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In the late 1950s, at the age of 4, I was intrigued by the sound of my next-door neighbour (Ron Stevens) playing his tenor horn (I am told this as my memory doesn't stretch back that far). He taught me music and said that "when I could read the notes properly and play the C scale on the cornet he would take me to the band practice". By the time I was 5 years old I was playing with the Haslemere Town Band on 3rd Cornet and in 1965 played tenor horn in a junior quartet winning 1st place at a SCABA contest held in Egham. Since that time I have played almost every other instrument in the band, including trombone, which was probably the most difficult, as they forgot to put valves on the instrument when they designed it. After many years I ended up on Soprano where I have largely settled (I play soprano in another band as well as Bb cornet in HTB). At one concert I played soprano for the first half and, as the bass players were fire retained and called out, the second half on BBb bass. Some years ago I ran the training band and much to the surprise of Lorraine Valler, a former cornet player, taught her father to play. Evidently he hadn't told the family - I don't know what he said he was doing when he came to rehearsals. My hobbies are mostly associated with music, playing Hammond organ in pubs, clubs and anywhere that will have me. I also enjoy listening to music and am a hi-fi enthusiast. |