CYRIL LYONS - TROMBONE

Cyril Lyons died July 2010

An article on trombonist Cyril Lyons, written by Sue Parish,
and reproduced by kind permission of the Lancaster Guardian

These days Cyril Lyons lives in Morecambe and plays trombone with the Lune Valley Vintage Jazz Band. But he started out playing German marches on a euphonium in an Irish army band!

Explains Cyril: "I was born in Dublin, and joined the Army school of music there when I was 14. It was run by pre-first world war German army bandmasters, so we played regimental marches written for the Kaiser's army! They gave me this enormous German trombone, but I was only a little guy and my arms weren't long enough to play it. So much to my disgust they gave me a euphonium instead."

When Cyril was 18 he got posted to the Band of the Southern Command in Cork in 1949. He finally got to play the trombone. And he also got a taste of something other than marching music:"

Trad jazz was just coming in then, and we were all knocked out with it, and wanted to play it. Every Saturday we went to the Arcadia ballroom in Cork. I've seen all the big English bands there - Joe Loss, Mick Mulligan, the Magnolia trad band, Ottilie Patterson and Chris Barber."

Inspired, Cyril and his army friends started a jazz ensemble: "The first gig I ever did was in a convent school. We started off the first number and a nun came screaming into the hall telling us to stop. And we all had to go down on our knees and say a prayer before the dance started!" 

Gradually he progressed to supporting the visiting bands at the Arcadia. By the time he left the army in 1953 he was able to go full-time as a musician, and toured Ireland with a variety of bands:"

We used to play at all these little country places - with halls where there was no electric. Many's the time that we've taken the battery out of the band bus to work the PA system."

At that time in Ireland dancing was very very big. In the summer every little village had what they called a carnival, and they'd hire this huge big marquee with a maple floor, and they would dance there for two weeks, with different bands every night. I've played in these marquees to over three thousand people - and our PA system would just be two little speakers!"

Ill-health put a temporary stop to Cyril's musical career, and he left Ireland in 1959, joining his brother who lived in Morecambe. He signed up as a bus driver. And, apart from a brief spell with the band of the local Territorial Army, he packed up playing, for over fifteen years. But the jazz grapevine caught up with him: "

Around 1980 I was at Lancaster bus station and George Gardiner, a local guitarist came looking for me. He was getting together few musicians to have a blow in his kitchen." (Note to readers - "a blow" is jazz slang for playing. Oddly this doesn't necessarily have to mean playing an instrument that needs blowing!) 

Cyril dug his trombone out, and went along. The band included celebrated jazz locals - trumpeter Charlie Smith, trombonist Matthew Woodhouse and velvety-voiced singer John Perella. They soon moved out of George's kitchen and played at the White Lion at Halton, and the Victoria Hotel in Glasson Dock. 

Cyril was well and truly back into playing. He was soon headhunted by bass player and bandleader Brian Gordon for the Lune Valley Vintage Jazz Band. And he's not stopped blowing since, particularly since retiring from the buses.

As well as spots with countless bands across the Northwest, he has shared the stage with celebrated trumpeter Ronnie Hancock, and British trombone star Roy Williams. And he makes an annual return to Cork to play with friends at the jazz festival there.

He hasn't yet achieved his dream of playing with Chris Barber. But there's a link between them that goes back to Cyril's first jazz experiences: "

Years ago I saw Chris Barber play in Morecambe, and I told him I remembered seeing him playing in Cork over 20 years before that. And he said: "That's right - the Arcadia Ballroom." He remembered everything about it - even remembered they'd had bangers and mash for supper. I couldn't believe it. He'd played all over the world and he could remember that damn ballroom."

Sue Parish   

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