Da Capo Winds- Much More Than Hot Air

Local wind orchestra Da Capo Winds is hosting their own Play Day on February 28th. The event will bring together musicians of all abilities to form a giant wind band, who will perform a mini concert for family and friends at the end of the day. The Play Day is open to everyone, regardless of experience or age, and looks set to become a regular feature in Hart's musical calendar. 

Da Capo Winds is the brainchild of Len Tyler, a local music specialist who has been teaching, managing bands and playing for over 20 years. Originally operating as the training section for the Rushmoor Concert Band, the wind ensemble took on a life of its own, becoming independent in March 2009.

Operating out of Yateley School, the band is now made up of 40 members of all ages. Composed of woodwind, brass and percussion sections, Da Capo Winds dabbles in a wide spectrum of musical styles. They have performed two concerts so far, the last of which brought in over 250 people. Their next performance is on March 29th.

In addition to Da Capo Winds, Len also runs a highly popular Music School at the Harlington Centre, which currently provides training for around 500 budding young maestros from the local community. The lessons delivered at the school seek to eradicate the trend of tone-deafness in children, providing a valuable supplement to their early stages of education.

Len explained to Fleet-People that a musical ideology that benefits the community is at the heart of much of his teaching.

Pioneered by Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly in the first half of the Twentieth Century, the Kodaly method laid out a set of philosophical principles for the musical education of children.

"One of the underlying principles of Kodaly work is to help to improve the musical lives of other," said Len. "This is an aspect of Kodaly work that I strongly support and as a result I put much effort into the running of my music school with its main centre in Fleet. The concept that "music is for all" is one that I fully believe in." Through the use of hand signing among other techniques, the Kodaly approach is incorporated into Da Capo Winds’ rehearsals, making the ensemble’s training singularly unique in the local area.

 More information about the Kodaly method can be found here.

The upcoming Play Day takes place at Yately School from 9am. Entry costs £6. More information is available here.

Da Capo Winds will also be performing their Spring Concert on 29th March. More details are available from the band’s website and tickets can be arranged by calling Len on 01276 34920.

For some more shots of the band in action, take at look at the gallery here.