The Snowman family screening accompanied live by award-winning Wantage Band

Since 2021, the award winning Wantage Band have been wowing families with their family Christmas concerts, where live music meets cinema, centered around The Snowman – the festive cinematic masterpiece by the late Raymond Briggs.

Whether you’re yet to experience this or it’s now your annual tradition, they’ll be performing at Arlington Arts, Snelsmore Common, on Sunday at 1.30pm and 4pm.

“Our band thoroughly enjoys performing these concerts each Christmas. It’s become the ‘thing to do’ for families in the area each December – what we had always hoped for when we embarked on this project for the first time four years ago!” said organiser and band member Sam Wyne.

So you’ve not been to a brass band concert before, what can you expect?

Sam explains: “Our family concerts last an hour.

“Our talented musical director, Chris King, guides the audience through several festive pieces to get warmed up. After this we turn down the lights, invite families to get comfy and to enjoy listening to the soundtrack to The Snowman, performed by the band, in perfect sync with the film on the big screen.”

Newly appointed compere Sarah Roe will be guiding audiences through each concert using makaton to help connect with even more families.

Sam adds: “Our whole ethos at the Wantage Silver Band organisation is ‘access for all’. We feel it’s important for all young people to have music in their lives and we want every part of our concerts to be as accessible as possible. We have wanted to add some sort of signing to our concerts for a while now and we’re so pleased to have Sarah on board.”

The band are also joined by the talented pianist Andrew McKenna and young singer Grace Clark to sing the iconic Walking in the Air.

Tickets can be booked from just £10 at www.wantageband.org/events

There is nothing better than the sound of a brass band at Christmas.

Wantage Silver Band are an amateur brass band organisation, based in Wantage. The organisation currently comprises nine bands, possibly making it the largest brass organisation in the country. ‘Wantage Band’ is in the prestigious Championship Section and performs and competes all over the country. The band is proud of its large setup including three contesting bands, non-competitve Community Brass, three learner bands, a big band and percussion academy. For more information about WSB visit www.wantageband.org