Association: South West

John's connections with Brass Bands are rooted in the South West where he is well known as a Euphonium player and administrator.

For the last ten years, John has been member of SWBBA Executive committee and is currently Vice Chairman.

John started playing at the age of eight with Sherborne Town Band where his father was Solo cornet, chairman and a founding member. Having started on cornet John moved to Euphonium in his late teens and has a number of awards and contest results to his credit. He has also held many organisational roles within bands such as Contest Secretary and as a founder member of the Wessex Youth Course; John is keen to see young players being encouraged as players and further developed by the movement.

Since 2006 John been instrumental in securing funding including Arts Council grants for a number of music groups and has served as a member of EBBA’s Executive team. John feels honoured to have worked with such organising teams where they are always looking to push the boundaries and to try something new but without detracting from the core values and aims of the brass band movement.

Other bands John has been associated with include Bournemouth Concert Brass, Phoenix Brass (Crewkerne), Bideford Town, Aldershot Brass, Hathern, Mere Manor and Esbjerg Brass Band from Denmark with whom links remain after an original twinning link back in the mid 1970's.

John is married to Julia and lives in Somerset - they have two daughters and three grandchildren.

During his career with Barclays, John was Vice Chairman of Barclaybrass, and continues to perform with them at events around the country.

John now works in the charity sector as a project manager, and has a strong network of connections in the Brass Band movement both locally and internationally. His interest, enthusiasm and knowledge of bands has proven extremely beneficial in the work of SWBBA and has further developed the work of the West of England Council in delivering the Regional Championships annually.