VERWOOD Concert Brass is becoming one of only eight current partner bands with Geneva Instruments.

The partnership is going to give players the opportunity to try out, post the lockdown, a range of Geneva instruments along with discounts on purchases and repairs. But it also brings practical help in the form of Geneva’s performance and development artists.

With no band rehearsals taking place due to the Covid-19 lockdown, Verwood Concert Brass has already taken advantage of the artist support on offer.

Ian Harris, of Verwood Concert Brass, said: “We have been looking at ways of keeping the 100 or so members of the Verwood Concert Brass organisation engaged during the lockdown and like most bands we have been busy making some virtual band videos. However, through our partnership with Geneva, the opportunity arose to try out using Zoom video conferencing to allow our players to see and hear one of their Performance and Development Artists, the fabulous euphonium player Glenn Van Looy.

“Glenn was brilliant, giving lots of hints and tips, with practical demonstrations on his euphonium and holding a Q&A session at the end. This went down so well we are taking advantage of holding further sessions with a few more of Geneva’s artists, namely Eb bass aficionado Joe Cook and cornet supremo Richard Marshall, with no doubt more to come. It has been a real boost to the band having the support of Geneva Instruments.”

Dr L Brett Baker, the general manager at Geneva Group, added “We are delighted to welcome Verwood Concert Brass into our select group of partner bands, they have already utilised Glenn Van Looy in the form of an online workshop and we look forward to working more closely with them when restrictions are lifted.”