Gresley Colliery Band is a Championship Section brass band based in South Derbyshire in the small village of Church Gresley.
The origins of the band are unclear although it is believed to have been formed from mineworkers around 1850. The first
recorded mention of the band was in 1857 in the Burton Weekly News where the band was reported to have played at the Newhall
Horticultural Exhibition. Since then the band has undergone several name changes including:- Gresley Colliery Band, Gresley
Colliery Silver Prize Band, Gresley Ambulance Band, Church Gresley Colliery Band (1941), South Derbyshire Miners' Welfare Band
(1968 to 1980s), Gresley Old Hall Brass Band (to 2006); then following the AGM of 2006 it was decided to change the name back
to its original Gresley Colliery Band. This was felt to be a suitable tribute to the band's mining roots and was the
inspiration for our 2006 CD release,
'Heritage'.
Since the 1970's Gresley Colliery Band has enjoyed considerable competition success having been Regional Champions and National
Finalists many times and ultimately achieving promotion to the Championship Section for 2010.
Gresley also boasts a thriving Youth Band which, under the musical direction of senior band Eb bass player Pete Hylton, perform
regularly both with the senior band and independantly and have recently competed for the first time at the Butlins Mineworkers
Brass Band competition in Skegness. The band prides itself on taking players of all abilities and in many cases can offer
informal tuition outside of normal rehearsal time. So, if you know of anyone who wishes to learn to play a brass instrument or
is already playing and looking for a new challenge, please get in touch via the
contact page.
News
Keep up to date with all the latest news
here.
Gresley Colliery Band has a busy concert schedule. To see if the band is performing at a venue near you soon, take a look at our
diary.
About Us
Meet the players and Musical Director and learn more about Gresley Colliery Band's Committee and constitution
here.
We Need You
Gresley Colliery Band currently have a small number of
vacancies.
The band practice on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 8pm - 10pm, at Gresley Old Hall, Gresley Wood Road, Church Gresley, Nr Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9QW
For directions
click here.
Or email us via the
contact page.
Book the Band
All information associated with booking the band for your next event can be found
here.
What's on locally?
Visit our
'Friends Events' page to find out about shows, concerts and events being organised by our friends in and around the area.