Front Row Cornets
| Principal Cornet - Pam Smith |
Pam joined the band in September 2004 and took over the principal seat. She has got over 26 years brass banding experience (apparently she started playing whilst still in a pram....) and was a long-term member of Blackley Band.
Pam has had a couple of stints at Moston and Beswick and was a member of Greenfield Band for a little while a few years ago.
Pam has helped out loads of other bands, including Eagley, Failsworth, Marple, Boarshurst, and Glossop amongst others.
The highlight of her career so far was when she depped at Sellers for a couple of rehearsals and a concert.
She absolutely loves playing the "Floral Dance" and "Rusalka's Song To The Moon", and would not thank any conductor who plays "Eye Level" or who suggests "Knight Templar" for Whit Friday......again.
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| Tony O'Mara |
Tony joined the Middleton band in 2005, along with other members coming from the Moston & Beswick Band, bringing a wealth of experience with him.
Tony has 35 years experience, and has been playing since the age of 11, when he learned to play the tenor horn, later moving onto cornet and also briefly playing Flugel and Soprano. He began his banding career at the now disbanded Moston & Beswick band and during his playing career returned there many times.
Tony has played in many bands including Besses O’ Th’ Barn, Blackley, Brighouse & Rastrick, CWS Manchester, Mirrlees, Moston & Beswick, Newton Heath, Oldham Co-op Pioneers and Rochdale, to name a few.
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| Andrew Royle |
Awaiting Biography |
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| Roger Albiston |
Roger began playing with Middleton Band in 1964, after playing for a couple of years with Gill Street Methodist Band in Moston where be started playing at the age of 8.
He left Middleton Band in 1975 for a spell of playing in dance bands, but returned in 1987 and has stayed ever since.
Roger likes playing music by Eric Ball and has a fondness for unusual marches - he says "Raby" is one of favourites. Roger's least favourite music is anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and modern pieces by Dutch or Norwegian composers.
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Basses
James Kerr
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Jemima Palfreyman
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| Phil Tonge |
Phil is one of the longest serving members of the band, with the emphasis on "serving".
It was him, along with Fred and John Cooney who revived the band some 15 years ago and it is due to those three that the band is going so strong today.
Phil has had a turn at conducting both the Youth Band and the main band when there was no resident conductor, (like a praying mantis we are told!) and has been a mainstay of the bass section since Adam were a lad....
Phil has played in bands such as Mossley, Faireys and British Vita as well as playing for Middleton when he was 12 years old (he won't tell us how long ago that is though!!).
Phil says the best time in his career was when he played in Faireys with Norman Ashcroft playing solo cornet.
He loves playing "Life Divine" but runs a mile at "The Best Of Abba". I think the rest of the band are with you there Phil.....MARVELLOUS!!
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| David Taylor |
Awaiting Biography |
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Horns
| Flugel Horn - Malcom Tyner |
Awaiting Biography
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| Emma Davies |
Emma started playing in June 1999, in September that year started playing with the Oldham Music Centre Elementary Band.
She took her grade 3 exam in 2000, which she passed with distinction.
2000 was clearly a good year for Emma....she joined Middleton Band then too to be with her Dad. Only 2 years later, Emma took her grade 5 exam, which again she passed with distinction.
She was on a roll after that and auditioned for the National Youth Band of Great Britain, and went on a trip to London with the school brass band, wind band and Oldham Youth Brass Band.
2002 was also a big step in Emma's playing career when she played her first solo. More recently, Emma has passed her grade 5 theory and has started studying music at National Diploma level at Oldham College.
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| Angela Houghton |
Awaiting biography |
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| Fred Houghton |
Fred is our 2nd horn player and brings 50 years worth of experience with him to band every week.
He is the band's Secretary and is the main driving force behind the organisation of the band.
He has played with lots of other bands, including Barton Hall Works band, Cadishead Band, British Vita, BT, the NWWA Youth Band and the Lancashire Youth Band.
Having such a long banding career, it's not surprising that Fred has enjoyed several highlights, mainly coming 3rd at the Belle Vue contest with British Vita, coming 3rd at the National Finals with Middleton in 2002 and recording a CD with Middleton the year after that.
Fred says he loves seeing young players getting on and becoming successful in banding.
Fred has nominated "Tournament For Brass" as his all-time favourite piece of music and at the other end of the scale he's nominated "Florrie Forde's Favourites" as his worst.
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Euphoniums
| Principle Euphonium - Chris Parkinson |
Chris started playing the tenor horn at the age of 8 with the 2nd Rossendale Scout Group Brass Band in Bacup, Lancashire. After a while he progressed to the Euphonium and has played with several bands over the years. Chris first played with Middleton in his youth, then later with Lancashire Youth, Todmorden Old, Blackburn & Darwen, and more recently with Haslingden & Helmshore. Chris saw a fantastic opportunity to play Solo Euphonium for Middleton and is looking forward to musical challenges the band has to offer. |
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| Euphonium - James Harris |
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| Euphonium - Geoff Harrison |
Geoff recently received his long service medal and diploma of honour for 60 years service to banding from Peter Bates chairman of the NWABBA. |
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