Black Dyke’s flugel horn star Zoe Hancock has been enjoying rare trip home over the Easter weekend, and back to the band which saw her blossom as a player — the Cornwall Youth Band.

Soloist

Zoe has been guest soloist on this year’s Easter Course, which is being conducted by the man who managed to take her away from Cornwall and up to Yorkshire to Black Dyke, Dr Nicholas Childs.

Thanks

And Zoe revealed that she has loved the chance to be able to put something back as a thank you for all the great times she enjoyed with the band.

"It’s been brilliant. I never thought I would one day come back and play as the guest soloist with the band,” she told 4BR. “It only seems like yesterday that I was a nervous young player hoping not to play too many wrong notes!"

Mortimer Trust

In fact, Zoe went on to play on 14 courses, before heading to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and joining Tredegar, who she helped win the 2010 British Open. On the same day she was presented with one of the 2010 Harry Mortimer Trust Awards.

"It’s been such an incredible journey. The money I was presented with I used to persuade Philip Harper to write me a wonderful solo called ‘Dreams & Dances’, which I hope to add to my solo repertoire later this year. It’s a great piece and I am very grateful to him for writing it for me."

It’s been great to see the youth band continue to give so many talented young players such an opportunity to play under the very best conductorsZoe Hancock

Accent

In the meantime Zoe has enjoyed being back with old friends.

"It’s been great to see the youth band continue to give so many talented young players such an opportunity to play under the very best conductors. I have had such a brilliant time, and even my Cornish accent has come back." she laughed. "They won’t be able to understand a word I say at Black Dyke now for about 2 months!"