By KLTV Newsdesk –

Legacy Steel Band launches adult evening classes to revive the Caribbean tradition

Steel pan music is making a comeback in Huddersfield thanks to a new partnership between Legacy Steel Band and Kirklees College.

The collaboration will see the launch of a taster adult evening class on Tuesday, 23 September, followed by an eight-week course for those keen to learn the art of playing the pans.

A cultural revival

The initiative began after the community donated another set of steel pans, prompting Legacy Steel Band to approach Kirklees College with the idea of offering classes.

The sessions will be led by Melvin Zakers, a renowned steel pan teacher and performer with Leeds New World Orchestra.

Kirklees College’s Creative Industries department has welcomed the collaboration, working alongside the Huddersfield African Caribbean Cultural Trust (HACCT) to extend music education opportunities across the community.

The Legacy Steel Band in action [Photo Credit: Craig Broadwith]

Restoring the instruments

The steel pans, which had been in storage for many years in less-than-ideal conditions, have undergone extensive refurbishment and tuning.

This work has been jointly funded by Kirklees College and the charitable foundation One Community, ensuring the instruments are once again ready to be played.

Call for community support

Legacy Steel Band is now appealing to local residents to check their lofts and cellars for unused single tenor pans that could be donated to support the project.

Formed three years ago with instruments donated by Paddock Junior School and a grant from the Windrush Fund, Legacy Steel Band has grown into a 15-piece group.

The ensemble regularly performs at local events, promoting Caribbean culture and keeping the vibrant sound of the steel pan alive in Huddersfield.

If you’d like to donate any equipment to the project, or get involved in other ways, contact legacysteelband@hacct.org

The ensemble regularly performs at local events [Photo Credit: Craig Broadwith]