1st Larne Old Boys’ Silver Band

 

History

 

1^st Larne Old Boys’ Silver Band started life in the early 1960s as a Boys’ Brigade Band attached to the 1^st Larne Company.  Although the company had formed a brass band in the 1930s, it failed to survive, mainly because boys were obliged in those days to leave on attaining the age of 18 and replacements were difficult to find.

 

In 1962 a set of brass instruments, which had earlier been given to the town of Larne by a benefactor, Mr R. T. Ross, and used by the long defunct Larne Town Silver Band, were made available by the local council to the Boys’ Brigade Company.  In later years these very old and much used instruments have been largely replaced with the help of grants from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, and from the National Lottery.

 

The band’s first conductor, Mr Norman Taggart, soon had the band competing in N.I.B.A. and Brass Band League contests with a considerable degree of success.  The band’s first contest was at the Ulster Hall, Belfast, in 1963 on the day that John Fitzgerald Kennedy, President of the United States of America, was assassinated.  Unfortunately, when the band became an Old Boys’ Band, Mr. Taggart resigned and progress on the contesting front slowed down.

 

However, under long serving conductor and founder member Mr. Robert Baillie the band continued to develop, eventually accepting female members and carrying on with marching and concert engagements throughout the local area.

 

In recent years 1^st Larne Old Boys’ Band has not been in a position to contest but still undertakes a growing number of engagements.  Over the past 12 months the band has performed in public parks in Larne, Newtownabbey and Belfast as well as playing at a number of church services and other venues and events including Belfast Continental Market, Roddensvale School (Larne) and at the Port of Larne Christmas Carol Service.

 

Under its present conductor, Bill Clements, the band is currently trying to strengthen its player complement and would like to invite any former members, other brass players, or people (young or old, male or female) who would like to learn to play a brass instrument, to join us in the basement of First Larne Presbyterian Church on Monday evenings between 7.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.