History

In 2004, Harrogate Granby High School Concert Band celebrated its 40th anniversary. Hundreds of local young musicians have literally played their part in developing and sustaining this school band, making it one of the most successful bands of its genre, with unrivalled longevity in the Harrogate area.

The band grew from very humble beginnings in the early 1960s when a few second-hand brass instruments were donated to New Park Secondary School. Soon after, the school amalgamated with Starbeck Secondary School forming the new Granby Park School and the Granby School Band was formed. Under the baton of its founder, Mr Neil Richmond, the band had increased to 26 players by the end of its first year and was fast becoming a very successful brass band.

The coming of comprehensive education meant another amalgamation for the school, this time with Harrogate High School in 1973. The High School had an orchestra and over a relatively short period of time brass, woodwind and percussion players from the two groups merged and adopted the new name, Harrogate Granby High School Concert Band with Neil Richmond as Musical Director.

Over the years the Band has played at a wide variety of venues and has achieved notable success in competitions at both local and national level. Joint concerts have taken place with famous bands such as Black Dyke Mills, Brighouse and Rastrick and several regimental bands including the Kings Waterloo Division. Granby High School Concert Band has toured extensively in Europe and America, and on their last tour, performed in Prague, in July 2004.

Since 1973, the Band has achieved a unique record by being the only group to have performed at every Harrogate International Youth Music Festival held every Easter.

Surprisingly over the 40 years, the Band has only had 5 Musical Directors, with the well-known and highly respected Neil Richmond being responsible for the first 33 years, up to his retirement from teaching in 1997.

Julie Hirst was newly appointed and the Band continued to rise to the challenges of new musical experiences and an expanding repertoire. During 1999 the Band recorded its first CD; the aptly titled "We are the World". This proved to be a huge success for Julie Hirst and the Band, however, Julie left the band after just 3 years to take up a Head of Department position in the Northeast.

The Band then came under the leadership of the ambitious and enthusiastic Mr Anselm Allen, a former musician with the Band of the Queens Lancashire Regiment. He studied at the Royal Military School of Music and subsequently gained a 1st Class Honours Degree in Music before embarking on a teaching career.

The baton was then passed to the hands of Miss Kim Dempster. Kim has been at Harrogate Granby High School since September 2001 and became Musical Director of Granby Jazz and the Concert Band in Sepetmber 2004. She has always had a keen interest in emsemble playing, especially with wind, orchestral and jazz groups.Kim was awarded a BMus at Lancaster University, she then studied at Leeds University for her PGCE. Whilst at Lancaster, she developed her interest in performing; being principal clarinet for the University Wind Band and a member of the University Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra.

Since being at HGHS, Kim has passed on her expertise and enthusiasm to many students. She is an active member of all musical assembles, and is also conductor of the orchestra that performs at school drama productions. Whilst under her direction, the Granby Jazz band has grown in both stature and repertoire.

The school changed its name in September 2005, and we are now known as Harrogate High School Concert Band, a new name but still the same repuatation in the community for musicianship, discipline and professionalism.

In 2006 our latest musical director took up the reins, Garry Hallas joined the music department with the responsibility of conducting and organising the band. you can read more about our current MD here.