Skip the boring bits. Go to: BAND LINKS | TIPS FOR BANDSMEN | HIRING A BAND
After we moved to Essex, I looked elsewhere for banding opportunities. I spent between 1965 and about 1992 playing in Salvation Army bands. Along the way I was Principal Cornet and Deputy Bandmaster at Shoeburyness Corps. I spent some time as Principal Euphonium in the same band, though cornet remains my instrument. I also played in Hadleigh Temple Band, but I was only good enough for the back row there! The picture below shows the band during a break in filming a TV series with Roy Castle. I am the one in the middle without a cap - Roy's wearing mine! Click on the picture for another one (I've got my cap on in that one!) Since leaving The Salvation Army I joined Castle Point Band. This was
the first contesting band I ever played in, though I only played in
two contests. It wasn't long before I found myself sitting in the end
seat again., though I should point out that we stopped contesting
before I became Principal Cornet! I left Castle Point after a year
or two and joined Rayleigh
Brass. I played tutti solo cornet, repiano and then flugel. which I enjoyed very much.
There's not the pressure of being principal and I get the odd moment to shine. Following a tour of Switzerland as a dep I was invited to join The Southend Band where I have played front row and repiano. The Swiss tour was a doddle - 2nd Cornet, mainly fete pad stuff. Once I joined I was put on the front row and given pieces like Shostakovich's Festive Overture to play! A far cry from the tour!! The band is the official band of Southend Borough, so has quite some standing. Christmas is especially busy with the turning on the Christmas lights in the High Street (just one week after armistice, would you believe?), concerts with some of the brilliant local choirs, including one high profile concert at the Cliffs Pavilion. It is a privilege to be in this band. For the record at the date of writing (Easter 2007) I am still attending The Salvation Army at Hadleigh Temple, but not (yet?) playing in the band again.
NOT A BRASS BAND!
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I've found a few interesting Brass Band links on the net.
Here are 5 tips on how to be a good bandsman
Things to think of if you want to hire a brass band
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I started playing the cornet at the age of 9 in Gifford Hall
Mission Silver Band in Islington, London. The mission doesn't exist any more.
The Bandmaster's name was Jim Sharpe and he put a bit of broken matchstick on
my tongue and told me to spit it off. He told me that's how to produce a note.
Well, it wasn't the whole story, but it was a good start! I went to band
practice with my dad. He played B-flat Bass (Tuba). He had gone back into the
band after about 25 years absence. It wasn't until many years later that I
discovered he had forgotten how to play. He was only going to band practice in
order to encourage me!
In July 2005 I thought I'd see if I still enjoyed singing and accepted an invitation to rehearse with the 
I have become involved in supporting the people who run the choir, though I have no position myself. My web, computer and marketing skills have been put to good use. In this regard I really must mention the Come and Sing! project which started in the summer of 2006. I was co-opted to manage the marketing. It was a recruitment project that has had the most outstanding success; more than we could ever imagine. Previous attempts to approach men at supermarkets etc. always met with a blank. Open rehearsals rarely saw anyone new coming along. So imagine our surprise when this campaign attracted 150 enquiries. About 100 people turned up to auditions and only a handful were not offered a place. After the natural attrition, which we expected, we are now (Easter 2007) expecting before the summer's out to more than double the size of the choir, making us, what we believe is the largest male voice choir in England. the picture, by the way is me in my choir uniform, taken in 2006. 
