Tickets are on sale for a special anniversary concert to mark a successful year of fundraising for Sidmouth Town Band.

The band’s ‘friends’ group was set up a year ago and has to date raised more than £20,000 to secure a lease for the group’s new practice room at St Francis Hall.

The money was raised through coffee concerts, variety evenings and band merchandise.

To mark the occasion, it is holding a concert entitled Summer Sounds on Wednesday, July 26, in Sidmouth Parish Church.

Anne Blackburn, founder of Friends of Sidmouth Town Band, said: “Summer Sounds will be a glorious evening of beautiful music with wide appeal featuring some superb solos and a town band ensemble. The concert will help raise further funds to adapt the hall as a rehearsal space, performance venue and youth academy.”

The concert will feature flugelhorn solos from band member Josie Denning following her recent success in Brassed Off at the Manor Pavillion Theatre. Josie is a composer, accomplished soloist and has a first class honours degree in music from Plymouth University.

Former member Jerome Blackburn will also perform a variety of solos on the marimba, xylophone and vibraphone.

The percussionist is now an undergraduate at Birmingham Conservatoire. He last performed locally at the Sidmouth proms in August 2016. Jerome has played with Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Opera Company, Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra and The National Youth Orchestra in major venues including The Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall.

Fiona Harvey, a highly-acclaimed cornet player, also joins the line-up. Fiona has held the position of principal cornet for Sidmouth Town Band for 13 years.

Further guest soloists will be announced soon.

Summer Sounds is at 7.30pm in the church. Tickets are available from Paragon Books at £10 each.