A history of Goring & Streatley Concert Band from 1977 to the present day

The band started life as a Brass Band in Goring before the 1st World War. As a Division I Band, the standard was very high. After the war, the Band re-started in 1925 and played on until 1939, still as a Brass Band, but when war was imminent it proved impossible to carry on.

In 1977 the Committee organising the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations in our twin villages suddenly realised that we had no local band to brighten things up.  With much spade-work by people keen to see the band reform, and with encouragement and support from many others, the Band eventually reformed as a Concert Band, i.e. accepting woodwind players as well as brass. Shortly after the Queen’s Jubilee, George Jones became the first Bandmaster, and we have now been playing continuously for more than 30 years. 

The very first performance given was in Goring Village Hall at the Pensioners’ Christmas Party. The band was very short of money, and Lew Miles bought the first sets of music out of his own pocket.  During those early years the Band regularly played at all the local retirement homes;  they didn’t charge a fee, but raised much needed money by organising raffles. Most members owned their own instruments, and loans were made to other members to enable them to buy their own and repay the loans when they could. Instruments belonging to the previous incarnation of the Band proved to be unusable because the pitch was too high and so was the cost of altering them. 

By the summer of 1978 committee members were:  Eric Renel, Lew Miles, David Watts, Philip Wadlow, Lucy Woodward, Fred Weller, George Jones, Dick Turner, Bob Morgan. Lucy Woodward, who was a keen supporter of the Band and who donated the Bb Bass and gave other financial support, was Life President until her death. 

Highlights of the early years were two very successful concerts which took place at the Corn Exchange, Wallingford, in the late 70s or early 80s.

These were considered important points at the start-up of the band: 

a)  it was to be a “fun” band for people to enjoy

b)  it was one of the few village organisations which brought together people of all ages to make music

c) it gave a number of people an opportunity to learn an instrument.

Bandmasters/Conductors 

Andrew McBirnie           2006 - 2008

Peter Hopkins                1999 - 2006

Peter Singer                   1994 - 1999

Jim Brewer                     1986 - 1994

Derek Benbow               1980 - 1986

George Jones                 1977 - 1980

These principles still apply and the band performs at various local events and raises money for a number of charities.