Drogheda Brass Band has decided the show must go on! Its annual Christmas concert will be a virtual event streamed on the band’s Facebook page (search @droghedabrass) from 6pm on Sunday 20th December.

The band, like all other community and voluntary organisations, went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the cancellation of its entire summer programme of performances that would usually include recitals at Oldbridge, Farmleigh House, the Drogheda Arts Festival and more.

At several stages, when numbers allowed, the band continued to rehearse either outdoors at their premises at East Coast Business Park or in small pods indoors.

And the fruits of those labours were seen during the summer when the band released its first virtual performance - Be Thou My Vision - in July.

This was quickly followed by Drogheda Youth Brass releasing the fabulous Baggy Trousers, where the members of the band’s school of music got to let their hair down and have some fun, albeit remotely and in a safe environment!

Credit must go to the teachers and volunteers of the school of music who have continued to provide lessons for the members via video calls.

At the height of the summer, the band’s musical director Captain John Carpenter of the Army No.1 Band then released his oen arrangement of the ELO hit Mr Blue Sky, which featured terrific photography and drone footage of the town by the band’s members, brothers Anthony and Brian Murphy.

That video proved to be a viral hit, shared across the nation and featuring in national press as well.

For its Christmas concert, the band has put together a number of videos - all produced and mixed by Captain Carpenter - featuring the band, as well as two surprise guests for some solo pieces.

But you’ll have to tune in at 6pm on Sunday 20th December to find out who they are!

The band is running a GoFundMe page (https://gf.me/u/zbqxv5) in line with the concert to try to make up for the financial shortfall of 2020 and would be grateful for any donations big or small.