Durham University Concert Band

Durham University Concert Band is a non-auditioned ensemble open to all woodwind, brass and percussion players. We aim to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where everyone feels welcome, while at the same time playing music to an excellent standard. We have played concerts in Elvet Methodist Church, Castle Great Hall and Durham Cathedral, as well as competing at the annual National Concert Band Festival (NCBF) where we consistently achieve the Gold and even the top Platinum award. We will return to compete again this year and will strive for the same successes!

The band covers a range of repertoire, from wind band classics and film music, to orchestral arrangements and jazz. For example, we have recently tackled music including Holst’s First and Second Suite for Military Band, How to Train your Dragon, Shostakovich’s Jazz Waltz, and Vaughan Williams’ English Folk Song Suite.

All our concerts are uploaded to YouTube Durham University Concert Band – YouTube

Rehearsal Times 2025/26: Monday evenings 19:00 – 21:30, The James Knott Hall, Trevelyan College

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or on our Instagram!

sunsets and sunrises programme DIGITAL Download

Our Exec

Timothy Harden (He/Him)

President Clarinet, Van Mildert, 3rd year, Politics

As president, I’m in charge of organising the band and its exec, coordinating with DSM and university staff, and ensuring everything runs smoothly. I’m looking forward to getting to know all our new members next year!

Rufus Murray (He/Him)

Treasurer Flute, Trevelyan, 3rd year, Engineering

As treasurer, I deal with society finances, managing the budget and spending our income on biscuits, new music, stash, more biscuits and everything else. I’m looking forward to hanging out with everyone at Trevs after yapping with the flutes throughout rehearsal.

Cassidy Plautz (She/Her)

Conductor Clarinet, St Cuthbert’s, 3rd year, Chemistry and Physics

Hi everyone, I’m Cassidy and I will be one of your conductors for 26/27! I have experience in American marching band conducting but no formal training outside of that, so I’m looking forward to developing my skills and learning from my co-conductor Tomos’s example. My main goal for the band…

Tomos Haine (He/They)

Conductor Clarinet, St Mary’s, 3rd year, Music

As co-conductor, I choose pieces for the band, prepare scores, and lead the band in practicing these pieces in rehearsals. I love our welcoming, inclusive and relaxed atmosphere and the high standard of music we produce!

Anneke Gray (She/Her)

Secretary Flute, St Chad’s, 3rd year, Biology

As Secretary, I will be sending out the weekly emails, taking minutes in meetings and organising concert signup. I’m really looking forward to my 3rd year in DUCB and am so excited for our return to NCBF!

Flora Wood (She/Her)

Publicity Officer Clarinet, St Aidan’s, 3rd year, English Literature

My role as publicity officer involves all things social media and getting the word out about how awesome concert band is. I am also in charge of designing the physical posters, programs and any visual media for the social media. This includes advertising freshers fair, keeping active on the Instagram,…

Sidney Fraser-Pearce (She/Her)

Co-Librarian Flute, St Aidan’s, 2nd year, Maths

As librarian, I’m in charge of sorting out all of the music that we will be playing. My favourite concert band memory are the laughs I’ve had with the other back row flutes and I’m looking forward to more socials and getting to compete at NCBF again!

Megan Winter (She/Her)

Co-Librarian Flute, St Mary’s, 2nd year, Biological Sciences

My role involves making sure the band has all the music that the conductors have requested. I collect and organise the music, make sure it is at rehearsals and concerts, and ensure everybody has enough copies of music! I’m looking forward to playing some more exciting repertoire in the upcoming…

Bea Lambert (She/Her)

Joint Social Secretary Clarinet, St Mary’s, 2nd year, Geography

Looking forward to: hanging out in the bar after rehearsal Overview of my role: vibe curator (overseeing fun socials that everyone can join!) !

Dillon Muir (He/Him)

Joint Social Secretary Saxophone, Grey, 2nd year, Maths

As joint social sec, I help organize the band’s socials and always make sure there’s biscuits! I loved ncbf week and I’m really excited about putting together some fun socials.

Katie Bishop (She/Her)

Tech Officer Flute, Josephine Butler, 3rd year, Computer Science

My role as tech officer is to keep this website looking lovely and update our YouTube page with recordings from all of our concerts. I can’t wait for another year of laughs, smiles, amazing music and reuniting with and meeting new band members.

Blessing Clarkson (She/Her)

Alumni & Outreach Officer Clarinet, Grey, 2nd year, Maths and Statistics

As Alumni and Outreach Officer, I organise Outreach Events with local Music Services, and keep in touch with Alumni of the band!

DUCB’S HISTORY

When Peter came to Durham in 1976 he was keen to join the university orchestra as an oboist. Unfortunately there were twelve oboists auditioning that year, including some studying music, so he was without a group to play in for the first time in quite a few years. At the start of his second year, Peter got in touch with one of his neighbours in Hatfield College, a clarinettist called Steve who practiced regularly, and the two of them started a band. They began finding others by various means, including a drummer (Tom) from Castle and a trombonist (Nick) from Collingwood and were able to start practising as a group. Peter got some music from his old school and they scrounged a little money from somewhere and bought a few marches and bits. Very democratically, Peter became conductor and Steve 1st clarinet!

There were no auditions for new members; anyone could join. They practised in the rooms opposite the Library on Palace Green.

Steve and Peter discussed a name for their band. The format of the group was really a military band, but Durham University Military Band (DUMB) didn’t seem to be quite right, so they settled for Concert Band instead. In June 1978 they performed on Palace Green one afternoon for the first time.

In 1978/9 they were able to have a stand for the Freshers’ Fair and gained quite a few members. In Peter’s final summer they used Castle’s Hall for their first proper concert and had fun on Palace Green again. To try to ensure that the band continued, they attached themselves to the Music Society and appointed an assistant conductor to take over from Peter for the following year; his name was Eric.

Since the founding group left, Durham University Concert Band has continued to grow and flourish and we are proud of all we have achieved and continue to achieve to this day.