The Syd Lawrence Orchestra was founded in 1967 by trumpeter and arranger Syd Lawrence, and has been thrilling audiences in concert halls, theatres, TV shows and music festivals all over the UK and Europe for over 40 years. Renowned for its exciting blend of high octane Big Band Swing and Classic Dance Music, the Orchestra’s repertoire ranges from the legendary Glenn Miller through the era of the great Count Basie Orchestra to the hit songs of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. It has recently been voted “Best Big Band in the Land” for the eleventh consecutive year.

The Orchestra, directed since Syd’s retirement in 1996 by Chris Dean, has a repertoire of over 1,200 classic Big Band titles including hits from the Great American Songbooks of George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin and singers Frank Sinatra, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Matt Monro, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Barbra Streisand and others. The Orchestra’s critically acclaimed performances feature classic arrangements of the swing era combined with the fire and drive of some of today’s finest young jazz musicians. Presented with a sizzling mixture of pizzazz, excitement and comedy this makes a truly great show.

In addition to the roaring Big Band numbers, there are vocals from Band Leader Chris Dean and star guest vocalists Eleanor Keenan and Angie Mills. Also featured within the show is the wonderful close harmony singing of The Serenaders recreating the sound of vocal groups such as The Modernaires, The Pied Pipers and The Sentimentalists. A further attraction is the “Band within a Band” showcasing the jazz talents of soloists within the orchestra and adding yet another dimension to the performances.

All concerts have to have a “big finish” and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra is no exception invariably finishing in traditional big band style with a spectacular solo from star Drummer Mike Smith.

When playing for Dances the orchestra’s huge repertoire really comes into its own. The music of the Big Bands was originally written as dance music and its life and soul stems from its origin in dance. The Syd Lawrence Orchestra playing for dancing revives the romance, style and poetry of a bygone era, returning these beautifully constructed tunes to their original purpose. All these elements combine to make the Syd Lawrence Orchestra the most enduringly popular Big Band in Britain today.