Norwich City Concert Band at Chapelfield Gardens

On the afternoon of Sunday 18th August 2013 I attended the Norwich City Concert Band Bandstand Concert at Chapelfield Gardens, Norwich. This was in the series of concerts organised by Norwich City Council and Brian Dermott on every Sunday from June to August in various Norwich parks. The Lord Mayor of Norwich was in attendance to present Brian Dermott who was conducting the Norwich City Concert Band with a certificate to celebrate fifteen years of organising the Norwich Parks Bandstand Concerts.

Norwich City Concert Band (NCCB) was the brain-child of Bill Moore (an ex-military musician) who after discovering that Norwich had its own Municipal Military Band earlier in the twentieth century set about forming a band, together with players of an ensemble called “Enigma”. In March 1997, after many years of playing with friends in “The Enigma Ensemble”, Bill and four members of the ensemble, (Nicola Ingham, Louise Ladiman, Sue Wensley and Ann Wilson), decided to turn Bill’s vision into a reality. Thanks to the financial support from the Norwich City Council and Arts 4 All, auditions were held in August 1997.

The band held it’s first rehearsal in October 1997. This took place at Bignold First and Middle School, on Wessex Street, in Norwich. Peter Smith was appointed as the Director of Music. The band’s first year was successful with a debut concert on the 22nd March 1998 in Blackfriars Hall, Norwich. The band performed an open air concert as part of the Lord Mayor’s Celebrations in June 1998.

The Norwich City Concert Band opened the concert with the Gladiators Entrance and then entertained us with music from Les Miserables. They also performed the Dam Busters March and a medley of The Beatles hits. They finished the concert with Handel's Royal Fireworks Suites 1 and 4. This was a wonderful afternoon in Chapelfield Gardens full of fantastic music and beautiful sunshine.