Our History
Central to Harrow Steel is the opportunities we have created for young people to travel around Europe, playing the music that they have spent the year rehearsing and perfecting for audiences who may not have experienced Steel Band music. Such tours have taken the band to Venice, Barcelona, Lake Garda, Salzburg, Paris, Ostend, Amsterdam, the Rhineland, and the French Alps.
“Harrow Steel” was founded 1986 and has created an ethos of challenge and nurture that provides an opportunity for gifted and talented young musicians aged 13 – 21 to learn complex music aurally within a Steel Band. We support the engagement of musical talent, in a multicultural environment, across Harrow and North-West London. We welcome a variety of young people from a range of backgrounds, giving them a sense of belonging, whilst teaching leadership skills and teamwork, which will stay with those in our community as they progress throughout their lives.
Throughout the years, Harrow Steel has nurtured hundreds of gifted and talented musicians, teaching and ensuring a high level of musicianship, who would not normally be able to access this kind of provision due financial constraints. In 1992, Harrow Steel became part of Harrow Young Musicians, a school for musically talented young people that spanned a range of musical styles and ensembles. In our first year as part of HYM, we were invited to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, and have since performed at Notting Hill Carnival on three separate occasions, winning ‘Best Band on the Road’. Harrow Steel have regularly appeared at numerous notable venues and concerts, including BBC Television shows such as ‘Blue Peter’, ‘Record Breakers’ and ‘You and Me’. More recently, we have performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Indigo at the O2 Arena, St. John Smith’s Square, and Music for Youth competitions.
Having successfully bid for Charity status in December 2019, we now run workshops for young people to access high-quality music provision that would otherwise be out of reach for some young people. You can find out more about our current projects here.