Kia Ora, I’m Kate Sanders.

I’m Kate and I play flugel in Sumner Silver Band and Woolston Concert Brass. My banding started when my girls were little and we visited my sister Julia in Yorkshire one Christmas. Her boys (as well as Julia and her husband ) were in a brass band and when we came back, we decided we would all learn a brass band instrument in secret and then surprise them next time we went back to see them!

Fast forward 15 years, and we still all play. Julia’s two boys and my youngest daughter are all managing to make a career out of brass playing and the rest of us play for fun.

I am a proper brass band nerd. I love the playing, the contests, the test pieces and the ridiculous competitiveness! I have made some amazing friends through banding and it’s been a great hobby to do with the whole family.

My favourite part of banding is Christmas time (said no brass band person ever!) but I love doing Christmas playouts. There’s nothing nicer than playing In The Bleak Midwinter on a beautiful summer’s day with Sumner band on the Esplanade (and being eternally grateful that I’m not still in the UK playing when it’s minus 5 outside and the flugelhorn has stuck to my lips!)