AN award-winning brass band will launch its 2022 season in County Durham - after the Covid pandemic forced it to stop performing concerts for nearly two years.

The Reg Vardy Band concert at St Paul’s Church, in Spennymoor, on Saturday, March 5 at 7.30pm will herald the start of a busy schedule of performances and will be the first concert led by the band’s new conductor Chris Shanks.

The concert programme will include a wide variety of music to suit all tastes, including pieces not usually played by a brass band, and arrangements by band member Alan Catherall, a well-known and popular arranger of brass band music.

The Reg Vardy Band has cemented their reputation winning prizes at national and international championships to become one of the most successful brass bands in history, having won the regional championships more times than any other brass band in the country.

A spokesperson for the Band said: “We are thrilled to be launching our 2022 season in Spennymoor, especially being back in front of an audience for the first time in nearly two years.

"The Band are eager to perform again, so the concert promises to be a very special occasion.”

Tickets are priced at £10 (concessions £7) and available by calling 01388-816527 or 07946-761108.

Limited tickets will be available on the night of the concert and enquiries can be emailed to stpauls_spennymoor@hotmail.com