4BR has been informed of the death of John Sowerby. He passed away on Saturday 9th July, aged 82.

Due to his professional work in the textile industry, John worked in several locations throughout England and Ireland throughout his life. However, wherever he worked, he always found a band to join and was always an enthusiastic member.

Moves

His first band was Flockton United where he started on cornet. He subsequently moved to Lindley, and then aged 15 to Linthwaite, where he played euphonium and had the great fortune to meet his future wife Carole who played trombone.

They would have reached their Diamond Wedding anniversary in September.

John went on to play with Slaithwaite on euphonium and trombone as well as enjoying spells at Craghead Colliery as they became the Ever Ready Band. There he enjoyed performing with their fine quartets and also went on to play with the Crookhall / Amoco Band.

A further move to Witney in Oxfordshire saw him join the local band as well as take in a short spell with Hook Norton before joining Morris Motors.

Titles

In the 1990s, John and family moved again — this time to Todmorden in Yorkshire where he joined the band and helped them gain promotion from the Fourth to Championship Section, winning the Fourth and First Section National titles in the process.

In 2001, the family once again moved — this time to Ireland where he enjoyed playing with Arklow Shipping Silver before moving to Bavin, County Kilcar, Donegal. Here, John used to cross the border to play in Strabane Concert Brass until ill health brought his banding career to a close.

Throughout his career John was an enthusiastic quartet player — notably with Slaithwaite who often came runner-up to the famous GUS quartet of the 1960s4BR

Quartet stalwart

Throughout his career John was an enthusiastic quartet player — notably with Slaithwaite who often came runner-up to the famous GUS quartet of the 1960s — including the 1966 National Quartet Championships.

John later recalled that in that year he persuaded John Faulds MBE, conductor of the Barry Ostlere and Shepherd Trombone Quartet to let Slaithwaite played one of his fine arrangements at the event.

Despite playing exceptionally well, John later recalled with amusement that alongside his colleagues they sat back to listen to GUS, only to find that they startled everyone by playing Gilbert Vinter's brand 'Elegy and Rondo' — taking quartet playing to a new level.

He came close again however to claim the title when in 1972, he was a member of the Ever Ready Band who gained third prize.

His love for the genre was never lost and in the late 1970s, when a member of Morris Motors Band, John supervised the Quartet Section of the National Quartet Championships held at Oxford.

The funeral of John Sowerby takes place in Ireland on 20th July.

With thanks to Ray Stuttard