Burnham and Highbridge Band will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a special Christmas Concert at the Catholic Church in Burnham on Saturday 13th December at 3pm.
The band, which began in 1945 with ex-servicemen and railwaymen from the Somerset & Dorset Works in Highbridge, quickly grew into a full brass ensemble and was officially recognised by the Urban District Council in 1947.
Over the decades, the band has enjoyed contest success, reaching the South West Championship Section in the 1960s, and touring Germany three times during the 1980s.
More recently, highlights have included performing on Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage in 2016 under conductor Stephen Sykes, and winning the “large band” section of the Highbridge Arts Festival in 2022.
Now under the baton of Musical Director Felicity Day, who took over in 2020, the band continues to thrive.
A third of its players are women, and its performances span Somerset, from steam fairs and county shows to Oktoberfest concerts and charity events such as Weston Pier’s “Chase the Sun” marathon.
This Christmas season, the band’s busy programme includes Puriton’s Christmas Tree lights switch-on, the Civic Carol Service at St Andrew’s Church in Burnham, and carol evenings for local groups, residential homes, and Burnham War Memorial Hospital.
The band welcomes new members to its weekly Wednesday practices. Full details and the festive programme can be found on the band’s website www.burnhambrassband.org.
Tickets for the December 13th concert are priced at £10 to include refreshments. Under 16s free. Tickets from Material Needs and the tourist information centre or pay on the door.
Town Band 2025 Christmas Schedule
| Date | Event | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thurs 4 Dec | Mayor’s Civic Carol Service | St. Andrew’s Church, Burnham | 6.30pm |
| Sun 7 Dec | Puriton Christmas Tree Lights | Puriton | 5.30pm |
| Sat 13 Dec | Town Band Christmas Concert | Catholic Church, Burnham | 3pm |
| Sun 14 Dec | Carols in the foyer at Tesco supermarket | Burnham | 1.30–3.30pm |
