MEMORIES of concerts past will be brought back by today's selection of archive photographs, showing bands from across the region.

The main photograph, right, shows the City of York Pipe Band, pictured in the late 1980s, when pipe major Paul Adams had just taken over. The pipe band, established in 1979, still performs regularly, often referring to itself as a "family" or "learners'" band, and is looking for new members to join its weekly practices in Huntington, York.

Below it is a photograph of the York Railway Institute Silver Band, taken in 1959. The band was established in 1952 with the amalgamation of the York City Brass Band and the Ebor Excelsior Silver Band (the Excelsior dated back to 1883).

Today the band has dropped the "silver" from its title, a word used in the past to denote a band which had won trophies. It still competes and is preparing for the Northern Area Second Section Brass Band Competition in March.

Also pictured are Harrogate pupils from St Aidan's School Concert Band, in 1990, above, and members of the JWE Dodsworth Band, below, in 1995. The band was sponsored at the time by the former JWE Mobile Phone Group, in Pocklington, which is now Convergent Telecom Ltd.

Updated: 10:10 Friday, February 07, 2003