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Crown Defenders Flute Band Old Mossley were formed on
the 10th September 2000.
For the three years previous to forming the band, around July time a bunch
of other Mossley residents had got together to show their support for the
Orangemen at Drumcree few had been in flute bands before so it was decided
to parade around the estate. The ‘band’ had one side drummer, one bass
drummer and four fluters. It might not have been large in numbers but they
played their hearts out.
While parading a good crowd always gathered to follow
the band. On the 11th night of July 2000 the band paraded to the local
bonfire where they were greeted by a couple of hundred people. The crowd
thoroughly enjoyed themselves and wanted the band to play well into the
early hours of the 12th morning. They were not to be disappointed even
though the members were all shattered from all the previous nights
parading.
In the days following the 12th a few of the members got
together and decided to try and start a band. It had been talked about it
in previous years but for one reason or another never got of the ground.
There was clearly enough young people in the estate to have a band, but
since a lot of them had never picked up a flute or played a drum before,
it would take time to convince them that they could learn an instrument.
After that the next stage was to get a place to practice.
On 10th September 2000 the first practice took place in
the Mossley Pavilion. On the same night the band was officially formed and
committee elected.The first practice got an excellent response from the
young people of Mossley and surrounding areas, with around twenty-five
people attending.
The next step was then to get some funds together to
purchase some new flutes. Side drums and bass drum were kindly loaned to
the band by the family of the late William Gordon to practice on.
Crown Defenders Flute Band, Old Mossley’s first ever
parade was a street collection on the 13th April 2001 around the local
area and the first official parade was on the 17th April 2001 with the
Juniors in Larne. The first marching season was quite successful for a
band which was only formed a few months before. Membership continued to
rise throughout the marching season with numbers reaching over forty in
total. |
