TAVISTOCK Town Band has had to cancel all engagements until the autumn due to a dramatic drop in the number of players.

The crisis-hit band has less than half the players it had three months ago. Now, remaining members are determined to rebuild it in time for a spectacular proms concert on September 15.

Players plummeted from 25 to fewer than a dozen but band treasurer Chris Northey said: 'Although numbers have depleted it doesn't mean the band has disappeared.

'At the beginning of the year we had a full band able to do concerts and competitions and we won a lot of prizes. But three months ago we lost our musical director of three years Tony Evans — and it went downhill a bit from there.'

He said the town band will continue in one form or another.

'It is now a much smaller ensemble and that is how it will continue with a view to increasing numbers in the future,' said Mr Northey. 'We have been representing the town for more than 150 years — and we will do so for another 150 years.'

He said the band had hit a downward spiral: 'The more that people left the more those remaining wanted to leave.

'We are not shying away from our mandate to the town to still provide an official town band. But we can only work with what we have got.'

He said the current situation was 'not because of any one cause'.

'Tony Evans left because he resigned. The band has always been run as a democratic organisation that reacts to the majority's wishes. At the beginning of the year the majority was of the opinion that Tony wasn't the man to take the band on to its next stage — so he resigned.

'Members found it difficult to decide on a course of action for the forthcoming year without a strong leader like Tony at the helm.

'The nucleus that are left are committed to keeping it going in one form or another. The aim is to get the band back to the performing standard and strength it was previously.'

Mr Northey said the band was well off financially due to income raised from concerts.

'We have lots of new instruments, a full set of uniforms, full library of music and good rehearsal premises — the only thing missing is people to play.'

Tony Turland, who, following a 10-year stint as chairman resigned because of domestic pressures three years ago, has taken up the post again.

He said: 'It is sad to see this situation — but we will pull together and I have started contacting players who used to play with the band and we have had some positive results. We have to strike the balance between the high performance competitions and doing local work.'

Tuba player Ernie Willsher said the band needed rescuing by players coming forward.

'It is amazing this has all happened from the end of March. Since they got rid of Tony some of the ones complaining have gone. Tony has done more for the band than anyone else — and we were the best we have ever been,' he said.

'Some of the members that grumbled were the first to go after Tony left.'

Former musical director Tony Evans said he was 'absolutely devastated' to learn the band still had no musical leader and had lost members.

'After four years of really hard work I had hoped it would go to someone who could take the band on further,' he said.

Mr Evans believed the band lost its direction and felt it was 'the result of putting personalities before principles'.

He said he has, since resigning, offered the band help — but not as musical director.

'It is interesting to note that the last flair up of the band resulted in the splinter group Stannary Brass being formed. The band committee must get down to the roots of the political problems that seem to recur.'

Anyone wanting to join the band should contact secretary Jane Copley on (01822) 615253.