Biographies

Having played 15 years with Brighouse he took a sabbatical from playing in 2011 only to return to playing with Lindley during 2014. One of the main reasons for the sabbatical was an increasing work load as a brass teacher with the ACCENT Music Education Hub, where Richard was responsible for delivering whole class brass, small group, individual and SEN tuition and the main conductor for the ACCENT Community Wind Band. In 2017/18 he completed a PGCE in Primary school teaching and at present I am working as both a supply teacher and 1:1 tutor in a Pupil Referral Unit. Music continues to be a large part of Richard’s life and he enjoys a vast array of different types of music from folk, classical, rock and, of course, brass band. Two of his passions are jazz music and vinyl records. He has been a jazz fan since he was a teenager and has a large collection of recordings, primarily of stars such as Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, Thelonious Monk and the group Loose Tubes alongside a vast collection of brass band and jazz vinyl, the oldest being from 1910. If you want to know something unexpected about Richard, he is a self- confessed musical hoarder. He collects instruments and enjoys going around charity shops, car boots and house clearances to feed this habit!

She played in both the senior brass band and senior orchestra at Dewsbury Music Centre and was the inaugural co-principal of Kirklees Youth Brass Band. At this time, Alison also played with some music centre colleagues in the Wilton Brass Ensemble which was very active around the local club circuit. She became Principal Cornet of Manor Colliery aged 14 (continuing to hold this role under the bands’ other names, Thornhill, Gawthorpe Victoria and Aceprint) and also, following a spell with Yorkshire Bus Band, occupied the end chair at Skelmanthorpe. Alison played Repiano Cornet with Brodsworth Colliery, being this bands first female brass player. Following an 18 year break Alison took up playing again at the end of 2012 with Grange Moor moving to Lindley in 2013

He first competed at 9 with Milton Keynes Development Band before being offered a 2nd cornet seat with Bradwell Silver Band a few months later. Adam also joined the newly formed Milton Keynes Youth Brass and after a few months in the 3rd cornet seat was moved to the Repiano position. At 13 Adam accepted the invitation to play Soprano for Bradwell Silver Band, a seat he held for nearly 3 years. At 15 Adam was given the Principal Cornet position in Milton Keynes Youth Brass and stayed in this seat until he reached 18 and was no longer eligible to play in the band. During this time Adam was mentored by Ben Godfrey, renowned trumpet and cornet artist. At 16 Adam was made Assistant Principal at Bradwell Silver Band and helped the band achieve 1st place in the 4th Section Regionals and 5th place at National finals in 2018. Adam is in his first year at Huddersfield University studying Music Technology and has been offered a front row seat in the University Brass Band. He is very pleased to be welcomed at The Lindley Band. He is looking forward to the challenges of playing and competing with a 1st Section band in the Yorkshire Area.

He joined Llanrug Silver Band when he was 10 and at the age of 12 started competing with the band in the First Section. Under the baton of Paul Hughes (former Principal Cornet of the Fairey Band) Gethin got the chance to play with the band at the National Finals. He also took lessons with Paul for 6 years whilst in secondary school and competed in numerous solo competitions. During his last year at Llanrug, before he moved to Huddersfield, Gethin was the bands Assistant Principal. Gethin has successfully competed at the National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain with his county band, Band Pres Gwynedd a Môn and he is also a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Wales. He has come to the University of Huddersfield to study Music in the best area of brass banding to expand his skills, experience and knowledge. He is very excited to have joined the Lindley band and to be working under the guidance of Mike Golding

Sellers Youth became Hammond Youth where Haydn enjoyed the challenge of playing Repiano cornet. During his time at Sellers and Hammonds he competed at a number of major youth competitions, including the National Youth Championships of Great Britain at the Royal Northern College of Music. Haydn remained an enthusiastic member of Hammonds Youth until September 2014 when he was invited to join Skelmanthorpe Prospect B band. Haydn enjoys entering solo competitions and has been successful at local slow melody contests and at the Mrs Sunderland music festival. Whilst at junior school Haydn was a member of the prize winning Lindley Junior School choir and was taught cornet by Phillip Garlick, from the Kirklees Music service. Haydn is now being taught, in preparation for taking his Grade 7 cornet exam, by Jamie Cooper from Brighouse & Rastrick Band. As a member of Yorkshire Youth Brass Band, Haydn has performed with Black Dyke Brass Band at a number concert venues including Huddersfield and Leeds Town Halls. He joined Lindley Band on Third Cornet in September 2015 and was the youngest player in the First Section Yorkshire Area in 2016, where the band was placed 3rd. Now aged 14, he is looking forward to a long banding career with Lindley. Haydn also enjoys Swimming, Rugby and Basketball and performing magic.

His mother was keen to encourage Paul to follow in the footsteps of his Grandfather, who was a soprano cornet player and (after a full day of work in the mill) a theatre trumpet player. Unfortunately he was too old to give Paul lessons but he did give him his treasured old cornet which was a pre-World War I model. He joined his local band, Thornhill Colliery, and one of the solo cornet players there taught him for a time. Paul tells the story: ”On one occasion the principal cornet player from Brighouse & Rastrick Band, Tony Whitaker, came for a blow at the time that I was trialling on flugel and he played my cornet. He soon returned it saying he couldn’t play it and recommended that I use a modern instrument!” Paul stayed with the band through ups and downs and name changes, mainly playing ‘2nd man’ on the solo cornet line. The highlight was performing in the 4th Section National Finals in the Albert Hall in 1984. He left to join Lindley Band in March 1986. Neil Jowett had been conducting the band for three years and they had just re-gained Championship status. There were many very good musicians in the band and following his audition Paul was placed on third cornet, a position which he has held ever since. In in recent years Paul was invited to be a Trustee of the band. He is very active on the band committee, still really enjoys playing cornet and plans to continue as long as he is able.

Gareth worked his way into the senior band on repiano cornet and was part of the band’s meteoric rise from fourth to championship sections during the early nineties. Gareth moved to Huddersfield to study for his A levels in 1997 and became principal cornet of the Hepworth band while receiving lessons from the legendary James Shepherd. During this time, Gareth won several local contests and soloist awards. In March 2000, Gareth joined the Grimethorpe Colliery band on repiano cornet. During this time, he toured Australia, America, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and Luxembourg, playing in some iconic venues, with the highlights being performing to a sold-out Sydney Opera house and Carnegie hall in New York. Gareth’s lasting memory of his time at Grimethorpe is the experience of playing under the baton of Elgar Howarth. In 2005 Gareth made a short return to Hepworth before deciding to have a break from banding. In 2018, Gareth decided to return to banding on Flugel with the Skelmanthorpe Prospect band. He is delighted to join the musicians of Lindley band and looks forward to the future with the band. Away from banding, Gareth is a self-confessed endurance junkie and enjoys completing Ironman triathlons.

At Todmorden she progressed under the tuition of David White, who remains an influential person in her playing. She still goes back to Todmorden occasionally to lend a helping hand and to teach the training band. Lily attended Wardle Academy where she joined the junior and youth bands. With them she won multiple National and European Youth Championships playing in Germany, France, the Royal Albert Hall, Bridgewater Hall and in the Lord Mayors Parade in London. She attended Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar school sixth form, studying music at A’ level and whilst there she won the school Young Musician of the Year competition. At this time she joined Hebden Bridge Brass Band on first horn under David Hamilton. Lily is an experienced soloist, performing solos with different ensembles. In the Summer of 2018 she had the privilege of being the soloist for the premier of ‘Summers End’ (a Concerto for Tenor Horn and Strings) by Tim Benjamin. She is currently studying Music at the University of Huddersfield under the tuition of Kirsty Abbots, where she is a member of the University Band. She was a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and completed her final course this summer. Lily is now looking forward to new challenges and making new friendships with Lindley Band.

She progressed through her school’s junior ensembles and over her time there, became principal horn in the senior wind and brass bands. She has performed in some prestigious venues including Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall and The Royal Albert Hall, and participated in joint concerts with the Cory Band and Tredegar Town Band. Lucy was keen to continue playing when she left school and having heard about the thriving brass band scene up North, was thrilled to receive an offer to study Music Technology at the University of Huddersfield. During her first year Lucy played for the University brass band, and she hopes to continue this next year and beyond. Lucy has looked for a permanent band since she moved to Huddersfield, and was really pleased to be offered a seat with Lindley

Bella started contesting around the age of 14 and competed with Ramsey Town in the Northwest Regionals, in the 4th section. She soon progressed from 2nd horn to the solo horn seat and continued to contest with Ramsey. She also played regularly in the Manx Music Festivals winning many solo prizes in her age group. In 2015 she successfully auditioned for the NYBBS and was offered the 3rd solo horn place. She played with them on tour in Norway under Richard Evans and Russell Gray, and in 2017, at the age of 16, she passed her Grade 8. Bella has come to Yorkshire to study physiotherapy at Huddersfield University and is looking forward to extending her banding experiencing, playing in the First Section with Lindley.

Most of Dan’s experience so far is as a wind band player and he has played with several of these in Hong Kong. He was principal euphonium with the Hong Kong Baptist University Wind Symphony and bass trombonist with the Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra. He was the principal euphonium player of Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band and also of Hong Kong Cantabile Winds, as well as appearing with many other wind bands as a guest player. In 2013, Dan participated in tour of Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band to Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival. As a dedicated young performer, he has taken part in many competitions and festivals. This includes the SliderAsia Music Festival 2017, Eurocuivres Asia 2018 and the 2019 Taiwan Tuba and Euphonium Festival. Alongside playing, Dan is also an up and coming conductor in Hong Kong and studied this field under Mr. Choi Hoi Man, gaining practical experience as conductor of Hong Kong Cantabile Winds. Following his graduation from the Hong Kong Baptist Univerity, Dan has chosen to come to the UK to study a euphonium at the Royal Northern College of Music under Steven Mead and David Thornton. He is looking forward to expanding his Brass Band experience as Solo Euphonium at Lindley

Callum’s love of music developed and at school, he became the youngest member of the senior band. During this time, he also joined the local Music Services Concert Band securing the principal French Horn seat. He found his forte however when he joined the Euphonium and Baritone section with The Barnsley Metropolitan Band studying under Alex Francis. Continuing his musical career, he studied a combined music degree in Music & Studio Production at Leeds College of Music, with Euphonium tuition under Michael Howley. Here he held the Principal Euphonium seat with both the Leeds University Brass Band and the Leeds College of Music Wind Orchestra, as well as trying his hand at conducting. At this time, he taught music privately and at local schools/music ensembles which in 2014 led to him taking a year out of banding to complete a PGCE in secondary Music Education. Callum was also a member of the Wakefield Metropolitan Brass Band and at present he works as the Head of Music at a Sheffield secondary school. Music is a big part of Callum’s life and any spare time away from banding he will be found on stage playing keyboards and synthesizers with his 6-piece function band. He is very pleased to be welcomed to the band and is looking forward to continuing his musical career performing with The Lindley Band.

Although his first instrument was the cornet, Chris always yearned to play the euphonium like his dad. The opportunity to get nearer to achieving his ambition came when he started high school and moved to baritone. Also, at this time he joined Yorkshire Traction Honley, where he enjoyed success in the national finals. Chris took an 8-year break from banding, but when he returned to the fold at Honley it was on solo euphonium. In 2012 Chris took the opportunity to move to the Wakefield Metropolitan band, initially on 2nd baritone -where he played for 7 years including during their time in the championship section – within 18 months he took over the solo baritone seat. Chris is delighted to be starting the next stage of his banding career on solo baritone with Lindley.

In her spare time Liz played in a marching band, starting on a fife but quickly progressing to tuned percussion – unlike modern day marching bands, they carried and played their instruments whilst marching as part of the display. Here she first met Les who, following a catch up at a reunion many years later, Liz married in 2017, 30 years after first meeting as friends! Having sat behind Les at every rehearsal in their post re-union years together, Liz became frustrated at being capable of reading the music but being unable to play a brass instrument. So, at the age of 40, she borrowed a cornet and with help from the Yorkshire Co-op beginners group, started to learn. Since then Liz has played a variety of instruments at several local bands (Wilsden, Clifton and Lightcliffe, West Yorkshire Brass, YBS Concert Band, City of Bradford and Drighlington) before settling at Lindley Band on Baritone in Sept 2015.

He played in various musical groups at both Batley and Dewsbury Music Centres, including wind bands and orchestras, before at the age of 15 joining his first brass band, Skelmanthorpe. David was a member of the original Kirklees Youth Brass Band and also played with Wilton Brass Ensemble performing in many local clubs. He went on to play with Manor Colliery, Thornhill and briefly Warren Band before joining Aceprint, where he played until 1993. David then took an 18 year break from playing, which was only interrupted by one Area contest with Elland and a couple of concerts with Halifax Concert Band. In September 2012 he started playing again at Grange Moor, a non-contesting band. In 2013 he was invited to play with The Lindley Band at the Area contest and enjoyed it so much he never left.

Then followed a 10 year period in the RAF where he concentrated mainly on trombone, playing with both the RAF Kinloss and the RAF Stafford Voluntary Bands. In 2003 John joined the Elgin City Band where he was also band secretary. Alongside playing in this brass band he also played with a local swing band. 5 years ago John and his family came to Yorkshire and he began to experience the iconic brass band experience of this county and John particularly remembers his first Whit Friday. His first Yorkshire band was the Haworth band but he has played with other more local bands including Grange Moor, Huddersfield & Ripponden and Meltham. He comes to Lindley following a stretch at Skelmanthorpe Prospect Band

It was soon followed by lessons with John Siswick, at Oakes County Junior School. His first musical group was Huddersfield Primary Youth Orchestra, from where he moved up through the ranks to the Senior Orchestra. In 1970, Dave joined the Huddersfield Youth Wind Orchestra. This experience was perhaps to shape Dave’s future because in 1976, Dave joined the British Army as a musician, becoming a member of the Regimental Band of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards. During this time, Dave attended the Army’s musician course at the Royal Military School of Music. Dave’s army service included two stints in Germany, a period in Canada and a 6 month tour in Cyprus. When he left the Army Dave had a short break from playing, but in 1995 he accepted an invitation to join Slaithwaite band, where he stayed for 12 years. He then moved to Meltham & Meltham Mills Band and played in their 2010 Yorkshire Area (1st Section) win. He spent a couple of years in the Championship section with Meltham, moving to Uppermill Band in 2013. In 2014 Dave left brass banding altogether and joined Huddersfield Wind Band. It was whilst here that he was asked to help out with the swing music group, Sundown Swing, soon becoming a regular member. Dave is absolutely delighted to have become a member of The Lindley Band on bass trombone (for the first time in his 50+ years of Trombone playing!) and the band is extremely happy that he chose them for his banding renaissance.

In 2008 Ben made the change from cornet to Eb bass gaining a seat with the Elland Silver Band in 2010. During his time with the band Ben had the privilege of playing with the band in the 3rd through to Championship Sections as well as qualifying for the national finals on three occasions. In March 2017 Ben joined us here at Lindley, when he decided to make a complete change by moving to BBb bass. In his spare time away from banding Ben is an active and enthusiastic member of the Brighouse and Halifax Model Engineers. As well as playing ‘Trains’ Ben takes pride in the fact he is able to build his own live steam engines in his home workshop.

When he was 11, for Christmas he asked for a drum kit and since then he has played in many school bands and is completing his grade examinations. Jacob says: ”Pretty much since I started playing the drums, I have had an interest in brass bands. My grandad’s favourite band was Black Dyke, so since he passed away, I have wanted to make him proud and play in a brass band. In 2011, when I got asked if I wanted to join Lindley on percussion, I could not refuse. It was one of the happiest moments in my life. I started training to be an accountant in late 2012, but I still consider one of my greatest achievements to be promotion to the 1st section with Lindley.”

Here Peter learned a lot and had an enjoyable and very successful time. After 6 years at Queensbury he left to join Hammonds Sauce Works band but being a ‘Briggusser’ there was only one band to play for and Peter was very proud and fortunate to spend approximately 12 years with B&R. Peter left Brighouse in 1992 to spend more time with his family and Lindley Band is very pleased and fortunate to have him on their percussion team now that he has returned to the brass band fold.

He decided from then that he wanted to play the drums and even had his first mini drum kit the following Christmas. Lucas’ family moved house when he was five. His new neighbours were brass banders and introduced him to the Hammonds Youth Band, where he played the bass drum and performed in a couple of Christmas concerts. The band closed when Lucas was six, but luckily his tutor Adam Finchett suggested Young Tower Brass at Lindley. Neil Jowett was very encouraging and Lucas was soon accepted into the group playing on a snare drum at first then progressing to full kit. He has enormous pleasure and pride in playing with YTB, much to his family’s delight. In September 2017, at the age of 10, Lucas was invited to make his senior band debut, which was a dream come true for him. He is thrilled to be gaining experience and help from the Lindley percussionists, and also from Simon Oliver who is a good friend of the band. At every opportunity Lucas likes to listen to brass bands and particularly enjoys the march contests like Whit Friday and Brighouse. Lucas spends his spare time on his computer and reading.