The parts are continuously in the upper range of the instrument, and you need to be able to develop a lot of power to hold your own amongst the rest of the band. At that level the parts are technically demanding, and players need high levels of stamina to maintain that range and power throughout the concert. So how on earth did I get here? And what is it like playing with and being a member of St Sebastian Wokingham Band?

I first stumbled across ‘Saints’ when I was asked to dep for Matt Butchers for the Xmas 2023 Snowman Concert. Matt who plays several instruments to a high level, was playing the Organ for the Snowman itself, so they needed a 2nd Trombone to fill in for him.

Now while this is a very popular piece, playing in sync with the video is a real challenge and it is not for the faint hearted. Many bands look at what’s involved and quietly step back – so to find a both a Musical Director and a Band that was up for it and could also concentrate on making music rather than get caught up in the technicalities, well that certainly got my attention.

December is always a busy time as every musical group competes for diary time plus we all have various extra carolling and Christmas related events so there was not much rehearsal time and then it was time for the concerts – with a great reaction from the audiences, now that’s interesting!

Fast forward to September 2024, the Band had just been promoted to the 1st section and were playing better than ever – and it was time for Harriet to start at the Royal Northern College of Music. The RNCM only take the best and most promising players so it’s great to see the next generation of musicians coming through and everyone wishes her the very best in her musical career.

As a result, the Band started to place adverts for the Solo Trombone seat. The requirements were somewhat daunting requiring a ‘brilliant trombonist’ and a ‘committed player with experience playing at a high level’. With the shoes of an RNCM grade player to fill - No pressure there then!

There is a national shortage of Trombone players, and we try and help each other out where we can. October and early November saw me helping out with the Henley March and Wokingham Fireworks Parade – spectacular drone shots of the crowd following the band with lit torches, it’s quite an occasion.

But that solo spot was still there, and solo vacancies for a 1st section Brass Band do not come around very often. Nigel Smith and Paul MacNeill who both used to play Trombone for Saints for over a decade were adamant that I should throw my hat into the ring – but it’s quite the commitment, and you do not want to let them down in a 1st Section Contest. But have you ever had that itch that you can’t quite scratch?

I’d been lucky to have been having lessons with Johnathan Heeley for the previous year – and it was when he suggested that this really was an exciting opportunity and that I should go for it that I finally started to seriously consider the idea.

Now a Solo vacancy requires – well guess what - a Solo Audition, gulp. Some forty odd years ago as a lad with flared trousers and a pudding basin haircut, I’d performed the Gordon Langford Rhapsody for Trombone and Brass Band at Preston Guild Hall. So, it was time to shake off the dust and get on with it.

Applicants were invited to attend two rehearsals, and the test pieces for the 2025 regionals had just been announced. John had also selected an old Championship Test piece as a step-up to help the Band acclimatise to life in the First section. So that was some challenging sight-reading. Preparation was also underway for the Christmas concert – and there were some interesting pieces thrown into the mix. And towards the end of all of this we did a run through of the Langford – and wow was I nervous, did not expect that – where did that come from! Overall, not too bad – fingers crossed, but they certainly put candidates through their paces.

The thumbs up came within a couple of weeks – with a start in the middle of the carolling season and the Christmas concert with time for only a couple of rehearsals. Something like five Christmas concerts later with four other bands it was time for the Snowman take 2, this time on first.

After that it’s been a whirlwind of activity that included a master class workshop with Professor Nick Childs (crikey!) in preparation for the ODBAA and Regionals Contests, where we held our own. Work is now fully underway for the summer marches and bandstands plus the summer concert.

The band has been incredibly welcoming with a very open and friendly culture, it is a hive of activity. John has a real knack at getting the best out of individual players as well as the overall ensemble without making them feel pressured and everyone is free to contribute ideas and observations. The Brass Band world is amazing in the way that generations of families play in the same band with a real sense of community, and this is also true for Saints. The Committee and event organisers work incredibly hard on behalf of the Band, and the level of activity on social media is off the charts. The pride they all share in what they have achieved and the way that they have done this combined with the pleasure they all share in making music together is something to behold.

It's been quite the roller-coaster, and I’m still a bit stunned – but thank you for accepting me and welcoming me in, it’s a real pleasure to be here.

Prin