Eikanger Bjørsvik principal cornet David Morton will be making a welcome return to UK shores in the next few weeks, as he appears with the Harrogate Band at the North of England Regional Championship in Durham.

And the Geneva performance artist told 4BR that he is certainly looking forward to playing at what used to be his ‘home’ Area event for the first time in 15 years.

Can't wait

“I can’t wait to meet the players and take part in the contest once more,” he said. “I was born in Durham and my father and best friend are also playing with competing bands, so it will be great to meet up with them and see plenty of familiar faces.”

He added: “I know ‘Torchbearer’ well from my Foden’s days and have great memories of playing at the National Finals on it when we came runner-up. It’s a lovely piece.”

Initiatives

The move to gain the services of one of Europe’s top players for the contest was put in place some time ago, following Harrogate’s decision to take delivery of a set of Geneva instruments.

David will also work closely with the band on other initiatives during his time in the UK.

I was born in Durham and my father and best friend are also playing with competing bands, so it will be great to meet up with them and see plenty of familiar facesDavid Morton

Delighted

A Band spokesperson told 4BR: “We’re delighted to welcome David to help us put in a great performance at the Area contest.

It’s a new move for us involving someone of his calibre, and we are eager to build a relationship with such a gifted musician through mentoring, tutoring, workshops and masterclasses to help in the development of our next generation of youngsters.”