When Alan moved to N. Ireland last November he was delighted to be invited to join the 1^st Old Boys, especially since it gave him the chance to play in the Millennium European Championships in Birmingham, which he considers the highlight of his musical career to date.

Alan’s musical life began back in 1981, somewhat reluctantly, as a member of the Junior Section of Hathern Band, a Leicestershire institution that can trace its history back more than 120 years. After overcoming his early prejudice against being made to practice, Alan progressed quickly into the senior band, competing in the Fourth Section National Finals in 1986.

The next few years saw promotion for the band into the Third Section and for Alan, under the tutelage of world renowned Euphonium player Steven Mead, onto the Solo Euphonium chair.

Alan had barely enough time to enjoy his new position before being whisked off to Glasgow University to study the somewhat esoteric combination of Music and Physics. Being unable to persuade the University Orchestra to perform Holst’s Planets Suite, one of the few orchestral works to feature Euphonium, Alan was forced to join the Choral Society, which he will admit to having enjoyed singing in, if pushed ! Forsaking the Euph for a few years Alan turned his attention to the guitar with the Glasgow YMCA Gospel Choir who were featured on BBC Radio Scotland, and The Last Resort ceilidh band, who were not.

Returning to Leicestershire six years later with a degree and a future wife, Alan was welcomed back to Hathern, who had managed to rise to the Championship Section. Alan’s last three years with Hathern saw his role expanding into arranging and composing several pieces for brass band, an area he is very keen to develop further.