THE first ever Great Big Fat Manx Trombone Festival is finally here!
The brass music extravaganza aimed at all trombone players, will be staged this weekend and will include a mixture of workshops and social events, culminating in a lunchtime concert at Peel Centenary Centre.
The festival will kick off at 1.30pm on the Saturday with coffee and registration at the Centenary Centre.
Workshops will then be led between 2.30pm and 5pm by Brett Baker and his Black Dyke Trombone Quartet, followed by an evening social event starting at 7.30pm at Northern Lights Community Centre in Ramsey.
The Sunday will then start with a late morning rehearsal at the Centenary Centre and final polishing up before launching into the Sunday lunchtime concert.
The concert, which includes cream teas, will feature performances from The Black Dyke Trombone Quartet, Ramsey Town Band, and the Great Big Fat Manx Trombone Choir.
Organiser Jackie Morrey explained: ‘This festival is intended as both a promotion and a celebration of such a fantastic and also endangered instrument.’
‘There will be a chance to show off your tromboning prowess at the open mic session or pin down one of the Black Dyke members for practice tips.’
Explaining where the idea came from, Jackie, who studied jazz trombone at Leeds Music College, said: ‘Peter Cannell and I help out as trombonists at the Neptune Street Nippers where our children are learning. We were at a concert and got chatting.
‘I have always been fanatical about promoting music education and about the trombone.
‘I played, taught brass and piano, and worked as a music therapist for many years in London.
She concluded: ‘The event is open to each and every trombonist – from the very beginner to Don Lusher superstars!
‘We really want this to be a mass trombone event featuring as many Manx (and beyond) musicians as possible, flushing out old trombonists, encouraging some new and maybe bringing Manx expat trombonists back for the weekend! Other brass instrumentalists who can grab a trombone will benefit too and are very welcome.’
Festival tickets cost £25 for adults and £12.50 for full-time students. There are extra subsidies for BTS members.
Tickets to the Sunday concert, which takes place between 11.30am and 3pm and includes homemade soup, bonnag and cream tea, now cost just £10 for adults and £5 for under 14s.
For more information email register@manxtrombonefestival.org or go to the The Great Big Fat Trombone Festival Facebook page.