ABOUT the BAND
In 1995 Diana Lee, who teaches wind and brass in several local schools, was asked to get together a group of children who could play music at the Gala in Collingham which was being held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of V.E. Day.
Band leader Diana Lee conducts
Collingham Band at the Grand Depart of the Tour de France held at Harewood House, Leeds, in 2014
In 2016, Collingham Band celebrated 21 years of making music in the Wetherby and district community.
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HIRING or JOINING
Collingham
Bands
The Collingham Bands have gone from strength to strength but their underlying principles and aspirations remain the same:
After their first taste of performance success at the Collingham Gala, the children wanted more and it wasn’t long before their parents wanted a slice of the fun too. An increasing number of adults cornered Diana in the supermarket/ sports club/ playground and the conversation became predictable – “I know I’m probably not good enough, but I used to play the flute/tuba/clarinet and I wondered if...”
To encourage musicians of all standards to gain access to ensemble playing and experience the joy of music making in a group;
To enable people of all ages to learn and work together;
To encourage participation in the life of the local community;
To encourage members to use their abilities to raise money for charitable causes.
The performance of this concert band on the Gala field was a triumph. The children had a great time and discovered the pleasure of playing together.
Collingham Band playing on the bandstand at the Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate, conducted by Diana Lee
Diana realised that there was bandful of wind and brass instruments abandoned in the bottom of local cupboards, and their owners all wanted to join the new concert band!! The adults dusted off their instruments, some of which had not been played for many years, and joined the children – and Collingham Band was born!
With twelve willing woodwind and brass players eager to take part, this hastily assembled group practised music from the 1940s era and only four weeks later, the inaugural performance was presented to the Collingham community in a packed marquee.
Band leader Diana Lee recalls how first children and then adults joined together to form the new wind band in Collingham...
Collingham Band playing in aid of charity in a Wetherby shopping mall, conducted by Diana Lee
Collingham Band playing in aid of charity in a Wetherby shopping mall, conducted by Diana Lee
Following increasing interest and hopeful enquiries from less experienced players, Collingham Training Band was set up in September 2015 and this Band already has over 30 players of all ages.