Foden's Band are back this Christmas for a special screening of Raymond Briggs' classic - The Snowman.  We are delighted to present this unique opportunity to watch a family favourite, with the live score performed by the World's Number 1 Band The shows will be held in the Theatre at Sandbach School on the 14th December - 11.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm. Each show will last approx 45 minutes and include some family festive favourites as well as the full Snowman screening. Tickets are limited, please purchase early to avoid disappointment. (Children aged Under 3 is free entrance providing they sit on the knee of an adult) Tickets via www.priorbooking.com/u/fodens

Following on from his recent victory at this year's Brass Band Conductors' Association's (BBCA’s) flagship Conducting Competition, So Matsukawa has gone on to claim his prize of a unique opportunity to rehearse and conduct a championship band. Working with Foden's band and mentored by Russell Gray, So prepared the band for a concert at London’s Regent Hall in London on the eve of the National Brass Band Championships. So, who hails from Japan gave this account of his experience: “I have been waiting for this award winner’s concert since I received the award in June! I never thought I would be able to play music with the top band that I had only heard on CD, and in the UK. But it wasn't just the concert that was truly precious this time. The 10 days I spent with them were all gems. I shared every moment of Russell conducting Foden's until the National Championships. I have really admired the sound of British brass bands since I played the tuba in junior high school. Among them, "Harrison's Dream" was one of my favourite pieces. This year, the piece is the test piece for the first time in 24 years! I felt, what a blessing! I have enjoyed "Harrison's Dream" many times in these 10 days! And with the sound of the super brass band, Foden's. I conducted two pieces at the Regent Hall concert the day before the National Championships. The pieces were "The Roots of Heaven" by Malcolm Arnold arr. Neil E Richmond and "With Fire and Sword" by Peter Graham. From the first rehearsal, Foden’s welcomed me like family and immediately picked up on my music. But those two songs were not the only ones that moved me. They performed hymns as a routine before rehearsals. I was moved, this is a British brass band! I was originally planning to play only one hymn before the rehearsal, but I was so moved that I added another one on the spot.” 

On Saturday 5th October Foden's competed at the 'National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain' held at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The contest featured the top 20 brass bands from around the UK who qualified from competing at various 'Area' contests across the country. Foden's won the 'North West Area' in February '24 for the eight consecutive year. Each band performed the set piece entitled 'Harrisons Dream' by Peter Graham. Foden's were delighted to be placed 'runner up' against such strong opposition, making them the most consistent band in this contest over the past four years being placed runner up on two occasions and National Champions twice Congratulations to all at the Flowers Band on their victory 1. Flowers (Paul Holland)* 2. Foden's (Russell Gray)* 3. Black Dyke (Prof Nicholas Childs)* 4. Cory (Philip Harper) 5. the Cooperation band (David Morton) 6. Tredegar (Ian Porthouse) 7. Carlton Main Frickley Colliery (Allan Withington) 8. Zone One Brass (Richard Ward) 9. Aldbourne (Ivan Meylemans) 10. Brighouse & Rastrick (Prof David King) 11. Friary Brass (Nigel Taken) 12. GUS Band (Dr David Thornton) 13. Whitburn (Michael Fowles) 14. NASUWT Riverside (Dr Ray Farr) 15. Desford Colliery (Phillip McCann) 16. Tongwynlais Temperance (Owen Farr) 17. Easington Colliery (Luc Vertommen) 18. Ebbw Valley (Gareth Ritter) 19. Pemberton Old Wigan DW (Ryan Watkins) 20. KNDS Fairey (Philip Chalk) Best instrumentalist: Daniel Thomas (euphonium) — Flowers *Top three pre-qualify for 2025 National final

Foden's are looking forward to hosting their annual 'National Championships preview evening' at the Regent Hall, London on the 4 th October. As well as including a sneak preview of Peter Graham's 'Harrison's Dream' they will also reprise their award winning Brass in Concert set 'Prince Ali' as well as performing music from their critically acclaimed Malcolm Arnold CD and other concert items. Speaking about the concert Mark Wilkinson commented 'Performing at the Regent Hall is one of our yearly highlights and this year is no different! We are delighted to announce that the fantastic Jens Lindemann has accepted our invitation to perform and we also look forward to being joined by So Matsukawa who was the winner of the 2024 Brass Band Conductors Assocation Contest. Jens is a Vice President of Foden's being in demand as a soloist and educator (including appearances with the World's leading Orchestras, London Symphony, Berlin, Philadelphia, Moscow, St. Petersburg etc). So has just returned from a successful tour of Japan where he served as assistant Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. So will conduct a couple of items in the programme with the remaining pieces directed by Russell Gray. We are extremely grateful to Yamaha for their continued support.' Tickets are available via https://priorbooking.com/u/fodens

On Saturday 14 th September Foden's performed to a capacity audience at the prestigious North Wales International Festival. The artistic director is Paul Mealor, President of Foden's who had arranged a stella line up of artists including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Foden's enjoyed performing a programme which included music from the pen of Dvorak, Elgar, Debussy, Heaton as well as works from Paul Mealor. The second half consisted of the bands BIC award winning set 'Princ Ali - from rags to riches' and Mussorgsky's 'Baba Yaga' and 'The Great Gate of Kiev'

Despite a solid performance of Jan Van der Roost’s ‘The Lost Circle’ the band were placed 5 th from an extremely strong line up of 18 leading Bands from the UK. Foden's would like to congratulate the new British Open Champions Brass Band Treize Etoiles (from Switzerland) and the Flowers Band for their historic qualification to represent England at the European Championships in 2026!  FULL RESULTS Test Piece: The Lost Circle (Jan Van der Roost) Adjudicators: Dr Stephen Cobb, Anne Crookston, Dr Luc Vertommen 1. Brass Band Treize Etoiles (Frederic Theodoloz) 2. Flowers (Paul Holland) 3. Black Dyke (Prof Nicholas Childs) 4. Grimethorpe (Michael Bach) 5. Foden's (Russell Gray) 6. KNDS Fairey (Philip Chalk) 7. Tredegar (Ian Porthouse) 8. the cooperation band (Glenn Van Looy) 9. Leyland (Daniel Brooks) 10. Carlton Main Frickley Main (Allan Withington) 11. Cory (Philip Harper) 12. Brighouse & Rastrick (Prof David King) 13. Hammonds (Morgan Griffiths) 14. Hepworth (Ryan Watkins) 15. Aldbourne (Ivan Meylemans) 16. Northop Silver (Erik van de Kolk) 17. Whitburn (Michael Fowles) 18. Oldham Band (Lees) (John Collins)

Foden’s Youth Band 2024-2025 Season Foden’s Band are delighted to announce that registration is now open for this year’s Foden’s Youth Band. The Youth Band, now entering its 13 th season, welcomes players from across the region and from further afield to monthly rehearsals led by Foden’s team of experienced conductors and tutors. Players aged 21 or under, and grade 5 or above, are welcome to apply to the band. The band meets 10 times per academic year in Sandbach, benefitting from unique opportunities thanks to access to Foden’s talented and experienced team of conductors, tutors, performers and composers. Once again, we will be working in partnership with the Royal Northern College of Music who will be sending students to shadow Foden’s Band tutors as part of their studies. This partnership has proved highly inspirational for the young musicians in the band. The band has an exciting season planned, which will include a collaborative project with the brass department at Chetham’s School of Music, a new commission from the band’s horn tutor Jonathan Bates, and an opportunity to perform on stage with Foden’s band in concert at the Victoria Hall, Hanley in June 2025. To find out more and apply, please visit: Our Foden's Youth Band Page

Foden's will once again host an 'open rehearsal' ahead of their title defence as British Open Champions at 7:30pm on Thursday 5 th September in the theatre at Sandbach School, Crewe Rd, Sandbach. Entry is FREE, so come along to hear the band putting their final touches to this year's brand new set-work by Jan Van Der Roost under the baton of Russell Gray!

After months of planning, Foden’s Band set off on ‘the trip of a lifetime’ as featured artists at the 2024 Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival, this year held between the 7th - 16th August. The annual festival, being staged for the 29th time on the beautiful South Korean island of Jeju, is one of the leading events of its type in the world. The festival has welcomed many globally renowned wind ensembles over its 29 years of existence. However, for a brass band to be invited to perform at the festival is a rarity. The Cory Band were the first to do so in 2022 and their successful appearance paved the way for another top British brass ensemble to light up the festival this year in the form of Foden’s. The advent of British style brass bands performing at the Jeju Festival has undoubtedly been greatly aided by the two most recent artistic directors of the event; firstly euphonium superstar, Steven Mead, and now the leading international trumpet soloist, Jens Lindemann. The journey to the far east is, of course, a fairly lengthy one and after 24 hours of travelling, Foden’s Band members arrived at their hotel on the evening of August 7th. After a day of acclimatising to the extreme South Korean heat and exploring Jeju city, the band’s first performance was at the opening concert of the Jeju Festival which took place in the stunning auditorium of the Jeju Arts Centre. Foden’s appeared alongside the Jeju Wind Orchestra, the Barcelona Clarinet Players and the Jeju Union Male Chorus in front of a terrifically enthusiastic audience of around 1000 people. The opening concert was also recorded by National TV to be transmitted at a later date . The extremely warm reception afforded to the band and its soloists wherever they performed became one of the standout highlights of the trip. At this opening event, Foden’s were also delighted to accompany the festival’s current artistic director (and one of Foden’s vice presidents), Jens Lindemann, in a performance of William Himes’ beautiful setting of ‘Amazing Grace.’