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Sandy Smith

Conductor, teacher, adjudicator and arranger

Sandy Smith

Contact details

73 Dean Brook Road
Netherthong
Holmfirth
HD9 3UF

  sandysmith8593@gmail.com
  
  07806 987297


More information...

Sandy was born in Scotland and began his career with the Whitburn Band. Studying initially in Edinburgh he gained L.T.C.L. and L.L.C.M. teaching and performing diplomas and also became principal horn of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland before moving to Yorkshire.

In a playing career as principal horn with the Black Dyke, Fairey and Grimethorpe bands he has won 6 British Open, 4 National Championships, 8 European, 6 Brass in Concert, 2 All England Masters and 11 championship section Area titles.

He also plays tenor horn and mellophonium in 'La Banda Europa', an orchestra of 35 diverse European instrumentalists and has also played with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra in works requiring tenor horn.

Sandy is a prolific arranger for brass having had his work recorded and performed by all of the leading UK bands for many years. He has lectured on brass band scoring, arranging and the history and repertoire of the brass band at Huddersfield University. His brass teaching activities have encompassed every stage of musical education from primary school to university standard including the RNCM in Manchester and Leeds College of Music. He has taught on many brass band residential courses including the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, the Brass Band Summer School and the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland. He obtained his PGCE in 1994.

Among the composers who have written works for him are Elgar Howarth, whose 'Horn Concerto' was premiered at the RNCM Festival of Brass in 2005 with the composer conducting the Grimethorpe band, John Golland, Peter Graham, Martin Ellerby, whose 'Tenor Horn Concerto' he premiered at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester in 1999 with the Williams Fairey Band, and Andrew Duncan, whose 'Gambade' received its premiere on the Grimethorpe tour of Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong in 2001.

He studied conducting at Huddersfield Polytechnic and began conducting brass bands in the late 1980s. He was been resident conductor of both the Brighouse and Rastrick Band and the Grimethorpe Colliery Band and has guested with many other bands.

Sandy was the brass orchestrator for the 'Pandemonium' and Olympic Anthem sections of the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics and has worked as both arranger and conductor on collaborative projects with artists such as folk group The Unthanks, jazz trumpeter Matt Halsall, folk singer Kate Rusby and singer songwriter and synthesizer player Hannah Peel.

He is in increasing demand as an adjudicator at both national and local contests and is a vocal advocate for maintaining and promoting high quality repertoire as a key element in improving the standards of all bands, whether in the contest arena or on the concert platform.

He is co-founder and musical director of Tubular Brass and has arranged Mike Oldfield's seminal work 'Tubular Bells' for brass which has toured major venues and music festivals including Womad, Bluedot and the Edinburgh Festival fringe.

 

 



Luton Brass Band - Masterclass with David Daws

Wednesday 27 September • St Augustine's Church, Luton LU3 2JR


South Yorkshire Police -

Saturday 30 September • Sheffield Catherdral. Church Street. Sheffield. S1 1HA


Epping Forest Band - Thundersley Brass Band

Saturday 30 September • Salvation Army Hall, Hadleigh, Essex SS7 20F


Friary Brass Band - guest soloist Tom Smith

Saturday 30 September • Trinity Methodist Church. Brewery Road. Woking GU21 4LH


Contest: Bolsover Festival of Brass

Saturday 30 September • Shirebrook Academy, Common Lane, Shirebrook. Derbyshire NG20 8QF


Ringwood and Burley Band

September 29 • Musical Director required for a friendly, non-contesting band. We take part at various local events and also present two concerts annually. Rehearsals are held weekly in Ringwood, Hampshire. There are vacancies for players to join us.


Harlow Brass Band

September 29 • Seeking a MUSICAL DIRECTOR - We are a friendly, non-contesting band who play to a good standard. We hold our own Spring and Christmas concerts and provide entertainment at various local events throughout the year.


East of England Co-op Band

September 27 • We are looking for an Eb or Bb bass player to fill a vacancy due to a player's relocation. We are a friendly and ambitious Championship section band who rehearse in Ipswich, Suffolk on a Monday evening. We have a healthy concert and contest diary.


Alan Widdop


Conductor, Brass teacher, Adjudicator (ABBA)


               

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