A concert to mark the 60th anniversary of the RAF Wyton Voluntary Band will take place at Peterborough Cathedral next weekend.

Organisers say they hope the event, on Saturday, February 28, will go some way to recognising the importance of the band to the RAF and pay tribute to the members who support various charities in Cambridgeshire each year, helping them to raise thousands of pounds.

Bandmaster Graham Sheldon said: “The band is really looking forward to the concert and we have been extremely busy making sure nothing is overlooked.

“Whether performing as a soloist, a section or as part of the main band, we’re all ready for the big night, and I believe it will be a night to remember for all concerned.”

The RAF WAVB will be joined by the Central Band of the Royal Air Force – the first time the Central Band has played alongside a volunteer band.

The band was formed in 1955 by Flight Sergeant John Gordon and, in addition to volunteers from almost every trade in the RAF, there are also regular members from Huntingdonshire, the Royal Navy, the Army and the MoD civil service.

One of nine bands in the RAF, it undertakes a wide variety of engagements each year, ranging from formal concerts to military parades.

Concert venues have recently included St James’s Park in London, Burgess Hall in St Ives and the Commemoration Hall in Huntingdon.

Three CDs have been recorded in 2005, 2006 and 2008, and have sold more than 1,000 copies each in aid of charities and band funds.

The versatile band, which has 50 members, plays a mix of styles and can field a concert band, military marching band, big band, clarinet quartet, brass quintet and fanfare team.

Current membership is drawn from RAF stations Brampton, Wyton and Wittering; Marham in Norfolk; Cottesmore in Rutland; and Henlow in Bedfordshire.

INFORMATION: Tickets remaining for the concert, which starts at 7.30pm, are £10. To book, call 01733 452336, email tic@peterborough.gov.uk or visit the Destinations Centre, 9 Bridge Street, Peterborough.