The history of the band
Way back in 1991 Bryan Dalton, a schoolteacher living in Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds, was one of about half-a-dozen musicians who occasionally got together to play purely for their own enjoyment. Bryan felt that a town the size of Bury St Edmunds should have its own fully-fledged band, and that the group should expand to fill that gap and be able to present some public performances. At the same time, it would offer opportunities to other local players of all ages and abilities to join the group and help develop their skills and ability.
And so Bryan booked a hall for the inaugural meeting, and persuaded the local paper, the Bury Free Press, to run a story, with a photograph. A number of people turned up, and the Bury Concert Band was formed. Bryan was appointed the Band’s first bandmaster.
The Band’s first public performance was in St Peters Church in Bury St Edmunds some months later, when 17 players entertained an audience of around 50 people.
By 1999 the Band was performing free-to-all open-air summer concerts in the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, engagements that have now become a regular feature of the Band’s annual calendar of events.
In January 2008, Bryan Dalton stepped down as Musical Director - a post he had held since the band’s inception in 1991 - and the band was fortunate to obtain the services of Tony Parkinson as its new Musical Director. As well as being a skilled conductor, Tony is proficient with both clarinet and saxophone, having trained with the RAF School of Music. After completing his training he then played with the Far East Air Force Band, followed by 5 years with the RAF Central Band. After leaving the Royal Air Force, Tony went into education, spending over 30 years teaching music in schools, and conducting various bands and orchestras along the way. On his retirement, Tony moved to Bury St Edmunds and joined the Bury St Edmunds Concert Band, where he played saxophone for several years before taking up his present position at the front of the band.