A Brief History of the Barnet Band

The band was formed, as a Brass Band on the 31st January 1889 by the Court Pride of Barnet Foresters and was known as the High Foresters'Brass Band. the name of the band has been changed several times over the years and, up to 1950, was known as the Barnet Town Silver Prize Band.

Forming the Band in 1889

Corporal Yeomans of the 7th Kings Royal rifles Corps was appointed as its first Musical Director at the first Commitee Meeting in February 1889. However, his appointment was not unopposed (see below) and he was succeeded by Mr George Byford on 6th March 1895 at a salary of 3/- (three shillings or 15 new pence) per week and he held this position until 1907. During his conductorship, the Band attended numerous contests and won many prizes.

The band's first engagement was at The Green Man on March 18th 1889.

The original 15 instruments, which were purchased new at a cost of £42/0/0 (forty two pounds), the bulk of the cost being covered by a loan from Mr Emm. These instruments were replaced in April 1898 by Dr Osborne Boyes who presented a new set of brass instruments to the band at a dinner held at the Star Public House. In the same year, the Band entered the Fulham Brass Band Contest and gained First Prize, thus setting a precedent as, over the years, the Band has won over 150 prizes. About this time, the band was instrumental (oops!) in the setting up of the London and Home Counties Amateur band Association, thus becoming a founder member.

By 1899, the band was renamed as The Barnet Town Band on a receipt for the printing of 20 circulars by Barnet's Steam printer, E. S. Wheatley.

Mr Byford was succeeded in 1908 by Mr T. A. Cheek as Musical Director. Mr Cheek started as an instrumentalist in the band and his subsequent record as Director of Music was outstanding. During the year 1907, the Band took Second Prize at Bromley, First prize at Dartford and, perhaps most significant of all, the First prize at the Association Contest at Crystal Palace.

The Band in 1910

By 1921, the band was known as The Barnet Town Silver Prize Band, as described in the receipt for the loan of a band cornet by Alfred Richards.

The band played at the opening of the War Memorial in High Barnet, as recorded in the document below (source unknown).

The Barnet Band in September 1948

The 'Left Half' of the Band in September 1948

...and the 'Right Half'

The Band in the Late 40's with its First Female Member

In the late 40's, evening classes were held for young players, as reported in the ecerpt from the programme of that time which is shown below.

Concert Programme from Around 1949

1949 saw the Diamond Jubilee of the band and it was celebrated with a concert at the Old Court house in Barnet.

In 1979, Mr Kevin Morgan, the Band's Musical Director, formerly a cornet player with the Band of the Scots Guards, Changed the Band's name to The Barnet Band - its present-day name.

Kevin Morgan left the Band in 1983 to take up a teaching post in New Zealand and the membership of the band fell to the extent that it was not possible to stage a viable performance.

Mr Denis Collings was then appointed as its Musical director and it was under his dedicated leadership that it transformed itself into a wind band of some 30 players. this change was much more than skin deep and the band changed from being a competion band to a community wind band. The new band set out to entertain its audience and to enjoy doing so. Along with this change came a policy of no auditions and a willingness to accept anyone in the community who could play and was willing to learn and improve. Denis retired in 1998 when he and his wife moved to Devon.

Denis Conducting at Hadley Church in 1988

The band celebrated its centenary in this year with a concert followed by a Centenary Dinner which was organised by Kate Worms, one of the band's members. This was attended by over 100 members and band supporters, an indication of the scale of the renaissance of the the Band.

Jean Cottrell took over as Musical Director in 1998 and under her leadership, the band consolidating its strength and overseaing the formation of a marhing band to play for the annual Barnet British Legion Remembrance day Parade. This re-instated the Band's tradition of playind for this event which it had done from the end of the second world war until the late 60's.

When Jean left, in 2000, the baton was taken by Chris McGinity who had joined the band in 1999 and rose rapidly from second trombone to Musical Director. Chris brought considerable insight to the role and was very ambitious on the Band's behalf, entering the band in the Wind Band Competition at Kneller Hall. From three pieces played, the band gained a silver award (All in an April Evening) and a bronze award (Folk Song Suite).

A New Conductor Takes the Reins

However, competition was not to everyone's taste and, for the path to have been pursued, it would have meant a change of direction in recruitment as well as a reconsideration of the membership of some band members. When changes to the band rules were proposed at the AGM in March 2001, the matter threatened to split the band but these were not put to the meeting as the Directors saddle became empty.

Though not a horseman, Dave Payne stepped into the ring and conducted the band over the next two years. Unfortunately (only for the band), he decided to follow his heart and left for the Isle of Arran - a dramatic change of life style for a born-and-bred Londoner. Sad to see him go, the band, nevertheless bid him a great farewell.

In 2002, the Band held its first day of children's workshops, having received a grant to fund this from The National federation of Music Societies.

With Dave's departure, Simon Appleman took over to conduct the band and saw it through two seasons before family matters and the pressure of work forced him to resign. Simon did not leave the band totally, however, and turns up for many jobs with his tuba and keeps us all in step. Below is a picture of Simon with his tuba on the Remembrance Day March as the Band leads the British Legion Parade along Barnet High Street.

Approaching the Church Remembrance Day 2004

As we approach the present day James Wolfe takes over the reins of the band. Joining in 2004, James has already succeeded in teaching an old band new tricks. It has been reported that on one occasion, nearly half the band was reported to be watching him! Seriously though, we can all feel a difference and we believe that our audiences can hear a difference. James has widened the repertoire, while keeping the old favourites and is determined one day to get the band to swing! The soloists, all friend of his, who give up their time to perform at our concerts, bring a new dimension to our experience ans add to the variety that our concerts offer.

The band has had a long history, surviving its young men going off to the Boer War, the 1914-18 conflict and the Second World War and the vicissitudes of these periods are graphically chronicled in its archive. With thousands of players passing through its ranks, many of these being actively engaged in the struggle to keep the band's tradition alive, the band feels it a duty to ensure that their endeavours were not in vain in memory of all those players who livened up the parks and streets of Barnet over the past 118 years.