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Bands Alive! Comes to Successful End Last week saw the very first Bands Alive! festival in Eastbourne; a military music extravaganza featuring ten of the top military bands in the United Kingdom. The week started on Monday with twice daily concerts at the 1930�s seafront bandstand. The Event was the first of its kind not only in Eastbourne but also in the Country; audiences came from far and wide to watch the fantastic array of bands performing in the Eastbourne sunshine. The Worshipful the Mayor of Eastbourne, Councillor Graham Marsden, says, "The first Bands Alive Festival has in many ways been a tremendous success, attracting visitors from all over the country. Many booked into local hotels for the week long festival and attended every concert. This helped boost the local economy in a variety of ways and promoted Eastbourne and its programme of events�. The week saw a variety of musical ensembles both traditional and contemporary, from marches to solos and fanfares. The Congress Theatre housed Thursday evening�s Gala Concert �Peace across the World�, Eastbourne Borough Council�s commemoration marking the end of the Second World War. Saturday�s Beating Retreat took place on the Western Lawns with the only non-military band of the festival the Crawley Millennium Concert Band followed by the Band of the Parachute Regiment and The Band of the Army Air Corps. Impressive audiences joined in with the free event of the week and enjoyed an Army Flypast featuring the Auster, Chipmunk and a Scout Helicopter that gave tennis players a bit of surprise when it landed on the lawns at Devonshire Park. The Mayor of Eastbourne, Councillor Graham Marsden added, �I met many visitors who were full of praise for the Bands Alive initiative and wanted it to be continued. I am sure that the Council will be looking very positively at how that can be achieved, although the funding of the event in 2006 will naturally be a matter for serious discussion in the coming months." |
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