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Big Band Society

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Description

Welcome to Big Band Society!

       

 

Thinking about joining Big Band Society? We’d love to have you! 

Join us every Friday evening in the Richmond Building for a relaxed rehearsal, with a break in the middle for a cheeky pint in the Balloon Bar. We hold regular socials such as karaoke, scavenger hunts, formals, as well as a family scheme – not to mention a post-rehearsal pub trip every Friday! 

Big Band Society has not one but TWO big bands, and they’re both big. 

  • The Bristol Hornstars is our fully auditioned band. Rehearsing in the Stephenson Room (in the Richmond building) this band is smaller but tends to take on a more challenging repertoire and consistently delivers some of the best big band performances in Bristol and the surrounding area. Highlights of this year included exclusive gigs at Pizza Express Soho and Old Market Assembly, along with producing professional recordings which you can find here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6FV8tGlfboDdnz0TFdXVqU?si=phd1aRqZRQ6N6coXlTQ1RQ 

  • Bristol University Jazz Orchestra (BUJO) is our larger band rehearsing in the Carpenter room. If you play a horn, just turn up – no audition necessary. However, if you’re a singer or rhythm player, you’ll need to be auditioned to come to rehearsals. While BUJO’s rehearsals may be a little more relaxed than The Hornstars’, the quality of music is certainly no less, and the band has achieved a lot this year. Last year in Bath we were crowned the winners of the south-west Battle of the Big Bands camon🏆! 

We hold auditions in the first week of term (the week after freshers’ week). Auditions for the following instruments are accepted: 

Hornstars: 

  • Alto sax 

  • Tenor sax 

  • Bari sax 

  • Trombone 

  • Trumpet 

BUJO and Hornstars: 

  • Drums 

  • Bass 

  • Guitar 

  • Keys 

  • Vocals 

If you play other instruments (for example clarinet or flute) unfortunately you won’t be able to audition for Hornstars because Big Band parts aren’t written for your instrument, but you may be able to join in with BUJO, and if you want more from the uni Jazz scene, check out our friends over at the Jazz Funk Soul Society. 

For full joining information and to sign up for auditions visit our website: https://bigbandsoc.co.uk/join/ 

From sell-out shows at The Fleece and Bristol Beacon to other iconic venues, we typically aim for one or two major gigs each term. There are also opportunities for paid performances in between with our Small Band Scheme. 

Membership is free!! Come pop in any time, even if you’ve missed a few rehearsals - just bring your horn. Membership lets you sign up to our programs and attend our socials, so sign up for free on this page! 

What if I don’t play Jazz? Don’t worry, we accept musicians from all backgrounds and would love to be your gateway to jazz. You can still audition, and of course every horn is welcome at BUJO. 

What if I’m out of practice? If you haven’t picked up your instrument in a while, BUJO is the perfect way to get back into it in a relaxed and social environment. We welcome all abilities and would love to have you! 

Believe it or not, we have even more to offer: 

  • Tour: Every year we take Big Band overseas to play jazz for an international audience and see the sights; over the past few years we’ve been to Amsterdam, Madrid, and Bruges. 

  • Battle of the Big Bands: a friendly (cutthroat) competition between south-west university Big Bands that takes place every year in the spring. We send BUJO to bring the crown home, this year we’ll be going to Plymouth. 

  • Soul Divas: Soul divas is an all-women big band that play a charity event at the end of the year. It’s organised as a collaboration with Jazz Funk Soul Society and is our biggest event of the year, usually constituting a sold-out show at the Fleece. Rehearsals don’t kick off until TB-2, but if you want to get involved then watch out for updates on our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bristolbigbandsoc/ 

For more information: 

Website: https://bigbandsoc.co.uk/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bristolbigbandsoc/ (BUJO & Hornstars), https://www.instagram.com/thebristolhornstars/ (Hornstars) 

Or email our president Abi at contact@bigbandsoc.co.uk if you have any questions 😊 

  

  

  

Terms and conditions

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Membership Fee Inclusions

 

Prior to signing up to a Club or Society speak to the Committee to find out what your membership includes and if there are any further expenses throughout the year.

 

Service Standards

 

All Club or Society members can expect to receive:

 

  • The opportunity to attend regular meetings, events, activities, trips and socials as arranged.
  • The opportunity to stand for a committee position or vote in their elections (Bristol students only).
  • For Sports Club – to attend regular training sessions and have the opportunity to be selected for the teams.

 

Code of Conduct

 

When joining a club or society you are agreeing to abide by the constitution, general rules, regulations and policies of University of Bristol Students’ Union and also the Club or Society Code of Conduct which sets out the level of behaviour & discipline expected of all Club & Society members.

 

Download the Code of Conduct

 

Refund Policy

 

Any customer who pays for a membership subscription to a Bristol SU Society, Sports Club, Student Media and initiatives has a 14 day cooling off period from the time and date of purchase during which they have the right to cancel the subscription and receive a full refund. If you do decide to cancel within the 14 days, Bristol SU will refund your payment within a further 30 days of the cancellation.  To request a refund please email: bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk

 

Data sharing (Sports Club members only)

 

Please be aware that Bristol SU may share data relating to the members of its sports clubs with the Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health (a department of the University).  This information may be used for the purposes of communicating direct with these members and/or to cross-reference against SEH's Sports Pass membership records.

 

As part of Bristol SU's membership of British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Bristol SU may have to share data on to its sports clubs members so BUCS can, from time to time, communicate with these members. 

 

Data sharing (Societies members only)

 

If you're joining one of the societies listed below please be aware that your name and email address will be shared with Bristol Hub for the purpose of keeping you up to date with their activities through their email “The Week”:


AIESEC Bristol, AMICUS Bristol, Anti-Slavery Society, Bristol Feminists, Bristol Friends of MSF, Bristol Marrow, Bristol Social Enterprise Society, Bristol Student Action for Refugees, Bristol University Amnesty International, Conservation Group, Bristol University Oxfam Group, Bristol University Sustainability Team, Bristol Volunteers for Development Abroad, Engineers Without Borders, Howard League for Penal Reform Student Society, International Affairs Society, Medsin Bristol, Model United Nations, and Vegetarian and Vegan Society.

 

For more information on Bristol Hub visit: http://www.bristolhub.org.

 

If you do not want your details shared with the Hub please email: bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk.


These terms shall be governed by English law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. Nothing in these terms shall exclude liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.