DeeP Music - King's Lynn Community Samba Band

KLCSB contemplating the long walk at this year's Northwold Carnival - thankfully the torrential rain held off till the end

The KLCSB is an open access community band set up with the help of Norfolk Music Works in 2000. New members are always welcome. During the foreseeable future band workshops and rehearsals are being run under the umbrella of DeeP Music. Performances are generally arranged through Norfolk Music Works (tel: 01485 609009). The band performs a few times a year in carnivals and village fetes and has taken part in some large scale community music projects including two in collaboration with The Grand Union Orchestra and Mac Tontoh's Kete Warriors. Members of the group are encouraged to join in with regional and national encounters, gatherings and events known as encontros.

Derek leads the sessions and the band plays a mix of Anglo-Samba rhythms including those known as batucada, Mozambique, samba-reggae and Timbalada, which will be known to other "sambistas" in the UK. The set pieces have been composed by Derek, Lee Higgins (ex-Desfile, the Peterborough Community Samba Band, now a lecturer at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts), sambistas within the East Anglia Region and nationally or through workshops. The KLCSB also play a couple of more unusual crossover rhythms, not known to be played by any other group , Derek's "Samba March" and his taiko-influenced "Mitsouri". After a period of dwindling numbers 2007 saw the band once more strong enough to begin performing once again under its own name. Many thanks to those members of the band who have worked hard to boost numbers. We are happy to see even more players though!

This year several members of the band plan to join in once again with the mega performances of Eastern Bloco, a large samba percussion band drawing players from the groups in Bedford, Cambridge, Hitchin, Ipswich, King's Lynn, Luton, Northampton, Norwich and Peterborough. Eastern Bloco performances last year included Luton Carnival, Cambridge Strawberry Fair, Northampton, Chatteris and St Neot's Carnivals, Peterborough Mayor's Parade, Wisbech Rose Fair and the World Conker Championships near Oundle. Follow the link to Eastern Bloco to see details of this year's joint events.

Rehearsals and workshops for the King's Lynn Community Samba Band take place during school term times on the first and third (and sometimes the fifth) Thursday of each month from 7.30-9.00pm. We meet at 32 St James Street, King's Lynn. This is a new rehearsal venue for this term. Cost is £5 per person (over 18), £2.50 (under 18). Under 15s are welcome if they attend with a family or designated responsible adult. It is, however, the responsibility of the adult to ensure that their child can cope with the demands of a rehearsal situation and a mainly adult environment. Since we only rehearse a couple of times most months we need to make full use of the time we have.

If you are curious about playing with the band, you can contact DeeP Music to talk it through by phone or e-mail or you can just turn up on the night. Below is a list of dates for workshops and performances. For performances with the King's Lynn Community Samba Band we need as many members as possible to commit to taking part. We need to see you at rehearsals from now on! Eastern Bloco performances are for those members of the band who are confident with the EB repertoire and who have attended at least one and preferably more EB rehearsals.

Dates planned for workshops and performances include (dates of non-KLCSB events listed in grey):

Monday, 26th May, 2008, 12.00-14.00 KLCSB Downham Market Carnival performance for band
Thursday, 5th June, 2008, 19.30-21.00 KLCSB workshop/rehearsal for all
Saturday, 7th June, 2008, 12.30 KLCSB Snettisham Scouts Fête performance for band cancelled
Saturday, 14th June, 2008, 14.00 KLCSB Northwold Carnival performance for band details
Thursday, 19th June, 2008, 19.30-21.00 KLCSB workshop/rehearsal for all
Saturday, 28th June, 2008, Eastern Bloco performance Peterborough
Thursday, 3rd July, 2008, 19.30-21.00 KLCSB workshop/rehearsal for all
Saturday, 5th July, 2008, 10.00-16.00 KLCSB Wisbech Rose Fair performances for band details
Saturday, 12th July, 2008, Eastern Bloco performance Bedford details
Thursday, 17th July, 2008, 19.30-21.00 KLCSB workshop/rehearsal for all
Saturday, 26th July, 2008, Eastern Bloco performance Littleport details
Saturday, 14th September, 2008, Eastern Bloco performance Althorp 10k Run details

Keep an eye on this page for further updates or contact DeeP Music for more information.

DeeP Music is grateful to Norfolk Music Works for helping to support the KLCSB

Samba workshops are also available for schools and other groups. Please contact DeeP Music for details