THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE DEVIZES GAZETTE AND HERALD, MARCH 2013

Devizes Town Band is looking for more musicians as it continues its development into a full-blown concert band.

Under its previous conductor, John Blaker, it blossomed from a brass band into an ensemble capable of performing for an entire evening and its St George’s Day concert in April and Remembrance Day concert in November are now firm favourites on the town calendar.

After Mr Blaker was forced to stand down as musical director due to a family bereavement, virtuoso violinist and trombonist Sharon Lindo took up the baton and moved the band on even further.

The audience at last November’s Remembrance concert was impressed by the professional gloss introduced by Ms Lindo.

Mayor Kelvin Nash, who plays cornet in the band, said: “We are moving on to the next phase. John turned us from a brass band into a concert band but we want to grow even more.

“We have 28 members at the moment but we want to be fielding at least 30 at the next concert. We need clarinets, flutes and an alto sax to get the right balance for what we want to do.

“We could also use another percussionist.”

Mayoress Pam Nash, who plays drums in the band, said the addition of another percussionist would help the overall sound.

Ms Lindo said: “There is a real buzz in the band at the moment but we want to attract new young players.They are the band’s future. We are introducing new music that will appeal to everybody.”

Mr Nash said: “There is a great friendliness in the band. Everyone loves being there. People rarely miss rehearsals and there is never a cross word.”

For the St George’s Day concert in the Corn Exchange on Monday, April 22, the band will be joined by two young members of the Superstrings Club of Market Lavington who have been working on a folk music project and will show off their work.

The programme, which has an English theme, will also include a medley of James Bond film themes, Jupiter from Holst’s Planets suite, music from Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King, and Nimrod by Elgar.