Fresh Aire!

Fresh Aire! started life as Junior Hot Aire!, borne out of increased interest in Hot Aire!, following the inaugural concert in June of 1989.

As Hot Aire! was fully subscripted, the band was intended to to be a stepping stone into the senior band and the bands shared the same music library.

Junior Hot Aire! was mostly conducted by a couple of Hot Aire! players, Helen and Charlie (who both went on to have careers in music) and, for a third of the morning, "Baz" Stephens.

When Baz and Helen decided it was time to move on, Dave Robbins and Brian Anderson joined the bands and shared conducting duties of both bands between them. It was at this time that it was determined that the "Junior" band should have a name in it's own right, and Fresh Aire! was the most popular suggestion.

When, a couple of years later, interest in banding waned a little, the players of Fresh Aire! merged with Hot Aire! to form one band under the baton of Brian Anderson

Jump forward to 2010, and concern over a lack of young blood in Hot Aire and where it's future players were to come from, lead to discussions about restarting Fresh Aire!, but with an emphasis on teaching.

Once again, players from Hot Aire! gave their time and energy for free and in March 2010, the new Fresh Aire! met for the first time.

Over the next few years the band evolved beyond expectation.

Fresh Aire! is once again a band in its own right, although this time having their own repertoire to maximise their talents.

Our "learners" are of any age with a fifty/fifty split of young and adult improvers. The band remains viable, despite a significant number of players gaining the skills to move on to the "Senior" band, through a steady influx of new players each year.

 

In March 2014, Fresh Aire! hosted their first concert in their own right, with Hot Aire! as one of their guests.

Fresh Aire! is lead by Barbara Snowden. Find out more about what they are doing now on the website at www.freshaire.org.uk