Unfortunately all the early records of Drybrook Band have been lost but there is a lot of evidence that a Drum and Fife Band was in existence before 1870. Newspaper extracts prove that there was a brass band in 1881 and it seems that Mr F. Beechey conducted the band during these early years. In 1896, we find the first record of Drybrook Band winning prizes in a contest at Lydney.
During the war years (1914 – 1918) there was little mention of any bands in the Forest of Dean but we do know that one concert in January 1915 saw the band raise money for the war effort. There is evidence in 1918 that the band were beginning to attend church services, concerts and fetes once again.
During the early 1920’s, depression and national strikes forced many members of the band to leave the Forest of Dean to seek work in Wales and the Midlands. However, in 1924 the band's fortunes seem to have been on the up as it was properly re-instated with a handful of old hands and new learners, who at first were loaned a set of second-hand instruments.
During the inter-war period, the band grew in status. They won several prizes, including the section First Prize at the 1938 Alexandra Palace contest in London (see photo below). The band was much depleted during the Second World War, as were many other bands, but nevertheless kept up their reputation. In 1940 it was decided to have a concert to give a lift to the folk of the parish.
It was in 1945 that the committee thought it was time that they had a professional Musical Director alongside their regular conductor, a situation that has continued intermittantly ever since. In 1950 they were invited to perform during a broadcast for BBC Bristol, the first of several radio performances over the coming decades.
The 60's saw the band contesting in the top section, in particular competing at the Daily Herald Top Section Finals at the Albert Hall in October 1963. In the 1970's calls for a permanent home were first made, culminating in the purchase of land and the building of our bandroom in the early 1980s. The Rt. Rev Robert Deakin formally opened the building on 29th September 1984.
A gradual decline, caused in part by the retirement of many players, left the band in the Fourth Section for many years. However, from 2003 to 2006, a revitalised team and a new Musical Director, Kevin White, began to gain places in the Fourth Section and the band received a boost in the form of Sponsorship from the A. W. Parker Coal Merchants.
After a string of high finishes in the West of England Area Finals and two trips to the Nationals, the band was promoted to the Third Section in 2006. In the first year of Third Section competition, the band finished a respectable 8th. However, in 2008 the band came last in the section and 2009 saw but a small improvement with a 15 from 16 finish, ensuring relegation.
Away from the contest stage things were brighter. Throughout 2009 and into 2010, the band managed to raise enough funds to complete an extension of the bandroom, providing disabled access and toilet facilities and adding a new practise room. Thanks to David Bourne's tireless efforts, grants were also secured for a complete set of new windows and new (comfy!) chairs.
2010...
Determined to make an impact on their return to the Fourth Section, the band were only partially satisfied with a 4th place finish in 2010, causing them to miss out on a ticket to the Nationals by one place. The heartache was made even worse by the knowledge that the adjudicators initially disagreed over who should be placed 3rd and 4th. Despite this, victories in both the GBBA Entertainment and GBBA Own Choice contests, as well as wins at the Wychavon Festival of Brass and the SEWBBA Contest in Blaenavon made 2010 a successful year.
2011...
2011 started with a shock result, as the band defeated not only competition from the fourth section but also bands from the third and second sections in order to lift the Overall Winners trophy at the GBBA Entertainment Contest. Full of confidence, the band competed in the 2011 Regional Finals, coming fourth from 22 bands in the Fourth Section. Although they again narrowly missed out on a place at the National Finals (this year to be held agonisingly close in Cheltenham), their high position did secure promotion meaning that from January 2012, the band would once again be in the Third Section. During 2011, the band parted company with their Musical Director, Kevin White, and Steve Ruck was hired as the new MD. After good performances at the Wychavon and ODBBA Entertainment contests, the band returned to winning ways at the GBBA Own Choice contest, winning all five trophies on offer in Section C.
2012...
The band's first test in 2012 was the GBBA Entertainment Contest in February, held in Ross-on-Wye. The came away with Second Prize from a field of seven bands. Next on the list is the Regional Finals in Torquay and our return to the Third Section...
(Research gained from Maurice V. Bent's The Musical Tradition of Dean, Volume 1, from evidence collected by David Bourne and from the recollections of Hugh James.)
