30/09/2026
Only a few days to go now until the Finals, and our next person to feature is our 2nd Baritone player, Conor š
I grew up in a wee village called Victoria Bridge in the North West of Ireland and on my first day at St. Colmanās High School I was given a cornet. I had chosen to go to St. Colmanās rather than the grammar school because I had heard their school brass band and I wanted to be a part of that, so getting that cornet was one of the best things that had ever happened. It was a great school band and two years later I had my first taste of contesting as we entered the fourth section in the Northern Ireland Championships, and we won! I soon joined Strabane Concert Brass and fell in love with the amazing sound that a brass band could make. It was actually rehearsing and performing test pieces in my formative years that I enjoyed most, and through the early 90s I was fortunate enough to play some great pieces such as The Year of the Dragon, Trittico, Land of the Long White Cloud, Spectrum, and Wilfred Heatonās Contest Music which we played at the Europeans in 1994, and is still my favourite test piece.
Two years later, and exactly 30 years ago this month, I played in my final contest with SCB (now Strabane Brass Band,) and will never forget playing Jon Gollandās Sounds in the Ulster Hall, and the joy when the result was announced and we learnt we had won, a brilliant way to say goodbye to Strabane. That was also the last time I played the cornet as I then moved onto tenor horn. I feel incredibly grateful for the start that I was given at St. Colmanās and at Strabane Concert Brass by kind and inspiring teachers and musicians.
I moved to Huddersfield in 1996 to go to university. My music teacher at St. Colmanās, Terry Doc, had always been playing us recordings of the great bands from across the water, which I found exhilarating to listen to, so Yorkshire was the place to go to. Our university band was brilliant and very inspiring to be part of, surrounded by incredible musicians and directed by Philip McCann, who was also my teacher during those fantastic years. In my first year I had my first taste of area contest action playing solo horn with Jayess 87 in Bradford. There were some wonderful moments over the years that followed, a highlight was playing with Hade Edge Band and winning the second section Nationals in Torquey.
After a break from banding and some time living in Indonesia, life brought me to the Midlands in 2012, and after a break from banding that had lasted eight years, I first joined Derwent Brass on horn. I loved what Derwent did, fantastic concerts with interesting programmes, and the bravery to play some really innovative music by composers like the wonderful Paul McGhee.
After another break, and a few years living in Bali, I returned to the Midlands and rejoined Derwent Brass at the end of 2021, now led by the brilliant Jack Capstaff. The last five years have been the happiest I have ever been in banding and I love every minute with this incredible group of musicians. This is a band that always aspires to be innovative, plays wonderful concert programmes, and contest performances that just keep getting better. And, they are just the best bunch of people, supportive and reassuring, and always a good laugh too.
So I now find myself just days away from a lifetime ambition, to play at the National final in the Royal Albert Hall. This will also be my first concert on baritone, as after 30 years since moving from cornet to horn, Iāve now made what somehow feels like an even bigger change. It is a change that I am really glad I made as I am loving the sound that the baritone makes, and my new section too.
A Road Less Travelled by is certainly one of the trickiest pieces Iāve played, but it is very exciting and will undoubtedly sound brilliant in the RAH, I canāt wait!
