Brass band strike up at twin town

Members of a brass band from Rugeley took their instruments all the way to Lichfield's twin town of Limburg an der Lahn in Germany.

Rugeley Power Station Brass Band has just returned from a visit to the German town which coincided with the opening of a four day wine festival, giving the bands members – who hail from Lichfield, Burntwood, Rugeley, Stafford and Walsall – the opportunity to sample some of the wines created by 29 producers whose vineyards lie between Rudesheim and Wiesbaden along the River Rhine.

The brass band, which rehearses weekly at the power station, initially made contact with Limburg two years ago when the Nether Stowe High School musicians performed in the town. In 2007 the Youth Wind Orchestra from Limburg's Music School visited Lichfield over Easter and enjoyed an evening of music with the Power Station Brass Band.

This latest collaboration saw a group of 49 members and friends of the brass band heading for Germany.

As part of the wine festival, the band were due to play outside in the city centre, but as heavy thunderstorms threatened the musicians took their performance inside the town hall, where they treated the audience to a programme including everything from traditional folk songs and Beatles classics to favourites from the musicals.

The trip came to an end with an open air service, barbecue and concert at Runkel, five miles upstream from Limburg, on the island between the lock and river Lahn.

John Graves, president of Rugeley Power Station Brass Band, said: "We had a wonderful time in Limburg and thank all the organisers for helping to make our trip such a success."

The band will next perform at The Black Country Living Museum over the weekend of August 9 and 10.