DAVID JEFFELS meets members of Malton’s White Star Band which has been entertaining audiences across the area for decades.

FOR more than a century, Malton’s White Star Band has been entertaining crowds at agricultural shows, garden fetes and community halls, and given concerts in a host of churches and country houses, and even for royalty.

While it may not rank alongside the Brighouse and Rastrick or The Black Dyke Mills, the band’s skilled and professional musicians provide a sound comparable to many of Yorkshire’s legendary bands.

Now, however, it is in need of new players to swell its numbers, which have dropped to 14, with a regular core of 10.

Following the recent death of the chairman and bandmaster, Margaret Wellard, Cliff Hicks has stepped, in describing himself as “caretaker conductor”.

He started with White Star when he was just 11 and has returned to it with the aim of strengthening its playing numbers.

It boasts members who have played for many years – Les Carter started in 1950, while John Taylor’s record goes back 60 years, and Alan Tong, 56 years.

Les’s playing career has also included 12 years with the York Railway Institute Band and 11 with the Swinton Excelsior.

“We are looking for musicians in all sections of the band,” said Cliff, who leads the twice-weekly rehearsals in the White Star’s bandroom in Old Maltongate.

“Our core players are very faithful to the band and very accomplished, but we do need some more to augment the band’s versatility, because we are limited to the performances we can give because of our size,” he said.

“We are certain there are musicians in the Ryedale area who may want to return to playing after a lapse of some years. Ideally, we would like to have a band with a strength of about 25 to 30.”

White Star has what Cliff describes as a fantastic library of music and a cupboard full of instruments.

There was also a book written about the history of the White Star Band in 2001 by Greg Christie, to aid the appeal fund when Malton was devastated by floods.

The band will be playing at St Catherine’s Hospice on June 27, and at the Stamford Bridge nursing home three days later.

Its other engagements this summer include the Abbey Nursing Home, Old Malton (July 4), Rosedale Show (August 15), Scarborough University of the Third Age (September 12) and Stamford Bridge Home (December 22).

* Anyone interested in joining the White Star Band is asked to phone John Taylor on 01653 692601 or Cliff Hicks on 01653 693599.