Bournemouth Youth Marching Band
Amici Per Musicam - Friends Through Music
HISTORY
Our first performances included a school fete, the Yellow Buses Open Day at the old Mallard Rd Depot and the County First Aid and Nursing Competition held in Wareham.
The Band uniform was an enhancement on the St John black NATO style sweater with a white pilot shirt and embellishments such as a red cap band and red lanyards.
Just a year later the Band was invited to form a massed band with Surrey Corps of Drums for the Lord Mayor's Show in London.In the following year the Surrey band attended our Band Camp and we gave a joint performance in front of the bandstand in Bournemouth Gardens.
In 1991 the Band entered into a sponsorship deal with Post Office Counters to support out first performance tour abroad and to provide us all with tour jackets.
Almost
from the start the Band joined the Traditional Youth Marching Bands
Association. Over the years we took part in a number of their annual marching band
competitions including Aldershot, Totton, Hornchurch, Hickstead, Halesowen and
Rubery.
Some more regularly than others.
Many trophies were awarded to us over the years and we were always especially pleased to get General Musical Effect as well as winning of course.
A performance tour to Europe every 2 to 3 years was a regular feature of the the Band programme. These were 10 day tours and took in 3 or 4 locations, staying in hotels and youth hostels. The first three Band Tours were in 1992, 1994 and 1997. The Band was always very well received. The Tours included both marching and concert performances in town centres, cultural venues and theme parks.
Every Tour was rewarding and each one became more ambitious. Each Tour brought unexpected challenges but that was all part of the fun and left the members with lots of stories to tell.
A popular feature of each Tour was, and still is, the daliy awarding of the Ancient Order of the Wooden Spoon. This is made to the person who has done something silly the day before. They then have to carry the spoon with them for the next 24 hours.
Konigswinter Germany
Boppard, Germany
The Band continued to grow in numbers and capability. The oldest instruments were gradually replaced as funds became available but many were still well past their sell by date and they were becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.
The Band
relocated to Glenmoor School for Girls where the facilities, accomodation and
outside space available to us was better than at Winton Primary. The Garden
shed came with us and thanks to the efforts of some parents it was moved on the
back of a lorry fully assembled.
.In the 1998 Bournemouth Carnival we revealed our fancy dress uniform, Snow White and the 30+ Dwarves. This costume was also used for several theme park performances abroad.
Each year, usually in the spring, there was generally a Band Camp either at a local campsite or futher afield at a school. The Band Camp weekend was used to finalise and work on the Band music and the marching display for the coming summer season.
In 1999 the Band applied for and was awarded a sizeable grant from the National Lottery enabling a brand new set of instruments to be purchased.
Also in 1999 the Band participated in the last ever Royal Tournament at Earls Court. This was a graet honour for the Band that can never be repeated.
Earls Court, London. Royal Tournament
Our 1999 tour was our most ambitious to date and we travelled all the way across to Austria and Italy. Whilst passing through Germany we witnessed the full eclipse of the sun using the special safety glasses.
When the St John units in Bournemouth and Poole relocated to the new HQ in Discovery Court, so did the Band. And at last we had a decent band store.
In 2002 we undertook our first paid tour abroad for a weekend of performances is Aulnay and Mezieres near Paris. This was a great experience playing alongside mainly adult bands from around the world including Russia.
Also in the same year the Band led the Queen's Silver Jubilee Parade through Windsor..Another incredibly great honour for the Band marching past the Queen.
In 2006 the Band was booked for the passing out parade of Bad Lads Army near Wareham. This was the last programme of this popular prime time TV series and the Band was able to spend some time with the actors (the Officers and NCOs).
Also in
2006 we participated in the Midsomer Norton European Marching Band contest This
involved arena displays, parades and concerts. We were delighted to be awarded
most entertaining band trophy. The event included an evening Mardi Gras fancy dress procession.
in the summer of 2010 the Band played with the Army Band of the Light Cavalry at Kingston Maurward near Dorchester.
It was around this time that the Band became increasingly confdent and proficient playing in Concert style This aspect of the Band's activities continued to develop over the following years.
As a result of the concerts the Band's repertoire greatly increased. Our music was now updated reguarly for the various upcoming events.
In 2012 the Band moved to the standard adult St John Ambulance tunic style uniform with band embellishments such as white lanyards.
In the new uniform we led the annual St John's Day parade in June 2012 and the Band members had the opportunity to meet the Duke of Gloucester outside St Paul's Cathedral.
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The last Band Tour as a St John Band took place in August 2013.This was to Paris and included concerts in Disneyland.and Luxembourg Gardens.
In 2013 we reformed as the independent Bournemouth Youth Marching Band. We once again started from scratch in terms of instruments, uniforms and finance but now benefitting from the years of experience.The Band adopted the blue and gold colours of Bournemouth for our uniform and the new Band logo.
Initially we met at the Butchers Coppice Activity Centre. We had a close relationship with the Bournemouth Scouts at this time.
Shortly after this the Band was registered as a Charity.
Our first performance as BYMB was at Blandford Carnival in September 2013. This had been a regular booking for many years.
In 2015 we were granted permission to use the Bournemouth coat of arms for our cap badge but in the event this was not pursued due to the difficulty making it into a cap badge.
Our relationship with the Ferndown Royal British Legion flourished and we were now working closely with the Branch especially around Remembrance and other special commemorations. Our Remembrance Concerts were usually sold out well before the day.
Pictured are the 2015 amd 2018 Remembrance Concerts. There's also photos of the Weymouth Festival of Remembrance 2016 and 2017.
In 2016 a brand new set of drums was purchased replacing those we had borrowed when setting up the Band. Storage was a problem though and we were lucky to aquire a large store room at office premises on Ferndown Industrial Estate.
2016 was also our first Tour abroad as BYMB with performances in Diksmuide, Ostend and the Menin Gate in Belgium and Disneyland Paris. Unexpectedly two of our members also performed the Last Post at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
Kingston Bands Tattoo
2017
During 2018 we joined Brass Bands England and the Band relocated to the Howecroft Community Centre.
We moved
to a tunic style No1 uniform in 2019. This was after a huge fund raising and
design effort by members and the Friends of BYMB group.These are tailored and
made to measure and represented a large investment by the Band.
We had the great opportunity to particiapte in the Victory Tattoo organised by the Royal Marines Band Service.
