Not many brass bands can claim to have an author amongst its ranks, and it's extremely unlikely that any can claim to have two — but not so with Wingates Band.

Cloud Machine

Band President, David Kaye, wrote the authoritative 'From Bible Class to World Class' to coincide with Wingates 140th anniversary in 2013, whilst in complete contrast, Treasurer Tony Smith has recently written a book about the weather making activities of a bunch of zany cloud machine owners!

Tony has spent a lifetime associated, in one way or another, with aviation and brass bands, and his book, entitled, 'Making Rain and Other Things Is Our Business' manages to combine both!

Musical links

His story features a brass band, and refers to a number of compositions, some by Wingates resident composer, Lucy Pankhurst, who he commissioned to write four pieces called, 'Mr Sonneman's Unusual Solution', 'A Captains Calamity', 'The Great Cloud Parade' and 'St.Kilda's Fling.

The publication was also the catalyst for a musical show called 'The Great Shindig', which is also the name of the book's last story, and features Wingates Band alongside several supporting ensembles -from a local pipe band and dancing troupe to young singers.

The imaginative idea was helped greatly by Rachel Veitch-Straw of Brass Bands England, which ultimately led to a successful Arts Council funding application4BR

Digital imagery

The whole show will also include wonderful digital imagery produced by Liverpool based Draw & Code Limited working in collaboration with media studies students from Wigan & Leigh College — with the narrated stories guiding the audience on a journey following the escapades of the zany weather-makers.

The imaginative idea was helped greatly by Rachel Veitch-Straw of Brass Bands England, which ultimately led to a successful Arts Council funding application.

The project will begin in September and will culminate in a live show in September 2016 in Runcorn.