Lieutenant colonel Graham Jones, who retired from one of the highest musical positions in the British Army in 2011, is now in-demand as a guest conductor for top-level military and civilian bands around the world. The Kalamazoo Concert Band recently welcomed him to the podium to lead its fall concert, "Smitten With Britain," held October 24th in Chenery Auditorium.
Jones and KCB music director Tom Evans discuss the history of wind band music, which they say entered the modern era with a piece by Gustav Holst, the Suite For Military Band, Op. 28 No. 1. Jones also discusses his career as a conductor. For Jones, an early penchant for waving around his mother's knitting needles led him to military boy's school and later a career with the British Army, culminating in his position as director of music for the Coldstream Guards, Household Division.
