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Our society was originally the Cornwall Branch of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra Society. Our aim was to support the
Syd Lawrence Orchestra every time it visited Cornwall and we did this very successfully including supporting a
Tony Wild promotion, featuring the Syd Lawrence Orchestra and a local youth Orchestra, The Helston School Jazz
Orchestra. This was held at Tretheras School in Newquay, with Special guest Star, Joan Regan
Joan Regan.
It proved to be a wonderful success with a full hall and we were able to raise over
£500 from a raffle from which £300 was given to the Helston School the balance to the society funds.
During our first year we recruited some thirty members to the society and we held regular meeting/recitals, where
much music was played, and talks given.
Every meeting we have held since our first meeting has been attended by the majority of members, which has proved
to us that there is still a great interest for the music of the great bands of the 30's 40's and 50's.
It did however become increasingly evident that our success in just supporting the Syd Lawrence Orchestra was perhaps
a little short sighted on our part, and that we should widen our horizons. This was made quite clear to us on our
very first meeting when we began to discuss the music of today and how much the youngsters preferred it, rather
than the music of the big bands of our generation.
 It was John Austin the well-known bandleader and teacher of music in Cornwall, who had his own
Big Band in the 70's, playing the music of Glenn Miller and others, who told us that we were wrong in our assumption
that all the youth of the day, like only the pop music, for he teaches many young men and women who just love to
play our kind of music, the Big Bands.
He said that he would prove to us one day. It was after that meeting that we got to talk to John about the possibilities
of seeing his students play, and subsequently the Helston Orchestra appeared with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra at
the concert at Tretherras School.
So from that moment, it was unanimously agreed that it was our duty to not only support the Syd Lawrence Orchestra,
but also the young men and women who hopefully will carry of the traditions of the big bands of our past, into
the future.
So we opted out of the SLOS and renamed ourselves Big Bands Cornwall. Our aim is to support all visiting bands
to Cornwall where possible, and especially the youth and school bands.
It was only this year that once again we were able to support a Tony Wild promotion featuring the Helston School
Jazz Orchestra and the St. Keverne Youth Band at the Hall For Cornwall in Truro, with special guest star, Don Lusher
who was sponsored by Helston Garages.
Not only did we hold a raffle for the schools fund, but we also produced a Souvenir Programme, which featured many
interesting articles.
Through the promoting ability on Tony Wild the response to the concert was overwhelming and we were caught totally
by surprise by the public response to this concert, as the hall was full to capacity. Every programme was sold
within a few minutes of the doors opening, and many patrons were disappointed that we had not printed enough for
the event.
Needless to say the concert was a great success and both orchestras
receiving almost a £1000 each from promotion profits, raffle and programmes receipts. 
We in the society whose membership is now 42 are proud that we have achieved so much in such a short time.
Much to our shock we were informed last year that the Syd Lawrence Orchestra had sustained a robbery whilst touring
in Devon, and had their amplification equipment stolen and some instruments damaged. Again we were able to send
a donation to the orchestra from our funds to go toward the replacement of this equipment. We were again delighted
to be able to support our favorite band in this way even though we are not a branch of their society but are as
individual's, members of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra society.
In March 2001, we decided to form our own rehearsal Big Band, and Roy Woodward our musical director (who once had
his own Big Band in the North of England) advertised for musicians. A few weeks later we held the first of four
weekly rehearsals. We had a line up of five saxophones, three trumpets, one trombone, bass and drums but due to
our rehearsal day clashing with some of the musicians other commitments, we unfortunately ended up with only two
trumpets for the total brass section.
Although the rehearsal showed some promising signs it was obvious to us that we would have to advertise more extensively
if we were to find a full line up, so with this in mind we decided that we would continue with our advertising
later in the year and early in 2002, when we shall again hold a series of rehearsals in the hope we can find enough
competent musicians who would like to form this band and play here in Cornwall the music of the great band leaders.
  Rehearsals
Big Bands Cornwall's aim this year is to expand our membership and welcome anyone who would like to share their
interest in the Big Band of the 30's right up to the present day. We publish a regular magazine for all members
full of interesting articles on Big Band, individual musicians and singers including news about forthcoming events
and member's letters.
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