Instruments for Wardle Academy Youth Band

Aim

Help hundreds of children from varied backgrounds experience playing music to international standards - on the instruments they deserve.

Wardle Academy Youth Band are 2018 European and UK champions, but they achieved this despite ailing instruments, some 30 years old, which are in urgent need of refurbishment or replacement. It's like a team having to win the Champion's League in old boots! 

Many instruments have problems, some with a story, like the big dent in the Eb bass. “I did that, I remember dropping it 30 years ago when I played it!” remembers one of the current band’s parents, from his own time at Wardle. The kids have a scary time performing with the tubular bells, "You never know if they are going to make the right sound or fall apart," there is tape on the drumkit and valves sometimes stick on the brass instruments.  They often  beat bands with better equipment, but you can help Wardle make an even finer sound when they defend their title for the UK in Montreux in April 2019, and ensure that many hundreds more children will benefit from this tremendous experience over the years to come. Please contribute and become part of the extended Wardle brass family! (For detailed costs of refurbishing or replacing instruments please scroll to the bottom of the page).

Wardle village is part of Rochdale, which is a relatively poor area that has often been in the news for the wrong reasons. Rochdale has many social problems, but the band is a good news story as it empowers children, increasing their confidence and resilience and preparing them for the demands and discipline of work and life. As one parent  says, "My child had some very difficult experiences, but coming up through the bands and now being a European champion has transformed his confidence and social skills." It’s also tremendous fun and the kids love reaching out with their music to people like you.

Generations of ordinary kids from primary school age up to 18 have benefited from making amazing music through the many Wardle bands. Let's make sure the next 30 years happen.

The band are composed of children from a small catchment area of only a few miles, and yet under conductor Lee Rigg and his colleagues they have been national and European champions. Lee himself went to Wardle School as a child, and says “I wasn’t any good at school, I just either played my cornet or messed about. I’d have headed the wrong way without music. The head teacher at the time saved me really, by offering me a job teaching brass in the primary schools, and I’ve gone on from there. I’m so grateful.” Lee played cornet with the famous Black Dyke Band for 30 years, touring the world to great acclaim, and now you can join Lee in helping to offer the same focus and direction to many young people. 

Our pool of instruments will also benefit the many other bands in the group, including the Intermediate Band for up to 16's, and Junior Blast (for primary schools in the area), both of which are also 2017 and 2018 national age group champions;  2 other brass bands in the high school, a big band, a band that won platinum at national level, and 6 feeder primary school bands!

Please help these ordinary kids make extraordinary music and thanks for looking.

For new brass instruments we have recently been quoted (inc VAT):

Besson Prestige Cornet £2917

V Bach Strad Flugel: GS: £2995

Besson Prestige Tenor Horn £3520

Besson Sovereign Baritone £3560

Rath R4 Bb/F Trombone £3800

Stomvi soprano: £3,879 

Bath R9 Bass Trombone £4,800

Besson Prestige Euphonium £6500

Besson Sovereign EEb Tuba £6,900

Besson Sovereign BBb Tuba £8966

New percussion (inc VAT):

Majestic Timpani set £6000

Majestic tubular bells £3600

Adams vibraphone £4700

Adams Marimba 4.3 Octave

Adams xylophone £1343

Refurbishing instruments (inc VAT):

Cornet / trumpet £395

Flugel Horn £475

Rotary trombone £650

Double plug bass trombone: £750

Tenor horn: £775

Baritone £875

Euphonium (4 valve) £1045

EEb bass (4 valve) £1925

BBb bass (4 valve) £2150 

This project successfully funded on 5th July 2018