Derby Serenaders Band: We were the Manchester United of marching band world

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At one time, 18 members of the Derby Serenaders Band came from two families – the Wards and the Gilberts. Dave Ward was just eight when he started playing a euphonium as big as himself. His grandfather planned the marching displays, his father arranged the music and his uncle organised the drumming. When his father became band manager, Dave became his assistant and, in the late 80s, succeeded him. Now retired and living in France, Dave looks back on the evolution of the band which has been his life blood.

On parade: Dave’s grandfather, Fred Ward, used to arrange the band’s marching displays

Soldiering on: The Derby Serenaders in 1940, featuring mostly women as the men were called to the front

Going strong: The Serenaders in 1980 when Dave’s father, Maurice, was manager. A year later, Dave became his assistant

I grew up in a family that lived, ate and breathed band music.

From an early age, I can remember sitting on a drum cover at Darley playing fields watching the band practice, with my grandfather, Fred Ward, shouting instructions to the members, never thinking that one day I myself would be doing the same.

The Derby Serenaders were formed in 1936 by four friends who played mouth organs. They were asked to take part in a parade around Normanton to raise money for the hospitals in Derby.

From that modest start, more people wanted to take part who played different instruments, so uniforms were needed – and a name – and the Derby Serenaders Carnival band was formed. Its base was in Leonard Street at my grandfather’s house.

In those early days, the uniform trousers came from the Army and Navy stores and grandad Fred made a four-inch cummerbund and waistcoat and a bandanna scarf for a hat.

The band had to split up in 1939-45 because of the war and some members were lost in battle, including one of the founders Eric Hallam. But, after the war, the band was reformed and a committee was set up.

Fred became secretary and another founder, Ken Hallam, became the treasurer. As the years went by, the band grew and started going further afield to such places as Alfreton, Ilkeston and Ripley to perform in their carnivals.

By that time, the band also did 15-minute marching shows. Other bands in the area were forming as well, so they got together to form a league enabling the bands to compete against each other.

It was called the Carnival Band Secretaries League.

The Serenaders weren’t very good in the beginning but worked hard to improve and, in 1949, they gained their first victory in the competition. My father, Maurice Ward taught himself to play a trumpet and read music and started to write music for the band in 1950.

Instead of three-part harmonies, he arranged the music for trumpet, trombone, euphonium and tenor horn.

The band was changing and getting better. We had grandad Fred arranging the display, my father Maurice arranging the music and my Uncle Colin arranging the drumming. It was a total family affair.

Two families were the main part of the band at this time – the Wards and the Gilberts. Between the two families, there were 18 members of all ages in the band.

I remember when I started. I was eight years old and learning to play a euphonium that was as big as me. Until I was good enough, I was told to play the cymbals.

I was so proud taking the arena for the first time, playing my cymbals, and when my first contest came around, the adrenalin was certainly flowing.

My dad was teaching all of us young lads to read and play music. To improve the band, he taught us all he knew. Then he asked us to go and join the Salvation Army as they had the finest musicians.

So off we went, myself, my brother Bob, Dave Gilbert, Kevin Youson and Alan Richards. After Sunday morning practice with the band, we went off to Derby Central on The Spot to play in the young people’s band.

Both bands benefited. We were all learning and getting better but then concerts and bookings started to clash.

We stayed for five years with the Salvation Army band, touring and even cutting a record. When we went back full time to the Serenaders, we had a good band and won a lot of contests.

Dad was doing all the music and the displays so he knew how long to make the music to match the performance. We were the Manchester United musical equivalent of our time, winning everything.

We had a superb behind-the-scenes structure with a management team instead of a committee. Dad was band manager, Ken Hallam was the financial manager and Alf Gilbert was secretary.

In 1981, I was asked to be dad’s assistant and manager, to write and produce the display and was delighted when we won our first contest of the season at Burslem, Stoke, that year. We were on a run of 21 consecutive wins which, when we entered on average five or six contests a year, meant we hadn’t been beaten in a contest for about four years.

Then we went to Shardlow Hospital Carnival over-confident and lost that contest by one point. A lot of the members and I felt sick. We had never known defeat.

I finally took over the Serenaders in the late 80s. It was time for a change. Carnivals were getting smaller. We had a lot of talent but were lacking stimulation from contesting.

By then, we had introduced a dance band brass section, consisting of trumpets, trombones, saxophones and clarinets. My father stayed on with me to write the music and our programme included the music of Glenn Miller.

I decided, with the backing of the members, to expand to learn two programmes to offer organisers – a Latin American selection and dance band music, each with appropriate dress. We had a very busy year.

In 1992, we resigned from the Carnival Band Secretaries League because of work commitments.

Bookings for the band changed. We were invited to perform at the Lord Mayor of Westminster’s parade in London, the Royal Albert Hall, the Grand National at Aintree and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

We paid regular visits to France through our French agent, playing at the World Cup at Lens in France and at the World Championships in Spain. We also went to Denmark

We had the honour to be asked to perform in front of Her Majesty the Queen at the opening of Pride Park and for three seasons, were the pre-match entertainment for every home game until Derby County was relegated.

My one ambition left was to take the band to America and, thanks to our business manager, we were invited to play at Disneyland, Florida.

To raise money for these ventures, we performed end-of-season patrons’ concerts at the Hardy Social Club, playing three sessions a night of Latin, dance band and umpah music.

Just before the second evening concert in 1994, my father, Maurice, passed away.

It was very strange. The night he died, he came to see me and asked if I was OK with the patrons’ night.

I said “yes” and he went away and died that evening. It was a body blow not only for the family but also the band, its members and supporters.

The band struggled to keep up the momentum that year as the last thing anyone wanted was for the band to fold. It took two years to get back up to strength properly. I decided to give up the reins in 1996.

Meantime, the band was invited to Denmark, France and Sweden to help celebrate the Helsingborg Drum Corps’ 25th anniversary in 1999.

I have now left England and the band behind to retire and live in France. I still miss it and take every opportunity to visit when I am in England.

The band was in my blood and part of my life for so many years – 40 to be exact. I wish them every success.

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