Balham-based steel orchestra who performed for Prince Harry gear up for summer concert

By Davina Hyde

A steel band whose last official gig was at Westminster Abbey before the first lockdown is preparing to put on a summer performance at a school in June.

Melodians Steel Orchestra UK has travelled to over 30 countries around the world and performed at many festivals, including Royal events, and Christmas concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.

Their performance was at Westminster Abbey in March 2020 was attended by Prince Harry and other members of the Royal Family.

Terry Noel, MBE, who formed the band over 30 years ago, has met the Queen 17 times at events, including events organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Buckingham Palace garden parties.

The band has been rehearsing at Henry Cavendish School in Balham for the past ten years.  They allow the children at the school to use the instruments under supervision of a music teacher and some of the children progress to joining the band.

Two of their top players are ex -students of the school, one is Italian-English and one is Vietnamese-English.

Melodians Steel Orchestra UK’s Midsummer Concert, Recovery Rhythms, is to be held on Saturday, June 19.  The Annual Concert has already been cancelled three times, the first date planned for this was at Christmas, then Easter, and then May.  The proposed concert in June is the fourth attempt.

Terry Noel said: “We are a very cosmopolitan group.  Our membership covers the globe.  We have players with African, Carribbean, Middle East, Far East and European family backgrounds in addition to the many from the UK.

“The composer of Recovery Rhythms is a Kenyan Asian, the person who named the piece is a GP from an Iraqi background working in a practice in Clapham. She recently joined the orchestra and is progressing very well on the Bass pans.”

A few players with their own instruments have done some rehearsing at home but the others had to wait until rehearsal at the school became possible.

Since rehearsals have resumed, not everyone has been able to attend.  Although some people like Terry Noel have been vaccinated, some of the other people are too young to get a vaccination, so are being cautious.

Terry Noel said: “I will be very happy to start back to perform, and hopefully we will get a few more new members too.”

The concert will be following strict Covid rules, with face masks and social distancing in place and will be held outside in the playground next to the Hive at Henry Cavendish School in Balham on Saturday June 19 from 6.00pm.

Guests at the event are by invitation only.