Following their appearance at the inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot last month, Friary Guildford Brass Band went global last weekend, providing pre-match entertainment and playing the national anthems for the Gillette 4 Nations Rugby League matches at Wembley Stadium. The event was televised on BBC1 and Sky Sports, bringing the band to an international audience.
“I’ve always wanted to say I’ve played at Wembley, said band chairman, Nigel Stevens, “And although it wasn’t as part of an international sporting team, it was still a tremendous honour and thrill for everyone to walk up the tunnel onto the pitch. All the band had a memorable day,” he added.
Commenting on the band’s excellent performance at Wembley, Tabby Clegg, co-Director of Mode for…. who supplies all the bands for Gillette 4 Nations Tournament said: “Friary Guildford did what can only be described as a first-class professional job at Wembley. Not only was the band professional in performance, its conduct was meticulous and very accommodating to all requests. The band and MD Chris King were an absolute delight to work with and made the pre-match entertainment a very special occasion.”
Friary Guildford Band’s next engagement will be leading Guildford’s civic procession to mark Remembrance Sunday.