Meet the Band

Leyland Band Personnel:

Soprano Cornet: Matthew Balson
Prinacipal Cornet: John Doyle

Cornets:  Brian Heyes, Rob Johnson, Damian O’Reilly, Andrew Blackledge, Grant Taylor, Elaine Skupham, Paul Dale, Gary Westwood
Flugel: Nicky Longden
Horns: Kate Eggleshaw, Andrew Moore, Tara Hardman, Anita Milde
Euphoniums: Philippe Schwartz, Nick Giles
Baritones: Katrina Marzella, Kristy Rowe
Trombones: Daniel Brooks, Ben Knowles, Kevin Wilson
Basses: Chris Doran, Iain McKnight, Bill Carter, Alan Hodgkinson
Percussion: Ben Thomas, Sarah Burn, Pete Strawson, Patrick Connolly

Leyland Band Officials:

Librarians: Alex Fairclough, Mavis Brooks
Contest Secretary: Walter Ainscough
Chairman: Allan Littlemore
Band Associate: Richard Smith

Music Director Emeritus - Richard Evans

Richard Evans is one of the most colourful and flamboyant characters on the World brass band scene today. With a unique ability to instil pride and passion into every player, he is ultimately the driving force behind each band he conducts.

Born in Aldershot, the son of a regular soldier, he spent his first two years of his life in India. On return to England, the family moved to Preston, Lancashire. It was in nearby Leyland that he was introduced to the cornet with the British Legion Band. Within three years Richard was a founder member of the National Youth Brass Band, becoming principal cornet under the direction of the late, great Harry Mortimer OBE, CBE. Leaving his first band, he moved to the Leyland Motors Band (the original forerunner of the Leyland Band) and studied under founding fathers Harold Moss and William Haydock. National Service took Richard to Berlin, and on return to civilian life, he spent two years with the Black Dyke Mills Band.

However it was in the art of conducting that Richard was to carve a brilliant career. Upon graduation from the Royal Northern School of Music, he began full time teaching and worked as a freelance trumpet player with the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra, the Manchester Mozart Orchestra, Syd Lawrence and many other famous ensembles. During this time his conducting skills were being perfected in a vast theatre of experience, including brass bands, choral societies, and the directions of opera. 1975 was to provide a milestone in Richard's career that would take him to the very top of his profession. While conducting Wigan Cecilian Choral Society, he was asked to audition for the position of Musical Director with the Wingates Temperance Band. He accepted the position and within three months he had won the British Open Championships at his very first attempt. 1976 saw him moving to the Fairey Engineering Band, continuing to gain a reputation for flair and innovative musical direction to the highest standard.

At the beginning of 1978, Richard was recruited to rebuild the Leyland Vehicles Band with the specific remit of achieving Championship status within three years. The Band made history with their meteoric rise through the brass band super league and their name changes, Leyland DAF, BNFL, JJB Sports Leyland Band, and finally "Leyland Band".

Richard's prowess as conductor, teacher, adjudicator and movement leader was rewarded in 1986 when he was the recipient of the J Henry Iles Medal presented by the Worshipful Company of Musicians of the City of London. He has worked with band's  the world over and he proudly holds the post of Musical Director of the National Youth Band of Scotland. Richard remains one of the most charismatic and dynamic conductors within Britain today.

Composer-in-residence: Simon Dobson

Simon Dobson is a composer who, although still in his mid-twenties, has already received much recognition as a talented new voice in the brass band medium. Simon grew up in Cornwall in a ‘banding’ family and started his musical career playing cornet in local Cornish bands. At sixteen, Simon won the Brass Section of the Cornwall Young Composer Competition and quickly followed this with his first commission, a march written for Bugle Silver Band as part of the BBC Music Live festival.

In his mid-teens Simon studied composition at Launceston College before being awarded a scholarship to study composition under Timothy Salter at the Royal College of Music in London. He soon involved himself with the college’s brass band as a player and composer and conducted several of his compositions in college concerts. His first major London commission was offered whilst still in his first year – the London Philharmonic Orchestra asked him to write a concert fanfare, which was given its world premiere at a packed concert at the Royal Festival Hall. Soon after this Simon was commissioned to write for the resident college ensemble Brass 10. The work Three Scenes for Brass received a live performance on BBC Radio 3 to critical acclaim.

A commission from Peter Bassano, the director of the RCM’s brass band, was for a piece to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of Benjamin Britten. Simon entered Four Sketches: a Homage to Britten for the 2002 European Brass Band Composers Competition where adjudicators Philip Sparke, Tom Brevik and Jan van der Roost awarded him the title European Composer of the Year. Leyland Band has recorded the work on the CD The Alchymist’s Journal.  2002 culminated in Simon being voted Brass Band Newcomer of the Year by the brass band internet site, 4barsrest.com.
 
Since being awarded this prestigious accolade, Simon has been commissioned to write the test piece for the regional competitions for the fourth section of the 2003 National Brass Band Championships (Lydian Pictures). He has also written for the Brighouse & Rastrick Band (Taliesen and the Cauldron) and his work Lyonesse was selected as the test piece for the 2005 National Youth Brass Band Championships and was performed by Leyland at the 2007 RNCM Festival of Brass.

In 2007, he was commissioned to write the set work for the B Section of the European Brass Band Championships held in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. The work – inspired by drum n bass and called The Drop – was a great success and has since been performed by Leyland at the RNCM Festival of Brass in January 2008.

Leyland Band is delighted to be working with Simon looks forward to performing many more of his works in the coming future.