Brighouse & Rastrick horn star Sheona White has returned to the UK following a three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia, exactly 20 years since she first visited the southern hemisphere.

Sheona performed concerts with the six times National champion Wellington Brass and Devon Hotel New Plymouth Brass in New Zealand, where she enjoyed linking up and playing again with former B&R principal cornet Kyle Lawson.

Meanwhile, another personal highlight of the NZ leg was catching up with Trevor and Betty Bremner, whom she first met in 1997 at the Errol Mason Brass Musician of the Year competition.

NZ and Oz

Sheona then travelled across the Tasman Sea where she performed as a guest soloist with the current Australian Champion Central Coast Brass, Warringah Brass and the former Australian and current New Zealand National champion, Brisbane Excelsior (above).

In between the successful concerts, Sheona also gave several masterclasses as well as visiting the Queensland Conservatorium to provide lessons for a variety of instrumentalists.

Wonderful return

Sheona told 4BR: "It was wonderful to perform in New Zealand and Australia again, especially 20 years after my first visit.

Every time I make the long journey I'm greeted by such wonderful hospitality from everyone I meet.

A lot of effort went into the organisation of the events I was involved in and I must thank all the people behind the scenes for their hard work in making things happen. These will be great memories until the next time I hopefully return."

I must thank all the people behind the scenes for their hard work in making things happen. These will be great memories until the next time I hopefully returnSheona White

New focus

She added: "Right now I'm back in the UK ready for the preparation for the British Open and Nationals with Brighouse & Rastrick under Prof David King.

I'm also excited to be recording the sequel to 'The Voice of the Tenor Horn', which was released back in 2001, later in the year."