About our Youth Band
The Youth Band is our most senior band and has around 40 members aged up to 19 years old drawn from areas in and around Macclesfield.
The band participates in several competitions each year including The National Youth Brass Band Championships, Whit Friday Marches, The National Youth Entertainment Championships of Great Britain and more.
In recent years the Youth Band has won the Tameside Youth Championship at the Whit Friday Marches three times and in 2017 won the Brass Factor competition held in Holmfirth
The Youth band performs at many concerts in the local community helping to raise money for charity as well as providing excellent playing experiences for our members.
Every two years we enjoy going on tour abroad and have performed in Paris in 2007, Holland in 2009 and 2013, Belgium in 2011, London in 2015, the Isle of Wight in 2017 and 2023, and Belgium in 2019.
Musical Director Louise Renshaw
Having started piano lessons at the age of six, Louise was handed a rusty old euphonium at high school where she enjoyed free lessons with school peripatetic, Norman Ashcroft (then principal cornet with the world renowned Fairey Band). She joined Stockport Schools Band when it formed in 1978 and went on to play solo baritone for The Poynton Band under Alan Lawton MBE for 8 years.
Louise began her conducting career at Poynton Youth Brass Band in 1984, moved to South East Cheshire Youth Band in 2002 and became a founder Trustee and Musical Director of Macclesfield Youth Brass Band in 2005.
In recognition of her voluntary services to bands and the community Louise has been awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by the Rotary Club of Great Britain, nominated for Cheshire Woman of the Year twice and won both the Imagine FM Teacher of the Year and Silk FM Teacher of the Year awards. In 2018 she was presented with the Brian Hicks Memorial Shield by Brass Bands England in recognition of her services to youth banding. In October 2023, Louise was winner of the Brass Bands England Conductor’s Award.
Her professional background is in advertising and marketing and she ran her own consultancy business since 1995. Louise has also worked as a Wider Opportunities music tutor for the Love Music Trust. In 2017 she took over the Classworx Schoolwear business in Macclesfield which supplies school uniform to many schools in Macclesfield and the surrounding areas.