Black Dyke principal cornet Richard Marshall is to travel to Japan on Monday for a week-long trip.

Arranged by Buffet Group Japan, Richard will teach cornet students in Tokyo and Osaka as well as being guest principal cornet and soloist with Breeze Brass Band in a concert on Sunday 14th December.

Fantastic to return

Richard told 4BR: “It's always fantastic to return to Japan — a country which loves brass banding. It’s such an inspiring place to visit and work.

The growing brass band scene is very important for the players in Japan and they are always eager to soak up advice about improving their own abilities or their bands ambitions. I'm thoroughly looking forward to it.”

Busy

The trip follows a busy few months of Besson related work for the cornet star.

He recently helped present a highly enjoyable ‘Cornet Workshop’ for the South West Brass Band Association in Devon as well as appearing with the Armthorpe & Elmfield Band, in his hometown of Doncaster.

Meanwhile, a trip to Europe to perform with Brass Band Buizingen at the famous Brussels Conservatoire has been fitted around Black Dyke’s busy concert schedule.

The growing brass band scene is very important for the players in Japan and they are always eager to soak up advice about improving their own abilities or their bands ambitionsRichard Marshall

Pondasher award

On a more personal note, Richard told 4BR that he was especially thrilled to have been presented with the ‘Pondasher of the Year’ award at the annual Black Dyke dinner.

That was an award particularly well deserved as Black Dyke Director of Music, Prof Nicholas Childs told 4BR: “The award recognises a person from the band who goes that extra mile, a musician of real quality who epitomises everything that is good about being a bandsman.

Richard Marshall has been an amazing ambassador and fine leader of Black Dyke in 2014, and a worthy winner of our prestigious Pondasher Trophy."