Uckfield Concert Brass took on the role of a New Orleans marching band in a show at the Attenborough Arts Centre in Sussex last night.

Twenty members of the band marched onto the stage playing I‘ll Fly Away for the finale of Ugly Chief, currently touring southern England before moving to London in October.

The band, still playing, then led the audience into the foyer and out of the building for a rousing end to the show.

UCB was introduced to the music for the first time in a short workshop before curtain up – just long enough to learn the parts from memory.

Ugly Chief was developed by award-winning performance artist, Victoria Melody, and her father Mike, a celebrity TV antique dealer. It tells the true story of Mike’s diagnosis with a terminal disease and Victoria’s arrangements for his funeral. A year later, doctors realised they had misdiagnosed but father and daughter decided to go ahead with the funeral anyway. One of Mike’s wishes was to have a New Orleans marching band.

The stars and producers said UCB’s performance made the show. There was also lots of applause from the audience.