Easingwold Town Band’s Tour to Germany

“Wunderbar!! “– the verdict of all 37 of us on our return on Friday 2 August from the Town Band’s first-ever foreign tour. At midnight the previous Sunday we had set out from Easingwold by coach for the 16-hour journey to Rüdesheim am Rhein. Our group consisted of our conductor Alistair Shipman, 23 Town Band players (aged 12 to 80-plus), strengthened by 4 guest players from Swinton Excelsior Band, with 9 accompanying family members.

We reached Rüdesheim on Monday evening, admired the view over the Rhine and explored the town. Tuesday dawned cloudless: as the temperature rose into the thirties, many of us took the chairlift up the vine-planted slopes behind the town. The nearby Abbey of St Hildegard – celebrated 12th-century abbess, prophet and musician – afforded an equally fine view, and beer produced by a neighbouring monastery….