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Bede Wind

Bede Wind Philharmonic was formed in 1989 in Springfield Comprehensive School (later Jarrow School) Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, England, by their conductor Ernest Young, to allow pupils to continue playing once they had left school.

The band has performed in Belgium, France and America in 1995 and in 2005 Bede Wind was the first band to perform at the Sage Gateshead. They returned to this prestigious venue in February 2011 and April 2022, performing with the highly acclaimed soprano Bibi Heal. There have also been performances on television and at the annual BASBWE conference.

Bede is recognised as the leading wind band in the North East of England and is one of the leading community bands in Great Britain.

Membership is open to wind and percussion players who are able to play to the required standard.

Bede Wind has members from across the North East of England, many of whom travel considerable distances for rehearsals and concerts.

For eleven years the band led the Wallington Hall Proms concerts in Northumberland which featured the soloists Graeme Danby, Valerie Reid and Bibi Heal from the English National Opera.

In January 2010, Bede Wind Philharmonic changed its name to Bede Wind.

Bede celebrated it's twenty-fifth anniversary in 2014 with a concerts in Kings Hall, Newcastle University and Edinburgh.

Since the 25th of September 2009, the band have rehearsed in the Sage Gateshead, which on 13th of September 2023 was renamed The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.

Bede Chorus

Bede Chorus was formed in 1995 and comes together with the band at certain times of the year to give concerts.

The two groups have a varied repertoire, which includes a very well received collection of North Country music.

Membership is drawn from around Tyneside.

There are about fifty members and rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings at Trinity Church, Gosforth.

The band and choir are self-financing and each year they help raise funds for local churches, local and national charities.

Ernest Young

Ernest retired as Music Co-ordinator for South Tyneside Council, Tyne and Wear, after thirty one years service.

He has worked as an arranger and conductor for both BBC and ITV and his compositions have featured on 'Young Musician of the Year' as well as all major examination syllabuses.

Ernest has written over thirty anthems for church choirs and a new work by him, 'Kyrie and Gloria' was performed for the first time in March 2009 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear.

In the Queen's birthday honours list 2019, Ernest (Conductor and Choirmaster) received a British Empire Medal for "Services to Music".

 

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Copyright Roy Dickason, October 2002 and April 2019.