Dereham Band will pay tribute to its longest serving member at its first public performance of the year.

The Derrick Woods Memorial Concert will be held on Saturday, February 6 at 7.30pm at Northgate High School.

The band, under musical director Tony Hampton, will be joined by at least nine musicians from other Norfolk bands paying their respects to Mr Woods who died suddenly at his home in North Elmham on October 7 last year, aged 81 years.

His great passion was music and he played with the Dereham Town Band for 64 years, never missing rehearsals.

In 2011, to celebrate his incredible achievement of 60 years as a playing member of the band, he was presented with an engraved tankard.

Mr Woods played one of the biggest instruments in the band, the E-flat bass which is like a small tuba, and members often wondered where he found the breath.

Expressing their sadness following his death fellow band members and friends paid tribute to him as a 'true gentleman' with a great sense of humour.

Admission is free, with a retiring collection for Mr Woods's favourite charity Merle Boddy House.

* Are your organising a memorial event? Email kathryn.cross@archant.co.uk.