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<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="4fefd5a3.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="66e7c250.png" border=0 width="124" height="37" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">|     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Silk Brass (AstraZeneca)"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>About Us</B>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U>News</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Player Profiles"><U>Player Profiles</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Engagements 2008"><U> Engagements 2008</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U>Photo Gallery</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recordings Shop"><U>Recordings & Shop</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Guest Book"><U>Guest Book</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="4ffd2b03.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Silk Brass (AstraZeneca)"><U><IMG SRC="6ec7f1f0.png" border=0 width="127" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="6ed7f1f0.png" border=0 width="127" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U><IMG SRC="6ee7f1f0.png" border=0 width="127" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Player Profiles"><U><IMG SRC="6f07f1f0.png" border=0 width="127" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Engagements 2008"><U><IMG SRC="6f17f1f0.png" border=0 width="127" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U><IMG SRC="6f27f1f0.png" border=0 width="127" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recordings Shop"><U><IMG SRC="6f37f1f0.png" border=0 width="127" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><IMG SRC="6f47f1f0.png" border=0 width="127" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Guest Book"><U><IMG SRC="6f57f1f0.png" border=0 width="127" height="31" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="7477a3d0.jpg" border=0 width="122" height="61" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.astrazeneca.co.uk/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.astrazeneca.co.uk/"><U><IMG SRC="693f04a0.png" border=0 width="496" height="74" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Vladimir Script" ><I><IMG SRC="7585e2f0.jpg" border=0 width="94" height="47" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="6c9c81f0.jpg" border=0 width="456" height="287" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="15" VSPACE="5"></B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Silk Brass began life as a 10-piece band in February 1997 – but from those lowly beginnings the Band has changed beyond all recognition..</FONT></div> <div> Eleven years on and 2008 sees Silk Brass in fine shape :-</div> <div> The band has a full compliment of 28 players, who meet twice a week at their very own bandroom in Marton, just outside Macclesfield. The band has a great main sponsor in AstraZeneca, who has supported the Band since its early days, and they also have a music sponsor in the shape of The Davenport Arms Country Inn and Restaurant at Marton </div> <bR> <div> In January 2007 Silk Brass was promoted to the first section and the bands playing is still going from strength to strength under the directorship Jim Cant, who was appointed as new conductor in 2006. </div> <div> The band has recently replaced all 11 cornets with brand new York instruments, refurbished 5 basses, 2 euphoniums and 2 baritones and is about to replace the tenor trombones.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Contesting</B></div> <div> The Band has had continued success in the contest arena with wins at Derby, the Isle of Wight, Buxton, and also at the 2003 National Finals in the 3rd section. There has also been great performances at the Whit Friday March Contests, which culminated in the bands' best performance in 2007 when they were placed 11th overall in the Tameside Championship, achieving two 4th places at Denton and Scouthead, (including best bass section), and 6 other top ten finishes against some of the best bands in the country. The band are confident that thier progress and success will continue into the future.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Concerts</B> </div> <div> Silk Brass has always been known as a great concert band that plays the music audiences really enjoy, whilst still offering the players some serious challenges. Silk is a band that is in great demand throughout the year, but particularly at Christmas when a series of sell out concerts sees them playing to a December audience of well over 2,000 people.</div> <bR> <div> As well as making sure their audiences go away happy, they also make sure that wherever possible, other organisations benefit from their work, either through fundraising efforts or by helping them to raise awareness of their cause, and in 2006 they teamed up with Macclesfield Talking Newspaper to broadcast one of their concerts to their listeners. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>