An award-winning brass band is staging a 24-hour play-in, after being forced to leave its practice hall.

The Wantage Silver Band is widely regarded as one of the best in the region and has a string of titles to its name. For 23 years it has used its Newbury Street band hall as base for rehearsals. But players will be on the move later this month, when the hall, a converted kitchen block in the grounds of Wantage Junior School, is pulled down to make way for a new 2.5m primary school.

Although the 120-member band has been given a temporary home at the former Wantage Primary School site in Garston Lane, it will again become homeless when that site is developed for housing, next year.

To help raise awareness of the band's plight, members will stage a round-the-clock play-in at the much-loved hall.

The 24-hour sponsored concert will start at 7pm this Friday.