Cleveland and North Yorkshire

The Silverwood Band is a community reed band (as distinct from a brass band) and was formed over twenty years ago with the committed aim of providing musicians, young and old, with the opportunity to develop their skills and gain experience on the concert platform.

Originally formed as the Redcar Silverwood Band under the guidance of Mr Alan Waller it dropped "Redcar" from its title as more musicians from a wide area of Teesside became members and the rehearsal venue was changed to the Institute at Nunthorpe. Since its inception The Silverwood Band has helped to raise many thousands of pounds for local and national charities.

A disastrous fire in 1997 destroyed the Institute as well as the band's music library and a new rehersal venue had to be found.

The band now meets every Thursday evening at 7-30 in the Community Centre at Nunthorpe and new members are always welcome. If you would like to join the Silverwood please complete the form at the bottom of the page.

Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, Flutes, Piccolo, Saxophones - Alto, B flat, and Baritone, Oboes, Trumpets, Horns, Baritones, Trombone, Percussion.

Chairman

The Chairman of the Silverwood Band is
Mr Peter Cook a retired company director
of an international publishing company
who was the leader of the
original Middlesbrough Youth Orchestra

Musical Director

The Silverwood Band is under the direction of
Crawford Hall, a former band sergeant major
with the Welsh Guards who served at the Military School of Music. A professional musician who taught Trombone in London before coming North, Crawford is now employed as a Manager with the Tees Valley Music Service.

Dcp_0168.jpg (287125 bytes)

Treasurer

Miss Anne-Marie Billington

wpe3.jpg (34902 bytes)

Secretary

Mrs Rosemary Billington
david.billington1@btinternet.com

wpe3.jpg (23604 bytes)

Band Manager

Mrs Judith Daley

Over the past 20 years The Silverwood Band has helped to raise thousands of pounds for charity. If you are organising a garden party, fete, concert or any other event, why not enhance the occasion by inviting this well established, easy to listen to band. ?

Then in 1977 -when 12 year old Helen Clarke picked up her Uncle’s clarinet and managed to get a note out of it at her first attempt, it was the start of a musical love affair which culminates this month in Helen celebrating 25 years with the renowned Silverwood Band.

“Like most kids, I had started with the recorder” she said.“But I was fascinated with the clarinet with all its complex plumbing, and when I was offered a school instrument I jumped at the chance of receiving lessons.”

A former pupil of Redcar Sacred Heart school, Helen proved to be a natural gifted musician and soon graduated to playing with a rehearsal band led by the well known musician Alan Waller. Later the band became the Redcar Silverwood Band, and when Alan Waller retired as Musical Director, the band dropped “Redcar” from its title and moved its headquarters to The Avenue Community Centre in Nunthorpe where each week Helen , now 38, leads the clarinet section. By day she is employed as a Senior Debt Adviser. Married to Operations Manager, Chris, the couple have have a 6yr old boy -Nicholas, whom one day Helen hopes will become a brass player.

Helen’s advice to anyone wanting to play with a band is “come along and give it a go. It has provided me, and scores of other people with huge enjoyment. It is a wonderful form of escape.”
The Silverwood Band’s Musical Director is Crawford Hall, a former professional musician and band sergeant major with the Welsh Guards and a respected teacher and accomplished trombonist.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Silverwood Band please send an e-mail to