Church Hill Silver

From the tiny hamlet near Derrygonnelly with a current membership of around 45.
Nestling among the hills of west Fermanagh and sandwiched between the mountains and lake, lies the tiny village of Church Hill. This sparsely populated and geographically isolated area twelve miles due west of Enniskillen, has been the home of a marching band for over 130 years. Formed originally as a flute band it converted to brass instruments in 1905 when Church Hill Silver Band was born. Apart from a break during Second World War years it has been marching the roads of Fermanagh and further afield ever since. There are currently forty five members in the band, the youngest being just eleven years old and the oldest Drum Major Alfie Carson who still proudly leads the band on parade at the age of seventy five. The majority of the membership comes from the local area and are from farming families or have connections with the farming industry, with some members being direct descendants of the founders of the original band.

For most of its life the band’s repertoire would have consisted of popular marches and sacred music and most performances would have been at traditional parades or church services, but in recent years Church Hill band has spread its wings and embraced a much wider range of music, taking part in a more diverse range of events. In common with most other silver bands, sit-down concert performances have become a much greater part of the yearly programme as these allow bands to explore many types of music and encourage players to further develop their skills.

With the encouragement and organisational expertise of band standard bearer and benefactor John Richardson, the name of Church Hill has been carried far beyond its native shores. In 2007 the band marched in Bergen, Norway, as part of their national celebrations and in the same year took part in the Lord Mayors Show in London. Then in 2008 it travelled to Jersey to take part in the Battle of the Flowers Parade and gave two concerts in Howard Davis Park.

Under its conductor David Fyffe, the band has improved and matured musically. Coupled with its trips many new horizons have been explored, but at all times the band remains firmly committed to the culture and traditions of its local roots and base.