

The bandroom is in Bingham House, Dyer Street in Cirencester.

See our rehearsals page for more details.

Most people joing a band for the first time start on B♭ Cornet, E♭ Horn or B♭ Baritone. These are the smaller, lighter instruments and the basic skills learnt at the beginning are directly transferable to any of the other instruments (except trombones) in the band.

Many children begin on Cornet and then transfer to their preferred instrument as they grow. Adults have a wider choice as they are already large enough and strong enough to cope with the bigger instruments.

Sometimes you choose the instrument and sometimes it chooses you! You are welcome to sit in on a training band rehearsal to see, hear and possibly try the different instruments. If you want to use a band instrument rather than your own you can obviously only choose between the instruments the band has available at the time.

See our instruments page for more details.