Sponsored Blow - Saturday 21st July

A successful blow with a monsoon ending!

Hitchin Band held a very successful sponsored blow in Hitchin Market Square on Saturday 21st July as one of the final events of the month long Hitchin Festival. Starting at 9am on an overcast morning, the band soon attracted an audience from early shoppers.
With one of the aims of the day to raise the profile of the band in Hitchin, this was achieved with band members talking to people about the band throughout the day.

The event was a fun and enjoyable one with members of the public being invited to conduct the band and take part in "name that tune" competitions. For the younger people there was the opportunity to play percussion instruments with the band as well as "pass the parcel."

At various times through the day, a sizeable crowd of people were around the band, many of whom were surprised at the wide variety of music played by a brass band.

A few small rain showers throughout the afternoon did not stop the band playing mainly due to the cover provided by Hitchin Town Centre Initiative.
However, the event came to a premature end when at about 4:15 a very heavy downpour started. The band continued to the end of the piece being played with band players and supporters holding umbrellas over the drum kit, basses and (with thanks to a generous member of the public) the trombones.

All this time the band still had an audience - although they were standing at a distance and under shelter! Whether they were just enjoying the music or just could not believe that a brass band would continue playing in a monsoon will never be known!

The generous shoppers helped raise over £500 on the day with more to follow from sponsorship raised by individual band members.

The band secretary said: "We were very pleased by the positive response we received from the people of Hitchin who truly warmed to the music we performed. We would also like to thank everyone who donated funds to keep the band going into the future."

More photos can be found in the photo gallery