The musical director of a local concert band is hoping that he may find some musical talent laying dormant in Totnes.

David Bourne, who runs Classic Breeze, says he is looking for musicians form the older age group to join the 22-strong band, although the present ages span from 13 to 76 years.

Classic Breeze plays many kinds of music, including Motzart, songs from the shows and Glenn Miller. It usually plays charity functions for expenses only.

Mr Bourne says: "The band has grown from a five-piece 22 years ago to what it is today. But it is mainly just for playing for our own pleasure and to allow us to perform about four times a year, although we rehearse every Friday evening."

Musicians required at the moment are those who are of a good standard on trumpet, alto sax, flute and clarinet.

The Classic Breeze Concert Band gave a concert in aid of Guide Dogs for the blind at Oldway Mansion as part of a combined effort with the Torbay Light Orchestra to provide a guide dog for a blind musician.

This talented group of wind instrumentalists has grow from a modest start when David and Lorraine Bourne and a few friends began to play together in their home.

Now a well-balanced group of 20 musicians, conducted by David Warwick, can present a fill programme of varied music. David Bourne, who arranges all the pieces, aims to mixing light classical with more modern items. The programme at Oldway bore out this promise.

A selection from Oklahoma! was balanced by a trip around the tunes of Gilbert and Sullivan. The tango jealousy rubbed shoulders with the Minuet from Bizet's L'Arlesienne suite - which produced a fine flute solo by Jackie Casley.

Steve Bourne gave a very good account on clarinet of the jazz classic Tin Roof Blues, and the band romped through Twelfth Street Rag with proper panache.

Felix Arndt's piano solo Nola was given a fine baritone saxophone rendering by David Bourne, there was an economical arrangement of the Nimroc theme from Elgar's enigma Variations, and a clever arrangement of the Allegro from Mozart's Clarinet Quintet surprised me by its seeming appropriateness.

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain the band played the march The Dambusters and Walford Davie's RAF March Past. A sing-a-long session twinned A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Squayre with The White Cliffs of Dover.

Three local singers made valuable contributions to the success of the evening. Eileen Green sang charmingly in numbers from My Fair Lady and The Dancing Years. Alan Cox revived many memories with Albert Ketelby's Sanctuary of the Heart, and Don Green recruited the audience as special constables in the Police Sergeant's song from The Pirates of Penzance. Finally Alan Cox led the audience into the chorus of Land of Hope and Glory, with Union Jack hats and flags, and a very enjoyable evening came to a close with the audience still asking for more - which is how all good concerts should end.

OUTSIDE the "pop" scene, there are very few opportunities for young musicians to present themselves in public in groups.

David and Lorraine Bourne, musicians who love at Ipplepen, found themselves with three musically gifted sons who needed just such an outlet for their talents. So they gathered round them a group of young instrumentalists and formed a wind band.

After many years of practice and experience, this ensemble is now about 18 strong and gives concerts under the name Classic Breeze.

At St Paul's Church, Preston, the young musicians (with the enthusiastic assistance of four more mature players) presented a programme that was truly surprising in its variety and thoroughly pleasing in its execution.

Under the baton of Tony Constantine, who compared as well as conducting, they began with bouncy march "Light of Foot".

Other items included a couple of Glenn Miller favourites, a Ketelby romance, a paso doble, Gade's concert tango "Jealousy" and a rondo from a Mozart serenade.

Solos were played by 21 year old trumpeter Simon Ibbunson in "High on a Hill". 15 year old Michael Bourne on the clarinet on "Rock around the Clock", another 15 year old, Sarah Constantine, who played the solo flute in Bizet's menuet form "L'Arlesienne and Steven Bourne aged a more mature 22 who contributed a clarinet-biassed arrangement of the jazz classic "Tin Roof Blues".

All the solos were played with aplomb and technical ease. To me, the highlight of a delightful evening was the Classic Breeze performance of Vaughan Williams' Folk Song Suite.

The rhythms were clearly pointed, the changes of tempo and mood well achieved and the many "exposed" passages taken with complete competence. Such a standard must be the result of careful rehearsal and insistence upon the essentials of good ensemble playing.

Lorraine Bourne and 19 year old Karen Shipman sang solos from "My Fair Lady".

Tony Constantine left the group conductor-less when he delivered the Policeman's lament from "The Pirates of Penzance", and followed it up with the big waltz song from "The Quaker Girl".

David Bourne, the founder of the group, played the bass line on baritone saxophone. He arranges all the pieces for Classic Breeze, and no praise can be too high for the inspiration and impetus he and his wife give to these young performers.

The concert ended with a rousing selection of G. & S. melodies.

Classic Breeze rehearse on Friday evenings at Ipplepen School. They are always on the look-out for young wind players of reasonable standard. This is a group of which Torbay should be proud.