Brass Bands England's Kenny Crookston and Alex Parker on COVID and the Brass Band Conference | episode 11

Look around the international banding community and you’ll see huge variations in what bands are and aren’tallowed to do as they follow guidance relating to the COVID-19 pandemic from their respective governments. Even across the UK, the picture is pretty mixed. There’s a feeling among some bands in England of taking one step forward and two steps back. Some had started to rehearse in bigger numbers again, only for the ‘rule of six’ to plunge this activity into doubt. Brass Bands England has been offering support and guidance to member bands throughout the pandemic so who better to speak to than the organisation’s partnership and development manager, Alex Parker, who’s been right across the issue, and someone who is no stranger to the pages of British Bandsman, these days for being in them and once upon a time, for writing them, BBE CEO, Kenny Crookston. Later, they’ll look ahead to BBE’s upcoming Brass Band Conference, which this year takes place online. But first a question to Alex Parker: just what are bands in England allowed to do?