The choir from The John Lyon School will be performing with the world-famous Black Dyke Band at a specially arranged choral concert in Harrow later this month on Saturday 28 March. It will give parents, supporters of the School and members of the public a rare opportunity to hear top quality brass band music in Middlesex.

The concert has been organised by the School’s Director of Music Anna Wilby, who herself played percussion with the band when she lived in Yorkshire. She was one of the two first women to perform in concert with the band and wear the famous uniform, continuing a strong family link. Her father Philip Wilby, a professional composer, has written some of the band’s best-known pieces, including Dove Descending and Northern Lights.

“The hardest part was finding a date when the Black Dyke Band was free,” said Miss Wilby. “They take part in so many concerts and tour regularly, we feel very privileged that they are coming to play with our choir – immediately after performing with us they will be touring Australia.”

Miss Wilby has invited choirs from two other London schools to take part – the Trinity Boys’ Choir in Croydon and the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial Girls’ Choir.

There are currently 35 boys in The John Lyon School Motet Choir and its popularity is growing. Headmaster Kevin Riley said “It’s clearly an honour for our boys to perform with such a famous professional brass band. I know they are very excited at the prospect. Both the breadth and standard of music at The John Lyon School is growing steadily under our Director of Music.”

The concert will take place in Harrow School’s historic Speech Room. The first half will see the choir performing some exciting choral music with the band, and will centre around a suite from Philip Wilby’s A Passion for our Times. “The Black Dyke Band will take over in the second half with a programme that promises to excite and inspire the listeners,” said Miss Wilby. On the afternoon of the concert after rehearsals, the band and choirs will be recorded. It is hoped that some of the pieces will be used in the Black Dyke Band’s next CD, due for release later this year.

Tickets for the concert are available at The John Lyon School from Miss Constantine, priced £10 each.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of The John Lyon School

MEDIA CONTACTS: Mr Kevin Riley on 020 8872 8400 / 07921 084976

Editor’s Note

A brief history of the Yorkshire-based Black Dyke Band

A brass band was first formed by Peter Wharton in Queenshead in Yorkshire in 1816. The band didn’t particularly thrive and in 1833 was reformed as the Queenshead Band. By 1855 it was fully re-established and re-equipped with new instruments under the leadership of John Foster and the new name of the Black Dyke Mills Band. The village itself had been renamed Queensbury.

Most of its musicians both lived in Queensbury and worked at the mill, so a close link between the band and the community was formed which remains to this day. The Band has always been at the forefront of Brass Band activity, making one of the earliest Brass Band recordings in 1904 and embarking on a five month tour of Canada and the United States in 1906, on which it played in over 200 concerts and travelled over 13,000 miles.

Since then the band has toured many different countries, including Australia, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, Sierra Leone, and Spain.

The Band has made over 120 recordings. Former Prime Minister Edward Heath was guest conductor on one, whilst Paul McCartney and Wings broke new ground with the Band with another. In February 1999 the album that the Band recorded with Evelyn Glennie was nominated in the 'Crossover Classical Section' for a 'Grammy Award'. The Band has enjoyed success with other recording artists including 'Torry Amos' and the well-known group 'Beautiful South'.