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I joined a men-only brass band - and met my husband

Jon Wrightin Woodbridge
News imageJon Wright/BBC A woman and a man, both holding brass instruments. The woman wears a navy and white floral top and has a blonde bob haircut. She has black-framed glasses. The man, on the right, wears a sky-blue Hawaiian style shirt, and also wears glasses. They are inside a hall or very large brightly-lit room.Jon Wright/BBC
Jackie and Andrew Walker met at Woodbridge Excelsior Band in 1971 and later got married

"In those days it was said that women or girls didn't have enough puff to be able to play a brass instrument, so brass bands were all men."

In 1971, Jackie Walker was only the second woman to join the Woodbridge Excelsior Band in Suffolk.

Although meeting a boyfriend wasn't Jackie's aim, the ratios were in her favour.

"There were several [boys] in the band that used to turn up outside my parents' house in their cars to pick me up on a Tuesday night for band," said Jackie, who grew up in nearby Martlesham.

"But no, I set my sights on Andrew.

"Gradually as more girls joined they all liked Andrew.... I was the one that got him."

Andrew had joined a few months before when there were no girls in the band, after responding to an advert.

"It needed to get some new blood in, they were all very elderly gentlemen," he recalled.

The couple married in 1978 and have continued to play together, with Jackie going on to be co-musical director.

"It's the best thing you can do," Andrew said about being in the band.

"You're with your friends, playing good music, going out places, what more do you want out of life?"

News imageContributed A black and white photo of a brass band, in dark colour uniforms marching on a street towards the camera.Contributed
The band was originally formed as a temperance band, often set up and supported by businesses to help keep their workers sober

As the band prepares for a special concert marking their 180th anniversary, the line-up of musicians looks quite different.

They have 20 men and 12 women, with a mix of ages.

Kayra plays tenor horn, having joined aged eight.

"I think it's such an honour to play and I love telling people about it," the 17-year-old said.

"[The instruments] are all kind of beautiful pieces... I always think it's amazing how basically piping can make such wonderful noises!"

Tilly Crookall, 20, plays cornet and said: "I just love finishing work and then coming here and seeing all my friends and just playing different music."

News imageJon Wright/BBC Two young women, playing a Tenor horn and a cornet, stand next to each other. On the left, Kayra wears a black-and-white striped top and black-framed glasses. She has brown hair. On the right Tilly wears a white-vest and has blonde hair.Jon Wright/BBC
Kayra and Tilly Crookall both said they felt proud to play in a band with such heritage

The band was formed in 1846 as the Woodbridge Temperance Band, changing name to the Excelsior Band in 1916.

Notable moments in its history include:

  • In 1969 the band played on the same bill as Deep Purple
  • Being the first brass band to play at the National Film Theatre (renamed BFI Southbank) in London for the premiere of the film Akenfield in 1974
  • In 1977 the band was invited to record a TV advert for Golden Wonder Crisps
  • In 2005 they performed aboard HMS Grafton for the final visit of the vessel to Ipswich as it was being decommissioned
  • In 2009 they took part in the filming of a children's programme hosted by Richard Hammond called Blast Lab, trying to play so loud that the decibels shattered a glass greenhouse
News imageJon Wright/BBC A man stands in the centre of a brass band, smiling at the camera. He wears a navy blue polo shirt and black-framed glasses. He has a trimmed beard.Jon Wright/BBC
Co-musical director Tom Morris said the band had more than a full complement of players at the moment

Tom Morris is co-musical director, alongside Jackie Walker.

He told BBC Radio Suffolk: "People come from different walks of life; a lot of people are retired, a couple of students, people who work full time.

"They come to let off steam, to enjoy the music, to meet their friends, so it's trying to mould all those together as part of an organisation

"We have a completely full band and we actually have extra members now which I don't think has happened many times in the history of the band, so the future is bright and the band's healthy."

The band are performing a free anniversary concert at 14:30 on Sunday at Woodbridge Community Hall.

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