Friary Diary - Issue 128 - October 2025

Welcome to Friary Diary issue 128 - a monthly round up of news about the Friary Brass Band.

LEWES BONFIRE PARADE:

Amid fireworks, effigies and tableaux, Friary Brass Band marched through  the streets of Lewes, East Sussex on 5^th November, once again entertaining the thousands of spectators at the town’s historic Bonfire Night celebrations.  Believed to be the largest event of its kind in the UK, it not only remembers the 1605 'Gunpowder Plot' but also the town’s 17 Protestant martyrs who were burnt at the stake during religious persecutions in the reign of Queen Mary.  Each one is commemorated by a flaming cross carried in the procession which attracts between 25 and 30 bonfire societies from the town and further afield in the county, and up to 80,000 attendees.  

The Band played various sets from dusk till after midnight, surrounded by the revellers.  A particular favourite was Sussex by the Sea, said to have been inspired from the poem Sussex by Rudyard Kipling, and adopted as the unofficial anthem of the county and also of nearby Brighton and Hove Albion FC.

‘What an unbelievable experience with the noise of firecrackers everywhere and the costumes,’ commented Friary chairman David Wicks.  ‘It’s definitely one of our most memorable and unusual gigs: we’re thrilled to be part of such a historic occasion,’ he added.

WOKING CONCERT:

Sadly, due to unforeseen circumstances at the organisers, the concert at Woking Savation Army, scheduled for 22^nd November has had to be postponed.   We hope that it can be re-arranged before too long, and will keep you informed.

RANKING NEWS:

At last, there’s some good news!  A further update by 4barsrest.com to their world rankings table on 31^st October saw Friary rise five places to 46^th .  Brassstats.com updated their table on 1^st October with Friary placed at 48^th.