[3] Led by its co-founder, artistic director and composer Tony Haynes,[4] Grand Union works to highlight the contributions that immigrant musicians and communities, particularly in the East End, make to music in London and to British culture in general.
[2] Tony Haynes and Chris Biscoe were previously members of the jazz rock group RedBrass (1975–79), itself an offshoot of the Belt & Braces Roadshow political theatre company.
[13] In 1984, the company was commissioned by the Greater London Council to celebrate its "Year Against Racism", creating The Song of Many Tongues and using the title Grand Union Orchestra for the first time.
There has been a core of regular members since the early 1980s including Tony Haynes, Chris Biscoe, Claude Deppa, Ros Davies and Gerry Hunt.
[18][16] Its music is inspired by global influences, including Chinese, African, Indian, Bengali and Latin American, all drawing on the cultural heritage of the musicians and performers.
[19] Big band blues, Indian ragas, Latin American salsa, Chinese harmonies, Bengali songs, reggae basslines, West African drumming, bhangra and samba rhythms all feature at Grand Union performances.
[9][21][6] Writers who have contributed lyrics for the group include David Bradford, Valerie Bloom, Sara Clifford, Masud Ahamed, Manuel Alegre and John Matshikiza.
[18] The group's musical core mirrors that of the Grand Union Orchestra, drawing on influences from Bangladesh, Latin America, the Caribbean, Portugal and the Far East.
[9] The Grand Union Youth Orchestra (GUYO) was founded in 2007[6] to bring together young musicians aged 12–26 who wish to explore the world's major musical cultures.
[59] Free monthly masterclasses and workshops are given by professional musicians including regular members of Grand Union Orchestra such as Claude Deppa and Louise Elliott.