Band are on song for the town’s annual festivities

The ‘Jingle All the Way’ event did just that under the firm baton of MD Mark Peacock, who soon had the audience in stitches in between the programme items.

Soloists were Georgina Fielding on flugal horn who played A Winter’s Tale and euphonium player Jake Gordon with Merry Christmas Darling.

Both gave stunning performances, setting the musical standard for the evening to a more than appreciative audience.

At each Christmas concert the band members vote for one of their own who they think has done something special or gone beyond the call of duty for the band.

This year Jon Ford, also on euphonium, was the recipient of the Bill Bigley award, presented to him by Mark Peacock.

Among many contributions, Jon is the band’s webmaster and puts in hours of work online.

The evening ended in 
uproarious applause as audience participation was called for in a hilarious arrangement of The Twelve Days of Christmas, the audience being ‘guided’ by bandmaster Brian Law with band part errors in a tricky piece being drowned by laughter.

The final music kept up the tempo as the band played out with ‘Schneewaltzer.’

The Junior ‘B’ Band, formed almost a year ago having started with just two members, gave an amazing performance at the concert with MD Matt Balson.

Youngsters, their instruments festively decorated, played a variety of familiar Christmas numbers after a ‘comedy tune up.’

Then Longridge mayor Coun Sarah Rainford – the band being one of her year’s charities – judged the decorations with the help of Ribble Valley’s deputy mayor and mayoress, Coun Stuart and Monica Carefoot. The winner was Ruby Kelly and runner-up Calum Atkinson.