SMSG band at Calverton fete
All Saints Calverton is our 'country' church while SMSG is the 'town' church in the parish. Every year SMSG Church band plays at Calverton fete and open day. It is usually held on the first Sunday of September and the weather is almost always fine for being outside (there was one very rainy fete when everything was in the church, the band included - it was memorably cramped though still fun as All Saints is much smaller than St Mary & St Giles and has box pews).
In the past year the band have also played for some Sunday 11am services at All Saints (the fifth Sunday of the month) to give the organist a break (the All Saints organ is a 1 manual Willis tracker organ which needs restoration, it is quite hard to play). The congregation is always very welcoming - although the band is named for SMSG church where it originated, it very much belongs to the whole parish.
This year we played a programme of popular favourites including music from the movies and didn't have to compete with the church bells as the tower captain was giving people tower tours without bell ringing. We started with Chariots of Fire and finished with The Great Escape, there was a fair smattering of James Bond through the programme too.
A four year old visitor was overhead saying "Granny, this is such beautiful music!"
Words and photos by Anna Page (with guest photographer Georgina Eales)
The fete in full swing
The strings get ready to play
Cello, trumpet and trombone
Lesley conducts the band
The strings
SMSG band beside All Saints church
Lollies and music
