Launceston Town Band, under the direction of its musical director and former principal solo cornet Ann Brown, gave a concert to celebrate its centenary at Central Methodist Church on Saturday, April 27.

The band was augmented to a total of 37 by several former players who had moved away and are now playing with other bands as well as former musical director Nick Chadd. There were also several ex-players in the appreciative audience including two former band secretaries, Howard Ward and John Penfound.

After a march medley of First World War songs the band then played one piece from each of the next 10 decades of the band’s existence starting with Scott Joplin’s ‘The Entertaine’ and finishing with ‘Sing’ by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

One of the former players who played with the band for the evening was Jo Baker, now Texeira, who also delighted the audience with two flugel solos, ‘Misty’ and the slow movement from Rodrigo’s ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’, the arrangement for brass band featuring in the film ‘Brassed Off’.

Providing some contrast and humour was mezzo-soprano Shelley Coulter-Smith who also sang one song from each decade of the band’s existence, starting with ‘Bill’ from the musical ‘Showboat’ in 1927 and finishing with ‘She used to be mine’ from ‘Waitress the Musical’ written only in 2015. Shelley was supported in her entertaining programme by Nicola Hosking at the piano.

M.C. Rob Tremain, after welcoming the mayor and mayoress of Launceston, Margaret Young and Nic Gilbert and band president John Ware and his wife, proceeded to give some interesting historical and cultural information about each decade of the band’s existence and linked the programme.

At the end, Ann Brown thanked all those former players who had come back to take part in the concert before presentations were made to her, Jo, Shelley, Nicola and Rob.

The band concluded the concert with ‘The Floral Dance’ written by Katie Moss in 1911 but arranged for brass band in 1977. This brought the house down and resulted in a standing ovation for the band.

Former players are now looking forward to a reunion at Trethorne on Saturday, October 5.