The Somerset Brigade Band will celebrate its 86th Anniversary Festival of Music Concert tomorrow evening at the St James Church Santuary in Sandys.

The band has served the West End community for almost a century and is considered an integral part of the parish community, playing classic marching band tunes, hymns and more recently concert band arrangements of modern pop tunes.

A press statement released this morning noted the band had established “a consistent presence at parish and national events including church bazaars and tea parties, birthday celebrations, commemorations, funerals, state and municipal parades and collaborative work with other bands and organisations.

“In June 2015, Somerset Brigade Band was invited to perform at the international Sound of Music festival in Burlington, Canada and proved to be a popular group. These events have all been supported by a body of dedicated musicians that make up the not-for-profit organisation of the band.”

Elsworth Bean is the bandmaster, and the featured soloists are Graham Maule and Francine Lee. The Reggie Tucker quartet will also be playing.

Compere for the evening will be Music Teacher Mr Anthony Wolfe.