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Driffield Band and Youth Orchestra

The Driffield Silver Band is one of the country's oldest bands and has been around in one form or another since 1828. Musical Director Andy Grace and cornet player and ex-chairman Barry Williams came into the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Humberside radio studios to talk about the band and their involvement with it. The early history of the band is closely associated with the military.

Those early bands shared the same facilities as military volunteers in the 1800s though the band has rehearsed in many places across East Yorkshire since then. The band's won many awards and their signature tune is 'Capital of the Wolds' commissioned by Driffield Town Council and written by two members of the band.

Barry started playing the cornet at secondary modern school in Lancaster and when he left school in 1965 he joined the Army and went to the Army School of Music. Shortly afterwards he was posted to Germany and stayed there until returning to the UK in 1997. Army band members were trained to be medical assistants first, and members of the band second. During his time in Germany, he played at many massed band events, sometimes working along side bands from other countries.

Barry says that very few regimental bands still exist and recalls his army life as being enjoyable. Barry left the Army in 1974 and started to work for the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC) which had its roots in the Second World War. Its role was the showing of films to the Eighth Army in the desert.

During the first Gulf War, it was a case of history repeating itself, when the service was called into 'theatre' once more. Two volunteers were needed to run the service again and Barry and a colleague found themselves organising entertainment for the troops in the Middle East.

Andy Grace is the band's Musical Director. Andy's musical interests started in 1980 in Dundee. Although originally he auditioned to play baritone, it was decided he was too small to play it so he took up the cornet instead. These days he doesn't play as much as a he used to as he's concentrating on conducting. But during his playing heyday he played with the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland and was assistant principal cornet player. It was during his time in Scotland he met his wife, Andrea from East Yorkshire.

They first met when they played together in the University Jazz Band. After graduating from Dundee University, Andrea returned to her native East Yorkshire with Andy in tow around 1996. Andrea had already been a member of the Driffield Band before going back to university and once she'd returned home picked up where she left off with Andy joining her.

The band recently brought out a CD and one of the tracks featured is the band's signature tune. Capital of the Wolds. The piece was commissioned by the Driffield Town Council and two band members, Fred Robson and Geoff Lidster set to work to compose the piece.

The band draws its membership from across the whole of East Yorkshire, one member even travels from South Yorkshire to take part and others make the journey from North Yorkshire. The band is in constant demand to play at fundraising events. On Sunday 16th March along with the East Riding Youth Band, the band's hosting the Bob Dales Memorial Concert for 2008 at the Bell Hotel in Driffield from 2.30pm.

The picture on this page is of the band at the 2007 performance for the same concert which is held in aid of the British Heart Foundation. The concert honours former conductor of the band, Bob Dales who died after suffering a heart attack.

The Driffield Band is always looking for new members of any age. The youngest in the band is twelve years old and the oldest nearer eighty. There's a link at the top right hand of this page to the band's website for contact details.