Hammonds Saltaire has announced that after eight years, five of which as principal cornet, Jamie Smith has informed the band of his decision to leave after the forthcoming Brass in Concert Championship.

Talent

A spokesperson told 4BR: "Jamie joined Hammonds on second cornet whilst still a member of Sellers Youth Band. His talent was clear from the start and he moved through the cornet ranks over the next few years.

As a band we have always been committed to the development of new talent and Jamie is a fine example of this. Five years ago Jamie was given the opportunity to take over as principal cornet, a challenge he took on with relish."

We wish Jamie all the best for the future and would like to take this opportunity to thank him publicly for all of the work he has done with the band over the last eight yearsHammonds Saltaire Band

Developed

They added: "With the support of MD Morgan Griffiths, he has developed into a talented soloist whose playing is featured regularly in our concerts to the delight of audiences. He has also been a featured soloist on all of our CD releases.

We wish Jamie all the best for the future and would like to take this opportunity to thank him publicly for all of the work he has done with the band over the last eight years."