Live Jazz music in Cornwall | Live bands in the southwest | Helston School Jazz Orchestra History

live jazz music in Cornwall with Helston School Jazz Orchestra

Bands History	Gigs and venues	Articles	Links Page
Pictures	Band members	Clive King - Musical Director
Contact	Repertoire	Helston School and its music.
Sponsors	Home	Current News and Goodies

HELSTON SCHOOL JAZZ ORCHESTRA
A HISTORY OF THE BAND

Live Jazz Music in Cornwall

The band, comprising Helston School&Community College students was formed in 1989. Only three years later in 1992 they gained a Silver Award in the finals of the Boosey&Hawkes National Championships in Manchester, and a Gold Award in the same competition in 1993 when alto saxophonist Natalie Barber, won the outstanding soloist award. In following years HSJO have won another three Gold Awards in the B&H Finals in Manchester. Past band members Poppy Gillow, Tom Butcher and Calie Hough (who has won the outstanding soloist award an unprecedented 3 times) have also won the award for outstanding soloists at the National Championships, Calie's third time at the 2006 finals of the Concert Band Festival held in Glasgow this April where the band received the highest award in their section, making them the best UK schools Jazz orchestra.

Additional recognition of the outstanding ability of the band came with 1st places in the Daily Telegraph competition (SW Region) in 1992 and 1994. They have also been featured on BBC Radio Cornwall and on Channel 4's Big Breakfast Show.

In the summer of 1994 the band was invited to play at Montreux and at the Geneva Jazz Festival and also at the National Finals of the Festival of Youth in the Royal Festival Hall, London where lead alto saxophonist, James Aldous, was awarded the outstanding soloist award. Successful tours have followed to Italy, North Eastern Spain, and also Malta and Gozo in both 2001 and 2003 and to the Ligurian coast of Northern Italy in 2005. They have also performed at Disneyland Paris and are planning a return performance in August 2006.

They have shared the bill with the world renowned Syd Lawrence Orchestra on four occasions. The orchestra was also Cornwall's representatives at The Millenium Dome where the floor manager believed they were the best band to appear at The Dome all year! The band has already made four recordings with a new CD to be released in the Spring of 2006.

Youth Jazz in Cornwall

Each year HSJO hold two major concerts in Helston, one in March and one in September for the students who leave Helston College for pastures new. This year their March concert featured Helston Town Band for a very special evening showcasing Helston's amazing breadth of talent in jazz and brass playing. The concert in September 2006 at the Kingsford Venue, Helston marked the end of an era when John Austin, the musical director, retired. John's 'jazz' shoes have been filled to over flowing by the extraordinary talents of the new Musical Director, Clive King.

Please go to the ‘gigs’ page for more details of when and where HSJO are playing next, and if you would like to book them, please use the contact page.