Who is BSB?

The Basingstoke Silver Band has been playing in Basingstoke, Hampshire for over 100 years and originated as the Primitive Methodist Church Band about 1898. This friendly Band is today formed from about thirty players from all walks of life who play purely for pleasure. It has a wide repertoire of music which ranges from classical pieces to modern popular songs from the shows.

The yearly engagement list covers performances in local parks, concerts, fetes, weddings, christenings, funerals and playing off cruise ships. Although the Band is a non-contesting band it often enters the Basingstoke Music Festival. Basingstoke Silver Band has no official sponsor and relies on paid engagements and members' subscriptions for its income.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that playing a brass instrument as a hobby can be expensive and for this reason Basingstoke Silver Band can provide instruments as well as uniforms for its players and was fortunate to receive a Lottery grant in 1997.

The Basingstoke Silver Band also has a thriving Training Band and a Beginners' group. Anyone may join regardless of age or ability and new players are always welcome.

The Band is a Registered Charity in its own right and also supports the local Hospice and other charities.

The BSB came to know about Kyazanga Modern Primary School Brass Band from Joseph Lukwago through regular contacts he had with Roger Banister the Chairman of the Band.

After knowing about the school and the services offered to the community like supporting the most underprivileged and deprived members of the community especially children and the youth through education, music, theater and sports etc, the BSB decided to partner with us so that we work together to meet the needs.

They decided to stand with us in developing and strengthening the skills and talents of the children through music so that we have these young people making use of the God given talents and potentials in the society.

From their own uniforms, they organized 55 pairs and shipped them to Uganda for the children of Kyazanga Modern Primary School Brass Band and with this donation, this growing Brass Band became one of the smartest Brass Bands in the country.

With more than 50 uniforms in possession we can only use 15 uniforms because of the limited Brass Band instruments that we have. We are trying our best to see that we can have a Brass Band of 50 children all smartly dressed in the new uniforms.

In Uganda well development brass bands are used at all functions for example government functions, school functions, sports functions, introduction and wedding functions, churches and many others.
With such a desire for a Brass Band at almost all functions, it’s clear that if Kyazanga Modern Primary School Brass Band is well developed, the project will be able to get a good generating income activity that will further our activities.

We are so grateful to Roger Banister and the entire Basingstoke Silver Band for this great contribution towards this noble cause that initiated developments in the Brass Band.

May God bless you so much as you continue standing with us.

More about Basingstoke Silver Band.