Links

e-mail us to add your link here

Pontins 3rd Section piece available

Pontin’ Brass Band Committee introduce the composer of the third section Test Piece Gareth Churcher and can  advise bands that Episodes for Bass is now available from the publishers Kirklees Music.

Gareth was born in 1983 and started in music at the age of six when he started to play the piano. He was taught by Catherine Loyd-Leach, who soon after, suggested to Gareth that he should learn a second instrument.

Gareth gained a scholarship place with the county music service enabling to learn the Trombone with John Austin. He then started playing with his local brass band in Falmouth and soon progressed to solo trombone. After gaining a place at Cornwall Youth Brass and meeting the infamous Derek Greenwood, Albert Chappel and other eminent characters, Gareth earned himself the seat of solo trombone with St Keverne Youth and Senior bands.

It is with the St Keverne Youth band and Derek Greenwood that Gareth has achieved the most as a player, as the band won the BBC2 Youth Band of the Year award in 1999 and 2001, the National Youth Championship in 1998, 2000, and 2002 and an Outstanding Performance Award at the Music for Youth Festival at the Royal Albert Hall in 1999.

Also with St Keverne Youth Band, Gareth has performed at the Millenium Dome for the ‘Brilliance of Youth’ concert, the Royal Albert Hall as guest performers of the Cornish Federation of Male Voice Choirs at the ‘1000 voices’ concert and the opening of the Eden Project.

Probably the two real highlights that stand out for Gareth are Firstly the bands trip to Canada in 2002 where they took part in the Nova Scotia International Tattoo as only representatives from England playing in front of 10,000 people per night and secondly playing outside Buckingham Palace where the band were invited to take part in the Queens Jubilee celebrations. The youth band were also later presented with the Queen’s Jubilee Community Award.

The senior band has also had great success over the past few years and right up to date with the band winning the 2^nd Section National Championships in October 2005, In fact in 2005, the senior band entered 6 competitions and gained 6, 1^st prizes.

Outside of brass banding, Gareth started to take a real interest in arranging and even more so, composing. He has arranged for choral, brass band and various other intriguing ensembles. He also in his spare time conducts a male voice chamber choir, which he finds thoroughly enjoyable.

Gareth currently works as an accountant in Helston, but has recently started work as a peripatetic brass teacher in Truro and hopes to further this and his composing in the future. He is also currently studying towards a diploma in Trombone.

Kirklees Music are pleased to work with James Scott and the Pontin’s Management in giving Gareth his first published work for Brass Band.