Warm welcome for Lawson at Welsh champion

It's a been a long journey to get to his first rehearsal for Kyle Lawson at Cory — and its straight into concert action too.

MD Philip Harper welcomes Kyle Lawson to Cory

Saturday, 28 March 2026

The newly crowned Welsh Champions, Cory has welcomed their new principal cornet to his first rehearsal.

Relocated

As previously reported on 4BR, Kyle Lawson has relocated from New Zealand to the UK to take on the role.

A three time senior Cornet Champion of New Zealand and Australian Open Cornet Champion, he was also awarded the 'Best Principal Cornet' accolade at the 2025 New Zealand National Championships, whilst his debut solo CD release, 'Introduction' was nominated in the Solo CD of the Year category of the 2025 4BR Awards.

He has previously played in the UK with successful principal cornet tenures at Fairey and Brighouse & Rastrick when studying at the University of Salford, and since 2012 was a member of the New Zealand Army Band.

Few more miles

After completing the 11,726-mile journey and arriving in the UK just days ago, he soon added a few more miles to his travels as he met up with Cory MD Philip Harper ahead of his first rehearsal with the band in Wales before making his concert debut in Plymouth this weekend.

Become a supporter and help make our future secure.

4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world. Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.

Support us