Who Are We
The Brentwood Imperial Youth Band is a traditional marching band based in Essex, England. The band was founded in 1990 by Mr John Wyndham MBE to provide local youth with an environment to develop life skills in a fun, safe and musical way.
Since 1990 the band has developed into a highly successful group with a renowned international reputation. With over 100 members, led by a cadre of staff who are all volunteers, the youngest musicians are just 10 years old and many of the new recruits join the band with no previous musical experience. With a multifunctional capability, the band performs at concerts, parades and tattoos throughout the year.
As honorary members of the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division Polar Bear Association the band proudly wear the Polar Bear insignia on their scarlet red tunics.
The band is a registered charity and is 100% self funded thanks to the fundraising activities that are undertaken throughout the year.
Making the ordinary extraordinary every Monday and Wednesday, 7pm-9pm
Our Core Values
Our core values and the reason we are second to none. (Nulli Secundus)
Musical Training
We aim to encourage and train young musicians to develop both mentally and physically for the demands of musical performance. We teach them to play music and march.
Iconic Moments
Members of our band also learn essential life skills that can help them out in later life. We give young people the confidence to succeed in anything they want.
Music for all
We are proud to take an open door approach and therefore welcome young people of any ability. No experience needed, no instrument required. Only the desire to learn.
Having Fun
We believe having fun is at the very heart of what we do. We bring joy to young people and provide them with a real sense of achievement and fulfilment.
Become One Of Us
Our History and What we do
Mr John Wyndham MBE founded the band with a vision of encouraging its young members to develop self-discipline and a team spirit. His own positive experiences in the London Sea Cadet Corps gave him the desire to emulate that arena but also to push the musical boundaries further. His achievements are very evident in the splendid youth band we see today.
The bands ethos remains the same today as it was in the beginning, aiming to encourage and train young musicians, to develop them both mentally and physically for the demanding musical schedule of concert and marching performance.
Band members are regularly exposed to a variety of musical experiences such as performing with professional military bands, performing concerts and displays extensively in the UK and abroad and rehearsing twice weekly come rain or shine. The Band’s main endeavour is engagements of a ceremonial nature and as such lead Brentwood’s Remembrance Parade and through its young members helps to keep alive acknowledgement of the sacrifices made by service men and women of the Armed services.
Our People
Discover the people who make up Brentwood Imperial Youth Band.
President
Dr Graham O Jones MBE
Click for Bio
In 1981 Graham was selected to become a Bandmaster and he attended the Bandmaster’s Course in 1981 at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall for three years. The culmination of his efforts produced prizes for composition and orchestration and resulted in his first appointment as Bandmaster of 16/5 The Queens Royal Lancers, during which time he was made a Member of the British Empire for his outstanding service to the Regiment.In 1994 he was commissioned in the rank of Captain and appointed as Director of Music, The Lowland Band of the Scottish Division. In 1997 he moved to the Band of the Light Division based in Winchester, Hampshire. Three years later he was promoted to Major and posted to Headquarters Army Music, Kneller Hall as Officer Commanding the Training Development Team. Whilst there he was instrumental in pioneering the Army accreditation programme, linked to Trinity College of Music, London.In August 2001 Major Jones achieved his life-long ambition by being appointed Director of Music, Coldstream Guards – a position unequalled in Army music. Having received his Master of Music degree from the University of Reading, Major Jones went on to gain his Doctorate of Music Arts (DMA) with the University of Salford graduating in the summer of 2006. Lt Col Jones is the first army director of music to gain a DMA. He is much in demand as a lecturer, adjudicator and conductor both in Europe and the United States.In December 2007 Lt Col Jones was appointed Senior Director of Music and in May 2008 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel becoming Senior Director of Music, Household Division. Lt Col Jones retired from Army Music in November 2011 after a glittering career spanning almost 40 years of service.
