The members of Watership Brass are putting the final touches to their preparation for their forthcoming tour to Belgium.

The band will leave on Friday and return on August 27th after a trip that takes in the delights of the city of Bruges and its surrounding area.

Very excited

It is their first overseas trip since 2018 when they visited Prague, and as their spokesperson Bronwen Davies told 4BR: "We are all very excited. Bruges is renowned for its welcome, its wonderful scenery and history and we can't wait to showcase our performances at several venues."

One of this will be a visit to the town of Ypres, where on a previous tour the band had the honour at playing at the Menin Gate Memorial.

On this occasion the band will give a joint concert with De Brasserie Ieper, part of a thriving local music group, whose members include a former colleague of Watership's Musical Director, Mark Picken.

Following that there are musical visits to the 'hops city' of Poperinge, the coastal town of Ostend and then on their way home a stop off for a final concert in De Panne on the French border.

We are all very excited. Bruges is renowned for its welcome, its wonderful scenery and history and we can't wait to showcase our performances at several venuesWatership Brass

Taste of Newbury

MD Mark Picken told 4BR: "At all four concerts we'll bring our usual mix of popular music, traditional marches and hymns, but will also include a Belgian flavour with an arrangement of the Flemish folk song 't'Smidje' and their own work written by Bronwen entitled 'A Watership Fairey Tale in Bruges'.

We're excited to be taking 28 local players and our guests to share with audiences our love for brass band music making."