Members of Ventnor’s one and only Comic Jazz Band will be taking part in this Sunday’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant, as part of the incredible ensemble put together by Shademakers UK.
Last week the band took part in a rehearsal with members from different sections of the Shademakers’ pageant
If you’ve never seen the Ventnor Comic Jazz Band before, check out this short video from the rehearsals to get an idea of what they are all about.
Been going since 1894
Bob Trowbridge explains some of the history of the Ventnor Comic Jazz Band. He says,
“Ventnor Comic Jazz Band first appeared in the 1894 Ventnor Carnival as a ‘mop brigade’. Members of the local Isle of Wight Rifle Volunteers, dressed in weird costumes, and performed comic drill displays using mops instead of rifles.
“In 1911, a core section of the Mop Brigade formed a comic band, which (apart from interruptions for the two World Wars) has appeared in successive Ventnor Carnivals up to the present day.”
These days the band members still wear outlandish costumes, and play well-known tunes on a variety of instruments (some home-made).
Lots of attention
Earlier this week Joe Plumb, Shademakers’ Movement Director, was interviewed by Kay Burley for Sky News. Click on the play button to hear what he had to say.
The pageant takes place from 2.30pm on Sunday 5th June and can be watched by BBC1 or ITV.
