Smithills to tour New York

Smithills School Senior Brass Band and MD, Chris Wormald, are to undertake their sixth USA concert tour this summer, where they will perform a series of July concerts in New York.

Smithills and Chris first visited the USA to give concerts in West Virginia back in July 2000. This will be their 25th major tour abroad and the ninth different state in America where they have performed, having.

The band is already preparing completely different concert programmes for each of its concerts in the United Nations building, Central Park, the SS Intrepid and at Ripley’s in Times Square, with further iconic venues still under discussion. Over £38,000 has already been raised since September via sell-out concerts at Victoria Hall, Bolton, sponsored events, fundraising, bag-packing in local supermarkets and CD sales, and it is expected that a further £16,000 will have been raised by May.

Chris Wormald commented; “Obviously, band members are as excited as ever with the prospect of New York looming. For many of the current band it will be their third USA tour with Smithills in addition to two Disneyland Paris trips and the concert week in Cork, Ireland, last year. None of the current band members were even born when we first toured Norway, Japan and New Zealand, but the annual Senior Brass Band tours abroad have always been a particular focus and highlight for us all at Smithills.”

Amongst many other forthcoming concerts, Smithills will play two more Saturday evenings at the Victoria Hall in Bolton on 8 and 22 April to raise money for Bolton Hospice, Help For Heroes and Bolton Lions.