1991 – Band’s Best Season

CRANBROOK Town Band, under its MD Ian Lanceley, is enjoying the most successful ever contesting season in the band’s history.

The year started well with a first place in the fourth section at the SCABA Spring Contest at Brighton and was followed in May when the band, entering its first entertainment contest at Crawley in Sussex, was the highest placed fourth section band and second overall in the “B” section.

After a busy summer of concerts throughout Kent and East Sussex, culminating at the Kent and East Sussex Railway’s Good Old days weekend, it was back to contesting.

The contest in question was the SCABA Autumn contest at Folkestone where, playing Gordon Langford’s overture Metropolis, the band was again placed first in the fourth section. A very pleasing season indeed.

MD Ian Lanceley topped his day when, playing as principal cornet with the winning second section band GEC Avionics, he carried off the Best Instrumentalist prize for the fourth year running.

Although the band has been busy all year raising the necessary funds to support itself it still finds the time to help local organisations and charities. The band is now looking forward to November 17 when, at the White Rock Theatre, Hastings, together with Battle Town Band and the fabulous talents of guest soloist John Hudson, it gives a Gala Concert in aid of the British Legions’ Poppy Appeal.