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About Us
Why Wigan?
In discussions on the growth, reputation and international status of the
Wigan International Jazz Festival the question has often been asked Why
Wigan? The easy answer is simply Why Not?
Wigan of course has a long association with the entertainment world with
names such as George Formby and Frank Randall often mentioned. The
Empress Ballroom and Wigan Casino play a big part in the town’s musical
history and very recently a short recording of the Roy Turner Band in
performance at the Express Ballroom emerged. In the 1950’s the Park
Hotel in Wigan Town Centre hosted Wigan’s first and very popular jazz
club and although many people may not know it Maynard Ferguson’s first
appearance in Wigan was at a big rock festival in Bickershaw in the
early 1970's – the festival was eventually washed out after torrential
rain. So Wigan has quite a musical history!
The re-emergence of a strong following for jazz in Wigan began in the
late 1970's after Wigan Council formed the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra
(then the Wigan Metro Stage Band) Initially audiences comprised mostly
parents and grandparents with the music of Glenn Miller forming the bulk
of the repertoire. By 1980 under the direction of Ian Darrington the
Orchestra had gained a national reputation and was attracting lots of
media attention. The support for jazz and big band in the Borough
quickly grew to a point where it provided major input into official
occasions events of Wigan Council. Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra became the
‘flagship’ of the Borough’s arts movement. With the opening of the Wigan
Pier site summer and Christmas festival’s emerged and each featured
major jazz concerts. Humphrey Lyttelton, George Chisham, Alan Price.
Georgie Fame, Helen Shapiro and of course WYJO all helped to establish
Trencherfield Mill as a unique and very special performance venue. Over
the following twenty years it would become not only the spiritual home
of jazz in Wigan but one of the most important and highly respected jazz
venues in the world.
In recognition of the growing audience for Jazz in Wigan a jazz club was
formed. Presenting high quality concerts on the last Sunday of each
month the club, now in its twenty-fourth year, provided a platform for
local national and international artists. So successful was the first
year of the Jazz Club that an opportunity was seen for Wigan to stage a
Jazz Festival. That was 22 years ago and in a way the rest is history.
However, it could never have been imagined that the Festival would not
only survive but that it would develop in such a way as to become one of
the most respected Jazz Festivals in the world.
Education
From its earliest days
education has played a central role in the Wigan International Jazz
Festival. From day one of the Festival the Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra
has been featured within the programme often playing alongside guest
jazz soloists from around the world and almost always to capacity
audiences. For the members of the Orchestra this process has provided
them with a superb education in jazz, the success of which is evident in
the number of former WYJO members who are now successful professionals
within the music industry.
Organisers of the Festival quickly recognised that in order to generate
a wide audience base and to provide for sustained interest in the
Festival, an educational feature within the programme was essential. As
a result in each of the Festival’s twenty three programmes to date
seminars and workshops have been included. Featuring such artists as Don
Lusher, Eric Delaney, Bobby Shew, Sheila Tracy, Scott Hamilton, Alan
Barnes, James Morrison and many more these seminars have provided a
unique and often fascinating insight in the world of jazz and into the
lives of jazz musicians. Additionally, the workshops offered on a
regular basis have provided opportunities for participation in a wide
range of activities including jazz improvisation sessions, playing
instruments for absolute beginners, samba drumming and swing dancing The
inclusion of the education focus has helped to create an individual,
interesting and long lasting identity that has helped to distinguish the
Wigan event from other festivals.
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The fabulous Dave Brubeck
The SHAPE Orchestra |
