The Annual Alumni Reunion and Jazbytes 20th Anniversary Celebration 2026

The Annual Alumni Reunion and Jazbytes 20th Anniversary Celebration took place on Sunday 14 June here at Salisbury Cathedral School, welcoming over 100 guests, including 37 former and current Jazbytes players.

Jazbytes was established 20 years ago by Dave Andrews, and since then just under 300 pupils have been part of the group. Over the years, a number of former pupils have gone on to pursue professional musical careers, and it was particularly inspiring to welcome many of them back to perform and celebrate this milestone.

The former pupils were a huge inspiration to our current and younger pupils. Luke Lane, now a professional trumpet player, returned to perform, alongside his sister Emma, who sang beautifully just before the concert and also played trumpet. Emma has recently completed a foundation course in Birmingham and is due to begin at the Guildford School of Music and Drama.

We were also delighted to welcome Benny Tayler, who is also pursuing a professional career in music, and Maxim Lewis, who is currently studying Music at the University of Manchester.

Jazbytes was originally created to provide a creative balance and musical opportunity beyond cathedral music and other school ensembles at the time. It began rehearsing upstairs in one of the small rooms in Queensgate before quickly outgrowing the space and moving into the BSR, where it has remained at the heart of school music life ever since.

There was a wonderful sense of continuity and community throughout the day, with many former pupils and families sending apologies for their absence but passing on sincere thanks to Dave Andrews for everything he has done over the past 20 years. His commitment, vision and dedication have had an extraordinary impact on so many young musicians.