Bringing generations together: Highland Swing Band prepares for 20th anniversary party
A Highland community ensemble is set to mark its 20th anniversary with a big party in Nairn.
The Highland Swing Band, an Inverness-based community and social swing and jazz band will mark this milestone by hosting a 20th Birthday Feature Contest and party in Nairn on Saturday (November 16) .
Musical director and trombone player Laura Baird said this is a fantastic time for the band, which has been going from strength to strength.
“The band started in the summer of 2004,” she said.
“It’s just an amazing thing to create a community band where people of all ages can get together and play jazz and swing music and perform at community events, and just get together and be social while playing music as well.
“There is something really nice about getting together once a week, having this common ground of playing, getting better. It’s great for mental health, after practice you feel so much better.”
Boasting more than 70 members who have joined the band over the past two decades - 26 currently active - the band brings together musicians aged anywhere between 14 and 88.
“We have eight performers under the age of 18 which is really incredible”, Laura explained.
“Jazz is not a genre that normally gets much attention among young people but to see that involvement from them is brilliant! They started joining one by one, convincing their friends to come along.”
Among the band’s most recent additions is Newtonmore vocalist Michael Lewis (16) who made headlines with his performances at the Inverness Highland Games wowing the crowds with his rendition of swing classics.
The party will see the band performing two sets, as well as raffles and games raising money for charity.
Laura continued: “We wanted to celebrate our birthday but because we are a community group we like to do things for charity.
“We will be raising funds for the Leanne Fund, who support people and families who are impacted by Cystic Fibrosis and the band (for the next 20 years!). We have one band member who has lost a family friend to Cf and they will be their to support too.
“The band has been putting in a lot of effort and has really improved in the past few years.
“Now we are hard at work practising new songs and we can’t wait to celebrate!”
Anyone wishing to attend the party - taking place at the Nairn Community and Arts Centre from 7.30pm, can get a ticket via this link.
