Band History

The Melvin Beddow Big Band, in its present form, was created in 1991 following the retirement of its then Musical Director, a well known music teacher, Mr Melvin Beddow himself.
Melvin had long been an admirer of the Big Band sound, forming his first Band at King John School in Benfleet back in the 1960's. He then started another great band, at the South East Essex Sixth Form College (SEEVIC).
Featuring older students, the SEEVIC Swing Wind Band quickly picked up several top awards and was an immediate success. Having played at such venues as the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, musicians were quite distressed at the thought of having to leave the Band at the end of their academic careers. Always one to listen to the thoughts of his former students, Melvin formed a third band, The SEEVIC Big Band.
Naturally, this Band was just as successful as its predecessors, swiftly undertaking tours of Berlin and Basle, together with countless concerts in Britain as well. However, by 1991, Melvin decided to retire, preferring to leave the band whilst it was still at the peak of its popularity.
The story didn't end there, and with a swift change of name in honour of the man who had started the ball rolling, the Melvin Beddow Big Band hit the road.
 

 

Our Concert Secretary will be pleased discuss your event, venue and requirements. Our experienced
set-up team will ensure that all runs smoothly on the day.

For more information, check out our other pages. To contact us, please telephone 0845 224 2861
or email us at enquiries@mbbb.co.uk

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