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JUST CLICK ON ANY HEADING OR PICTURE BELOW Read about Big Band Cruise Ships United Services Organisation News Letter See
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Do you remember the original
Royal
Air Force Squadronaires Can we now introduce to you the new Squadronaires Orchestra & Singers. Based on the wartime orchestra, the band consists of young musicians, as they looked then - no long hair, beards or earrings - playing the SWING music of the era, as it was played then! A short biography of a legend - How did it start?Within a few months of World War 2 many of the leading British musicians found themselves together as members of service bands. The most famous of these was the RAF No 1 Dance Band - later known as the Squadronaires. The idea of the band was said to have originated with Squadron Leader O'Donnell, leader of the RAF Central Band at Uxbridge who thought that with such great talent 'on tap' they should form an Orchestra to play for service personnel, and to compliment the American Orchestras of the period. Many of the members of the new orchestra were former members of the great Ambrose orchestra. The initial personnel included such great players as George Chisholm, Kenny Baker, Ronnie Aldrich and Tommy McQuater - just to mention 4 musicians who would go on to even greater heights musically after the war finished. The orchestra eventually ended up under the leadership of Jimmy Miller throughout the war years. Of the first orchestra's first broadcasts in January 1941 , one critic in the Melody Maker was to write 'Any of you lucky enough to hear this airing will, I am sure will agree... that this is the greatest dance band performance that has ever been broadcast this side of the Atlantic. The band was to receive many similar accolades throughout it's existence. After the war, the musicians decided to keep the orchestra together as a co-operative. The Squadronaires remained together under Pianist Ronnie Aldrich until 1964 when, with the advent of the 'new music', dance and swing orchestras became unpopular with the masses. AND THEN ? .... Some years later, due to the undoubted brilliant groundwork by Syd Lawrence, the style of Big Band music began to regain popularity. The (new) Squadronaires Orchestra was formed under the leadership of saxophonist Harry Bence and worked as a 'modern style' band. Following the death of Harry Bence in 1997 the orchestra was once again reformed under the leadership of Trumpet player/Arranger Greg Francis and the orchestra became part of the United Services Organisation, the U.S.O is concerned with the heritage aspect of its orchestras which includes the Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra. The
Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra
 Followers of the orchestra will be aware that they appeared in the David Puttman movie ' Memphis Belle ' the story of a B17(F) Flying Fortress - probably the most famous of it's kind, since it was the first ever to complete 25 missions with the same crew. The airplane was taken back to the U.S.A. in late 1943, and was used to fly the celebrity crew around the country on fund raising promotions. The Orchestra has maintained it's policy of using young musicians and is one of the only professional British based orchestras to do so. It encourages young musicians from the many regional youth orchestras and music colleges, and instils into them the ability to play in a style which is not generally taught today. Says orchestra director Greg Francis " They come to us having learned to play their instruments well, and we teach them how to broaden their style" . The
Memphis Belle Swing Orchestra itself is dedicated to the memory of the
many gallant crews who were based in the U.K. during the second World
War.
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