Hannah Taylor follows father to join Roberts Bakery Band

Hannah Taylor, aged 15, joined her dad Chris and the rest of the 30-strong band to play at a special Christmas concert for Roberts pensioners at Vale Royal Abbey.

Cornet player Hannah is the youngest member of the band, and the concert was Hannah’s first musical appearance with the ensemble.

And the performance was greatly appreciated by world-renowned musical director Paul Lovatt-Cooper, who conducted the band, and by more than 100 Roberts veterans in attendance.

“It has been an incredible year for us and I am delighted to welcome Hannah to the band as we kick off the festive season,” Paul said.

“It was lovely to share our music with Roberts pensioners at this annual extravaganza and we are looking forward to playing at many more top events in the run up to Christmas.”

As well as being a member of the Roberts Bakery Band, Hannah also plays for Lions Youth Brass, which is based in Sandbach.

Her dad, also a cornet player, has performed with regional brass bands since he was just 12 and joined the Roberts Bakery Band two years ago.

Next year, Roberts Bakery will celebrate 40 years of sponsoring the band which has helped many talented young musicians to succeed in domestic and international competitions.

And Lindsay Occleston, fourth-generation member of the Roberts family, is hoping that this will continue in the future.

“This has been a big year for the band and I am thrilled to see young people like Hannah joining and following in her dad’s footsteps,” she said.

“Fewer and fewer brass bands have company support these days, so we are very pleased to continue our long partnership with our band and help them to achieve further success in 2020.”

The Roberts Bakery Band is set to perform as a number of venues this Christmas, including Chester Cathedral, St Peter’s Church in Newton Le Willows and Tatton Hall.

For more information about the band, their upcoming performances and their new CD, visit the Roberts Bakery Band’s Facebook page.