Christmas Events 2012

Carol playing by the local brass band is an characteristic part of a quintessentially British Christmas. ‘Mumping’ - as it is known in many areas - has been part of Christmas for the Stalham Brass Band in Norfolk for around 140 years and although the tradition may have stayed the same, the landscape has not necessarily.
The band’s practice room for over 20 years after the second world war was the auction hall on the sale ground at Stalham and at Christmas time the Tuesday Sale was the venue for carol playing.
The auction hall and the Tuesday Sale have long gone, and the site is now occupied by the Stalham branch of Tesco.
Seamlessly though, the band continue to play carols in the same location.
“When Tesco first opened here, they asked the Stalham Brass Band to play carols at the store throughout December every year.” said Dr. Tim Thirst, the band’s Director of Music, “and this year marks our tenth year at the store.”
A spokesman for Tesco said of the band: ” We are pleased to fully support the Stalham Brass Band and welcome the positive impact it has on the community.”
Last Saturday (8th) the MP for North Norfolk - Norman Lamb - dropped in for a photo with the band and to congratulate it on its community spirit and progress made so far on their new training scheme. The band has recently had its first intake of new young players who have risen from over 100 children given the opportunity by the band this year to train as brass players. The scheme which was developed by Tim Thirst and backed by Arts Council England and Brass Bands England has been very successful in its first year. As part of the project, school children from the age of seven in all the Stalham area schools are given free tuition, including master-classes, free instrument hire and free visits to concerts.