Published: July 17, 2008
Band concert will raise funds for Burnham-On-Sea tennis academy

A concert will be held this weekend to raise funds for a tennis academy set up in memory of a Burnham-On-Sea tennis player who died last year.

King Alfred Concert Band will be performing at The Princess Hall in Princess Street on Sunday 20th July at 7.45pm, raising funds for the Nathan Edwards Tennis Academy.

The academy was set up following the tragic death of 17-year-old Nathan in a road accident last November. He was a talented member of Burnham's Avenue Tennis Club and a former King Alfred School pupil.

"Nathan played the drums in this band for four years and as a tribute to him and his contribution to the band the proceeds of this concert will go to the academy," said Nathan's mother, Sally, (pictured above).

Tickets will cost £4 on the door and £3 for concessions. There will be refreshments and a raffle.

Sally added: "Being in the concert band was beneficial to Nathan musically and personally. He had been learning for about a year when they asked him to join and the discipline of playing in a large band with 20 - 25 people really helped develop his skill and his ability to read drum music while having to be aware of what everyone else was playing at the same time. They were also very kind people, and when he was 14 they paid for him to go to Germany with them.

"Although he became an excellent heavy rock drummer he remained loyal to the concert band until 2007 when tennis commitments made it difficult to continue. He always loved the concerts he played with them, live performing was the best part for him. The band is led by Sheila Phelp, head of music at King Alfred School, but the band is a community band, open to anyone, and is a mixture of adults and young people."