Description

SLJO is a spirited group of dedicated musicians from a variety of backgrounds, whose main aim is to promote Big Band jazz in the community, and to have as much fun as possible while doing so.

We play upwards of thirty gigs each year, and have performed at a wide range of events including the Dulwich and Sydenham Arts Festivals, the Ealing Jazz Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, London’s prestigious 100 Club, the Montreux and Stockholm Jazz Festivals, and at numerous bandstands across the capital.

The SLJO also performs at private events and functions such as weddings, award ceremonies, community events, private parties and at local pubs.

Description

The bandstand in The Regent's Park is located on Holme Green, between the boating lake and Inner Circle. It was moved from Richmond Park to The Regent's Park in the 1970s.

The Regent’s Park combines large open spaces with tree-lined pathways, formal gardens, and four children’s playgrounds. It has excellent sports facilities, and contains central London’s largest outdoor sports area.

Walk through the elegant flowerbeds in the Avenue Gardens, see more than 12,000 roses in Queen Mary’s Gardens, or hire a rowing boat and join the ducks on the boating lake. Visit the Open Air Theatre and London Zoo, then take a stroll up Primrose Hill for excellent views of the London skyline.

The park also provides a warm welcome for wildlife. It has a large wetland area and is home to around 100 species of wild bird and a breeding population of hedgehogs.

In 1982, the bandstand was the target of a terrorist attack. The IRA bombed the bandstand on 20th July 1982, killing seven soldiers and injuring 24 others during a concert by the band of the Royal Green Jackets. The bandstand is sometimes called the "Memorial Bandstand" in memory of the dead soldiers. There is a plaque that commemorates the seven bandsmen who were killed.

Two years after the bombing, the composer George Lloyd wrote Royal Parks For Brass Band, the second movement of which, In Memoriam is dedicated to the bandsmen who died. The piece still features in many band repertoires.

Regents Park,

City of London,

Greater London,

England,

NW1 4NT.