The renowned trumpet player and educator John Wallace was presented with his Scottish Brass Band Association 50 year Long Service Medal at the recent Scottish Festival of Brass event in Perth.

John has maintained a close link to the banding world, especially in recent years. A product of the Tullis Mills Band organisation (who he returned to play with a few years ago) he went on to become Principal Trumpet with the Philharmonia Orchestra after periods with the Royal Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestras.

Acclaim

He gained worldwide acclaim with his concerto performances as well as with the internationally renowned Wallace Collection, and was the Director of Brass at the Royal Academy of Music from 1991 to 2001 and later for over a decade, the Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

John co-edited the 'Cambridge Companion to Brass Instruments' (1996) with Trevor Herbert, and in 2012 published 'The Trumpet', for Yale University Press, co-written with Sandy McGrattan.
He was awarded the OBE in 1995 in recognition of his distinguished services to music, and the CBE in 2011 for services to Dance, Music and Drama in Scotland.

Over the past few months he has been involved in many events celebrating his 70th birthday and as Patron of the Scottish Brass Band Association4BR

Patron

Over the past few months he has been involved in many events celebrating his 70th birthday and as Patron of the Scottish Brass Band Association.

A former member of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland, SSBA President Carrie Boax was delighted to present John with his 50 years of service to brass bands medal to which he wittily revealed to the audience at Perth Concert Hall was the first brass band medal he had been presented with since he won a solo competiton in Scotland way back in 1961.

He added: "I'm absolutely thrilled and will wear it with pride — even in bed tonight!"

Image courtesy of James Doyle