An Unforgettable Weekend in Belgium for the Wardle Band
Our talented team of musicians took a trip to Belgium this weekend where they had the chance to perform and sight see around Bruges and Ypres. The band had a jam-packed weekend with a scenic outdoor performance in Ostend, a trip to Bellewaerde Theme Park and a beautiful canal cruise in Bruges.
Students were immersed in the rich and devastating history of Belgium by taking a trip to the Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world, where they were able to pay their respects to the dead. Some students were even able to find the graves of distant relatives.
Wardle had the honour of playing at the Menin Gate, a World War One memorial dedicated to fallen soldiers, as part of the remembrance service. They played two hymns whilst poppy wreaths were laid at the memorial.
At the end of the ceremony, the band played again as they marched out of the Menin Gate, a beautiful commemoration to those lost in WW1. It was a truly special and unforgettable experience, one which we are sure the students will remember forever.
The trip also signifies the end of three of our members’ time with the band as they leave us as Wardle students. We wish them all the best in their next chapter, they will be sorely missed but I’m sure they’ll stay in touch and support the youth band whenever possible!
Well done to all of our band members for another amazing performance and for always being such great ambassadors for Wardle!
We have received some lovely feedback from David Frisby, a spectator at the Menin Gate memorial event. Dave was so moved by the performance that he found the name of our band and contacted our Headteacher, Mr Glennie, to share his lovely words of appreciation for the Wardle Band!
We are so proud that our band’s talent has had such a profound effect on its audience. Take a look at David’s lovely words of feedback.
I just wanted to take a few moments to express my sincere appreciation to the members of the magnificent Wardle Academy Brass Band.
Your band were quite simply astonishing. They produced the most incredibly perfect performance which when amplified by the acoustics within the Menin Gate was just breathtaking.
Honestly, that performance brought tears to my eyes. As a spectator, the band were consummate ambassadors for their country and of course their school and their families. What a truly inspirational group of young people.
The Wardle Academy Brass Band were at the centre of a ceremony dedicated to the memory of so many other heroes.
So on behalf of me and the countless others at the Menin Gate Memorial on 30th June 2024, a massive thank you for your performance and the immense sense of pride that I felt as a British person watching a British school band pull off a performance like that. What a privilege.
