Senior Band
History of the Band
The Mid Sussex Brass Band was formed in May 1986 following the amalgamation of the Haywards Heath Town Band and the Burgess Hill Brass Band. This move was necessitated by dwindling numbers of personnel in both bands and enabled the creation of a stronger band that could continue to maintain the busy programme of engagements and competitions that both bands had undertaken in the past.
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The 1960s, 70s and 80s
The Haywards Heath Town Prize Silver Band played on successfully until the mid-1960s when support rapidly dwindled. At a time when there were no more than ten regular players, the band even wrote the the Mid Sussex Times begging for help because of a lack of both cash and young players. Lawrence Burtenshaw, a local JP and Bugle player with the Royal Marines Band, read the letter and offered his services; the band's committee nominated him as Band Sectretary. Mr Burtenshaw worked hard to rebuild the band, visiting local schools to recruit new players whom he and other band members taught to play.
Within two years the band had nearly thirty playing members, a remarkable achievement, and had moved to a new rehearsal venue in the Council Chambers in Haywards Heath. The band began to take part in regional contests under the baton of Ron Atkin and enjoyed some success. Sadly, four years after becoming Band Secretary, Lawrence Burtenshaw suffered a stroke and was unable to continue in the role.
A regular engagement for the band was playing for home matches and Brighton and Hove Albion's Goldstone ground. As the band marched around the pitch coins would be thrown by the crowd into a large blanket carried by band supporters; this later had to be stopped following injuries to band members and supporters sustaining injuries from enthusiastically thrown coins!
During the late 1970s the Burgess Hill Brass Band was active in the local community and enjoyed much success in regional contests under the baton of Musical Director Arthur Chapman. In the early 1980s a number of players left the band to reform the then defunct Handcross Band and the fortunes of Burgess Hill Brass Band fell for several years.
The Haywards Heath Town Prize Silver Band played on successfully until the mid-1960s when support rapidly dwindled. At a time when there were no more than ten regular players, the band even wrote the the Mid Sussex Times begging for help because of a lack of both cash and young players. Lawrence Burtenshaw, a local JP and Bugle player with the Royal Marines Band, read the letter and offered his services; the band's committee nominated him as Band Sectretary. Mr Burtenshaw worked hard to rebuild the band, visiting local schools to recruit new players whom he and other band members taught to play.
Within two years the band had nearly thirty playing members, a remarkable achievement, and had moved to a new rehearsal venue in the Council Chambers in Haywards Heath. The band began to take part in regional contests under the baton of Ron Atkin and enjoyed some success. Sadly, four years after becoming Band Secretary, Lawrence Burtenshaw suffered a stroke and was unable to continue in the role.
A regular engagement for the band was playing for home matches and Brighton and Hove Albion's Goldstone ground. As the band marched around the pitch coins would be thrown by the crowd into a large blanket carried by band supporters; this later had to be stopped following injuries to band members and supporters sustaining injuries from enthusiastically thrown coins!
During the late 1970s the Burgess Hill Brass Band was active in the local community and enjoyed much success in regional contests under the baton of Musical Director Arthur Chapman. In the early 1980s a number of players left the band to reform the then defunct Handcross Band and the fortunes of Burgess Hill Brass Band fell for several years.
In 1978 Paul Homewood became Band Secretary at Haywards Heath. At this time the band was renamed the Haywards Heath Town Band; new uniforms were purchased and many instruments were replaced. Tony Cripps became Musical Director of the band in 1979. Unfortunately, support for the band again dwindled over the next few years.
In 1986 the Haywards Heath Town Band and the Burgess Hill Brass Band merged and became known as the Mid Sussex Brass Band.
In 1986 the Haywards Heath Town Band and the Burgess Hill Brass Band merged and became known as the Mid Sussex Brass Band.
Every two years since 2002 the Senior Band and guest players have packed up their instruments and music and boarded a coach bound for Burgess Hill's twin town of Schmallenberg in Germany. The band takes part in the Schmallenberger Woche, the town's festival of music and cultureand performs at a variety of venues in the town, including a local factory on on the main stage in the town square. A highlight of the trip is a joint concert with the Oberkirchen-Nordenau Band, with whom MSBB now has a firm friendship. At the 2010 concert, MSBB was introduced as "the best band in Britain", an accolade that may have been reassessed following the visit of the Black Dyke Mills Band a few weeks later! |
MSBB is pleased to incorporate a thriving Youth Band under the leadership of Trombone player Peter Mansfield. The Youth Band has successfully nurtured and developed young players, a number of whom have progressed to the Senior Band where they make an invaluable contribution.
The Mid Sussex Brass Band is a self-supporting organisation, funded by the subscriptions of members and from performance fees.
Click HERE to see how you could support the Mid Sussex Brass Band
The Mid Sussex Brass Band is a self-supporting organisation, funded by the subscriptions of members and from performance fees.
Click HERE to see how you could support the Mid Sussex Brass Band