THE Lion Salt Works Museum is hosting is a masterclass on how the City of Chester Brass Band rehearses for its winning competition performances.

This insight into the inner workings of this top brass band will be held at the museum on Saturday between 2.30pm and 4pm. There is a suggested donation of £2 and there is no need to book in advance.

The masterclass will show how the deputy musical director of the band, Matthew Birkett, rehearses the band with techniques for a winning performance.

The 25-piece band will rehearse a contest piece for the NW Regional Area Championships to be held in Blackpool in February.

The piece by Dan Price, called ‘Darkwood’, takes its musical inspiration from Blackley Village near Manchester.

Matthew Birkett said: “At this open rehearsal, I will literally be ‘pulling the music to pieces’ to clarify dynamics, balance and intonation, before re-building the different sections back into the whole composition.

“I think it will be an eye-opener for anyone who likes to listen to music but doesn’t know how it gets from the notes on the page to a winning performance.” Councillor Louise Gittins said: “This is a really different and unusual event and promises to be fascinating for anyone who enjoys listening to music.

“I am delighted that the Lion Salt Works Museum’s Thompson Suite is used for talks, conferences and rural touring plays as well as for quite out of the ordinary events like this one.”