Committee
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Patron and Presidential Posts
Honorary Patron - gordon campbell
The distinguished jazz trombonist and first trombone with the BBC Big Band is the Society's Honorary Patro
Born in Berwick upon Tweed in the Scottish Borders, Gordon started playing Trombone at the age of 12 and at the tender age of 15 joined the Army as a Junior Bandsman in the Staff Band of The Royal Corps of Transport. He spent 2 years at the Junior Musiciansʼ Wing of the Guards Depot at Pirbright and 9 years as 1st Trombone with the Royal Corps of Transport Band in Aldershot where he reached the exalted rank of Corporal.
In 1978 Gordon left the Army to join the legendary BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra under the direction of Brian Fahey where he was lucky enough to work with the great Ella Fitzgerald. The Orchestra was made redundant in 1980 and after a couple of years as freelance in Scotland, playing with the BBC Scottish Symphony, Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Opera, he moved to London.
Gordon was appointed Lead Trombone in the BBC Big Band in 1984 and has worked with many great musicians and artists during his tenure including Billy May, Les Brown, Ray Anthony, Bob Florence, Bob Brookmeyer, Bobby Shew and Bill Watrous.
In 1986 while playing with Sarah Vaughan and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Farnon at the Glasgow Jazz Festival Gordon played a Trombone solo which was heard by the great Benny Carter. Benny loved Gordonʼs playing and wrote a piece of music especially for him called “DN” which was played in the concert on the following evening by Gordon and an all star Scottish Big Band.
His work in recent years has ranged from West End Shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Hot Shoe Shuffle, Crazy For You , South Pacific, Sinatra, Oliver and Betty Blue Eyes to concerts with Tony Bennet, Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, Barbara Cook, Patti Austin and Bob Hope.
Gordonʼs unique sound has been in great demand over the years in the orchestras of Robert Farnon and John Wilson and the Big Bands of Laurie Johnson, Laurie Holloway, Kenny Wheeler and Alan Ganley.
Gordon is currently Professor of Trombone for HM Royal Marines Band Service and Professor of Trombone at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
email: honpatron@britishtrombonesociety.org
The Committee meets monthly through teleconferencing and supports the aims of the British Trombone Society through its work at national and regional levels.
PRESIDENT - Tom Lees
Tom was the first full-time student of the sackbut at the Royal College of Music and since then has worked with all of the specialist period instrument ensembles and on dozens of productions at Shakespeare’s Globe. He is a founder member of the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, and on the sackbut he has recorded with Paul McCartney at Abbey Road and for a number of films including Shrek the Third and Pride and Prejudice, in which he appears in the film playing an 18th century trombone.
email: president@britishtrombonesociety.org
IMMEDIATE PAST President – Simon Minshall
Simon is a London based freelance Bass and Contrabass Trombonist. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Simon can be heard playing in all musical genres, from the likes of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, to the Ronnie Scott’s Big Band. He has been an active member of the BTS for over 17 years.
email: pastpresident@britishtrombonesociety.org
Vice-President – Kevin Morgan
Kevin is Principal Trombone of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
His earliest days of trombone playing were with the Ratby Band, the National Youth Brass Band and the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. During his time at the Guildhall School of Music he was a member of the European Community Youth Orchestra.
He is an experienced music educator, arranger and composer.
He directs the Moonlight Swing Band, a Dorset based community big band, and is acting Professor of Trombone at the Alford Schools of Military Music in Portsmouth.
email: vicepresident@britishtrombonesociety.org
Committee
Committee/Board of Trustees (please note that not all Trustees are members of the BTS Committee)
Chair – David Horden
David studied at Kingston University & Trinity College of Music, since graduating his CV highlights include performing with; Take That, Omar, Yolanda Brown, Peter Andre, Martha Reeves, Moscow City Ballet among many others.
Also an active educator, David holds teaching positions at Hampton School, Tiffin Boys school and Surbiton High School. David is director of The London Street Band Ltd who have performed all over the world and appeared on many TV shows.
email: chair@britishtrombonesociety.org
Vice-Chair – Adam Crighton
Originally from Aberdeen and now based in London, Adam studied bass trombone and bass sackbut at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Since graduating, Adam has enjoyed working in many different musical areas, from orchestral work with The Orchestra of The Royal Opera House, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Royal Northern Sinfonia, to various theatre shows in London’s West End and Shakespeare’s Globe, and period recording & performing projects with Il Giardino Armonico, The English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble and His Majesty’s Sagbutts & Cornetts.
email: vicechair@britishtrombonesociety.org
Secretary – kasia glancey
email: secretary@britishtrombonesociety.org
Treasurer – VACANT
email: treasurer@britishtrombonesociety.org
Committee Members:
JONTY HILL
Jonty Hill is the Principal Trombone of the Royal Air Force Central Band and is the Lead Trombone with the Royal Air Force Squadronaires Big Band. He graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2007 and as a freelance trombonist has performed with the English Chamber Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and commercially alongside singers such as Cliff Richards, Mick Hucknall, Martin Shaw, Carol Kidd and Claire Martin.
He performed at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s jazz club with the late great trumpeter Derek Watkins and in October 2014 recorded Gordon Langford’s Rhapsody for Trombone for the Chandos Record label. He has been a featured soloist on both trombone and classical guitar at the Royal Albert Hall with the Central Band and in 2018 performed live on the Chris Evans breakfast show on BBC Radio One to an audience of 10 million.
email: jontyhill@britishtrombonesociety.org
Becky Pepper
Becky studied at Birmingham Conservatoire, gaining a BMus(hons) on trombone under Bob Hughes (London Symphony Orchestra) and Ed Jones (CBSO). She has since gone on to gain her LRSM performance diploma and the Trinity Certificate of Music Education.
In demand across the Midlands as an educator and performer, Becky is currently the low brass specialist at the Elms Junior School and a tutor with the Birmingham Schools Concert Orchestra. She is the author of the book 'Music for Children' and throughout lockdown has built up an online teaching studio as well as the online store Trumpet Trombone, selling teaching and practice resources and arrangements. She is an Edwards Featured Artist and plays on a T350-CRE with a custom rose-brass bell.
email: beckypepper@britishtrombonesociety.org
TOM PILSBURY
Born and raised in Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, Tom studied both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. While he specialised in bass and contrabass trombones under Bob Hughes and David Vines, he also received tuition from other notable trombonists such as Christian Jones, David Gordon, Amos Miller, Lyndon Meredith and Joe Arnold. He is currently receiving tuition from James Buckle (Bass Trombonist, Philharmonia Orchestra and Royal Over-Seas League gold medal winner 2017) and Keith McNicoll (Principal Bass and Contrabass Trombone, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden)
Since graduating with distinction in 2020, Tom has been active as a freelance bass and contrabass trombonist. He has performed with several orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, CBSO, Royal Ballet Sinfonia, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English National Ballet, Manchester Camerata and the National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin. Tom has also recorded for both the Naxos and Decca record labels.
An active and self published arranger, Tom is contributing music to both the tenor and bass trombone repertoire of which includes the Schumann Adagio and Allegro which was recorded by Isobel Daws.
Tom Pilsbury is a Michael Rath Trombones artist and performs on their bass and contrabass trombones.
Adrian Taylor
Adrian Taylor works as a professional trombonist, conductor, instrumental teacher and composer/arranger based in the Midlands. He is a founder member of English Trombone Consort and conductor of Birmingham Schools' Wind Orchestra (run by Services For Education). Many of his arrangements and compositions have been published by Warwick Music and two of his trombone study books are on the ABRSM trombone syllabus. Adrian has often played a leading role in BTS days, rehearsing his own arrangements for the massed blows or conducting the wind orchestra to accompany soloists.
email: adriantaylor@britishtrombonesociety.org
EMILY WHITE
Emily is a modern and historical trombonist and a member of The English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble and In Echo. She works with orchestras such as Royal Northern Sinfonia, Il Giardino Armonico, Les Talens Lyriques and Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. As well as early music, Emily loves new music and has had several new works written for her: O'r Galons by Peter McCarthy, Secret House Sonata for female trombonist by John Kenny, Apocalypse Flower, an unaccompanied sackbut solo by Alex Paxton (premiered at the 2024 British Trombone Festival) and a sackbut concerto by Simon Proctor to be premiered with the Orchestra of St John's in 2025. Her first solo disc, A Cry Was Heard, was released on the Deux-Elles record label in 2022, and her second, Made Human, released with them in July 2024. She was proud to be awarded the Sheila Tracy Award by the British Trombone Society in 2022, is a Conn Selmer Artist, and has an ARAM from The Royal Academy of Music for services to Early Music.
Emily teaches trombone and sackbut at the Brass Faculty of Guildhall School of Music and Drama, The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Wells Cathedral School.
Rupert Whitehead
Rupert was born in Carmarthenshire, and grew up in the town of Llandeilo. Much of Rupert's youth was taken up by playing in the various youth music ensembles in Carmarthenshire and West Wales, as well as the Welsh national ensembles. Rupert studied at the Royal College of Music, followed by a masters at the Royal Academy of Music. In October 2017, Rupert was delighted to become an Associate Member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, becoming a full member in 2022. Away from music Rupert is a keen runner and also enjoys following, and playing cricket.
email: rupertwhitehead@britishtrombonesociety.org
Competitions administrator
Tom Pilsbury
Tom Pilsbury was born and raised in Cannock Chase, Staffordshire. Tom started learning the trombone at the age of 12 before rapidly progressing to the bass trombone by 15. After a brief spell at the Junior Birmingham Conservatoire, Tom studied both undergraduate and master’s qualifications at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire studying bass and contrabass trombones under Bob Hughes and David Vines. He also received tuition from other notable players such as James Buckle, Christian Jones, David Gordon, Amos Miller, Lyndon Meredith and Keith McNicoll.
Since graduating with distinction in 2020, Tom has been active as a freelance bass and contrabass trombonist. He has performed with several orchestras including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, CBSO, Royal Ballet Sinfonia, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English National Ballet, Northern Film Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin. Tom has also recorded for both the Naxos and Decca record labels.
Aside from his performing, Tom is an active arranger who has written several brass ensemble and solo trombone arrangements. His bass trombone arrangement of Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro was featured as the set work in the Bob Hughes Bass Trombone Competition 2020 and the recent tenor trombone version of the same piece was recorded by Isobel Daws for her debut solo CD.
email: competitions@britishtrombonesociety.org
librarian
Geoff wolmark
Born and educated in London and studied at Trinity College of Music and Hull University, Geoff has lived in East Yorkshire (Hull, Beverley and now Hutton Cranswick) for over 50 years.
He worked as a teacher in Sheffield and Hull and as an education adviser to the East Riding of Yorkshire School Advisory Service. Now retired but still playing bass trombone (Edwards) in various groups, brass quintet, swing band and orchestra. Has one son, a professional horn player and a very tolerant wife.
Now extremely old, but hoping to become even more so!
email: librarian@britishtrombonesociety.org