Band Conductors
Professional Conductor: Professor David King
Australian by birth, David King is regarded as one of the most dynamic figures in the world of brass today. With an enviable record of musical accomplishments and successes both as an instrumentalist and conductor he is at the forefront of music education and is Chair of Music - Performance at the University of Salford.
David King studied Trumpet and Cornet at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and music education at Avondale College, NSW, where he studied with Alan Thrift, graduating in 1978.
In 1982 as Australian cornet champion he was awarded a scholarship to study music at Salford University College, Manchester, where he graduated with distinction in Performance in 1985.
In Britain David King pursued a distinguished career as a cornet soloist winning the title North of England Solo Champion on three occasions (1983/84/85) and remained unbeaten on Bb Cornet at the British Open Solo Championships for five consecutive years (1987-91). He represented the United Kingdom in 1992 as British Open Solo Champion and won the prestigious title International Brass Musician of the Year in Auckland, New Zealand.
David King is a member of the Adelphi Research Institute for Creative Arts and Social Sciences, University of Salford and in 2000 completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree - the first recipient of a Performance research doctorate awarded within the British university sector.
As a conductor Professor David King holds a prominent position in Europe and is revered as one of the most successful conductors on the concert and contest platform in the last decade. He has represented England in the European Brass Band Championships on eleven occasions as a conductor and has won the title ten times, twice with Black Dyke Mills Band (1990 & 91) and eight times with the yorkshire Building Society Band (1996/97/99/2000/2001/2002/2003 & 2004.)
In 2002 David King was appointed Musical Director of the Massed Bands of the North West of England to perform in the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester. He was also guest conductor at the World Expo, Switzerland 2002.
Regarded by his peers as a leading interpreter of wind music, Professor David King has commissioned, choreographed, directed and premiered award winning thematic projects for the concert platform working in collaboration with internationally acclaimed composers for the genre including Torstein Aagaard Nilsen, Peter Graham, Philip Sparke, and Robin Dewhurst. Many of these works have been subsequently recorded commercially on both the Polyphonic and Egon labels.
April 2009 saw Professor King take up the position of Professional Conductor with the World Famous Brighouse and Rastrick Band.
Associate Musical Director: Richard Evans
Born in Aldershot, the son of a regular soldier, Richard 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 comet with the British Legion Band. Within three years Richard was the 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 JJB Sports 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 period his conducting skills were being perfected in a vast theatre of experience, including brass bands, choral societies, and the directions of opera. The year 1975 was to provide the 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 Wingate’s 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 the 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.
The Worshipful Company of Musicians of the City of London rewarded Richard's prowess as conductor, teacher, adjudicator and movement leader in 1986 when he was the recipient of the J.Henry Iles Medal. He has worked with Bands all over the world, Japan, USA, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and Denmark. He proudly holds the post of Musical Director of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland.
In late 2006, the Brighouse and Rastrick Band invited Richard to conduct them at the ‘Brass in Concert Championship’ held in Gateshead, the UK's premier brass band ‘entertainment’ competition. This was only the band's second entry into this prestigious competition, but with Richard's able musical direction and showmanship, they carried off the title, seven individual trophies whilst Richard became the most successful conductor in the events history.
At the end of 2006, Richard Evans was appointed the Associate Conductor of Brighouse and Rastrick Band.
Resident Conductor: Alan Morrison
After a long association as Principal Cornet player with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Alan then held a similar position with the world famous Brighouse & Rastrick Band.
He continues to be in great demand as a soloist having traveled the world appearing in Australia several times, extensively in Europe and to the USA as well as the length and breadth of Great Britain featuring in many festivals and gala concerts including the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.
He is a frequent tutor on Summer Schools and regularly acts as Cornet Tutor to the National Youth Bands of Great Britain and Switzerland and has lectured on the brass band courses of several colleges and musical institutions. An experienced music examiner for the Associated Board of RSM he also visits educational establishments giving recitals, masterclasses and external examining, and has adjudicated brass band contests at all levels at home and abroad.
His conducting career has been very successful since his first appointment at the age of 17, with several bands rising through the sections under his guidance and frequent appearances as Guest Conductor with famous bands such as Grimethorpe.
Alan has recorded six solo albums and pioneered a teaching video that has proven very successful. He also regularly features on light music recordings for the BBC with various ensembles including big bands and orchestras.
There are several compositions and arrangements published for brass band by Alan that have also proven very popular and all are still available, some of the titles becoming best sellers, such as Buster Strikes Back and Sugar Blues.
You can find out much more detail on Alan and his recordings by visiting his website where you can also purchase his CD`s and video on-line.