Big Bands Windsor

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Our Story

BIG BANDS WINDSOR Appreciation Society HISTORY Big Bands Windsor celebrated their forty-third anniversary this year. The society was formed in 1974 by two local fans, the late Brian Vincent and the late Dennis Platt, with the object of providing a club where big band enthusiasts in the area could go to listen to records of their kind of music. A typical evening consists of two recitals, each of about an hour’s length, either on a particular band, musician or instrument, or a miscellaneous programme with a linking theme. The recitals are given mostly by members, but sometimes by visiting musical celebrities; the first of these was the late Bill McGuffie in 1977, and others have followed including Vic Lewis, Nat Temple, John Gregory (alias Chaquito), Bobby Lamb, Johnny Keating, Campbell Burnap of Smooth FM, trombonist Bill Geldard and his trumpet-playing wife the late Gracie Cole, Paul Eshelby and Vic Ash from the BBC Big Band, trumpeters Freddy Staff and Ronnie Hughes, Graham Pass, former BBC producer, the late Moira Heath, widow of the bandleader Ted Heath, Stan Reynolds, Colin Skinner, deputy leader of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra and Chris Dean, pour President and leader of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra whose concerts at the Theatre Royal, Windsor and elsewhere are enthusiastically supported by our members. The late Don Lusher appeared twice to talk about his long and distinguished career in big band music. Some years ago the late Herb and John Miller, brother and nephew of the great band leader Glenn Miller attended a Christmas party. In April 2006 our guest recitalist was Sheila Tracy, trombonist and ex-presenter of the BBC Big Band, and in May 2007 vocalist Rosemary Squires, MBE provided us with a very entertaining programme. In October 2004 the late Malcolm Laycock, the society’s President and Sunday night Radio 2 presenter, gave a recital to mark the centenary of Count Basie, when seventy members attended. In 2005 co-founder Brian Vincent celebrated the centenary of Glenn Miller’s birth, and Gordon Campbell, the lead trombonist with the BBC Big Band presented a centenary tribute to Tommy Dorsey. Our President is Chris Dean the musical director of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra who gave a superb recital in February 2011 and visited us again in February 2012 this time along with pianist Trevor Brown with a great programme of music and chat, with a repeat visit in February 2013 accompanied by a delightful impromptu performance by their band colleague Paul Fawcus. Very occasionally B*W has presented a live big band. A year after formation they promoted a concert at Windsor Grammar School by the Henry Compton Swing Collection, a band of eleven to fourteen year olds from the Henry Compton Boys’ School in Fulham. Four years later the age level was raised a little when B*W promoted a concert by the famous National Youth Jazz Orchestra at the former Fulcrum in Slough. The society’s thirtieth anniversary meeting at Datchet Hall saw the second of two highly successful concerts by the Royal Air Force Squadronaires, while five years previously at the same venue the Bucks, Berks and Oxon Big Band played for our Silver Jubilee. The band’s founder conductor Roy Hole BEM, now retired, is a member of the society. In March 2005 Bobby Lamb conducted the Trinity Big Band in a concert which was enthusiastically received by an audience of over 120 people. In March 2007 we welcomed the superb Jay Craig & his Orchestra for a sell out concert, with top British musicians including Tony Fisher, Ronnie Hughes, Pete Cater and Clive Dunstall. In April 2008 we welcomed back Jay Craig & his Orchestra for further excellent live concert, and in May 2009 were treated to another magnificent cornucopia of music by the same band. In 2010 Cliff Longhurst and his Jazz Knights were booked to entertain us for an evening and returned to Datchet Hall in October 2013 for another performance. A monthly newsletter is sent to members giving information about meetings of Big Bands Windsor and other big band societies, plus dates of forthcoming big band concerts in the area The current annual subscription is £6.00 single and £8.00 double. Admission to meetings costs £3.00 for members and £4.00 for non-members. A large number of big band LPs, CDs and DVDs are regularly on sale. For further details, contact Dorothy Piper (Secretary) on 01753 868775, or Edna Jacobs (Treasurer & Membership Secretary) on 01789 268152 or e-mail [email protected]. All lovers of big band music are always welcome to come along to meetings.