This year we celebrate 45 years of music-making in the local community and far beyond!
Founded in 1981 the Corsham Windband has supported thousands of children and young people to play brass, woodwind, percussion, string instruments and to sing. Our music has been performed in many settings in Corsham, Chippenham, Melksham and Bath. CWA bands have participated in national and international festivals at the Royal Festival Hall (London), Bristol Beacon, Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester), Glasgow City Hall (Scotland), Truro Cathedral (Cornwall), Strasbourg City Hall (France), King of Norway’s Royal Summer House (Norway), and Prediger – Swaibisch Gmund (Germany).
Tours and hosting have provided many opportunities to perform with choirs, bands and orchestras from across England – Cornwall – County Youth and Children’s Choirs, St Austell Youth Brass Band and Truro Male Voice Choir; France – Harmonie de Schiltigheim, Jargeau College; Norway – Mandel Gutteskorp; Germany – Durscheid Jugendkapelle, Schwaïbisch Gmünder Jugendkapelle; and America – New York State, Minnesota and Kentucky wind orchestras.
Many of our former players have continued their music-making at university, as professional musicians and in their local communities across the country, Europe, Canada and America. Beginning with individual performance awards at the Mid-Somerset Festival we have an array of current and recent performers in the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Air Force Central Band, Band of the Coldstream Guards, British Clarinet Ensemble; students and teachers in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal College of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, National Youth Orchestra, Orchestra for All, National Youth Jazz Orchestra; universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton, Falmouth, Exeter, Birmingham City, Birmingham, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts; and music schools including Wellington College, Wells Cathedral School, Cheatham school of music and more!
2023 to date the Corsham Windband Association Music Development Programme provides high-quality music education in local primary schools and a clear pathway into CWAs three community windbands and string group. Specialist tutors in brass, woodwind and strings deliver engaging lessons that introduce children to the joy of making music, often culminating in concerts and assemblies that highlight their progress. With a thousand pupils already taking part across Corsham, Chippenham and Melksham, the programme builds confidence, teamwork and a lifelong love of music, while preparing young musicians to participate in CWA’s ensembles.
Our partner schools include – Churchfields The Village School, Corsham Regis Primary Academy, Corsham Primary School (Broadwood and Pound Pill), Heywood Preparatory School, The Manor C of E Primary School, Neston Primary, St Mary’s Catholic Primary, St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, St Peter’s C of E Academy, Queens Crescent Primary School, Winsley Primary School
45th Anniversary Celebration Concerts and Events
- 13th March Primary School Workshops – 9am – 1pm The Corsham School
- 21st March CORSHAM WINDBAND ASSOCIATION ANNIVERSARY CONCERT – 3 – 5pm The Corsham School
- 6 and 7th June Open House 10am – 3pm, Middlewick, Corsham
- 5th July, CWA with Wiltshire Young Musicians – 3 – 5pm, Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-Upon-Avon
- 11th July CORSHAM WINDBAND ASSOCIATION ANNIVERSARY CONCERT – 3 – 5pm St Bartholomew’s Church
Dame Sonia Blandford DBE
Founder and Musical Director