Richard Hughes – Principal Cornet
Richard Hughes joined Aldbourne Band back in 1991 on second cornet. A big step up at the tender age of 14 from fourth section Ramsbury Band
His first contest with the band was at Reading Contest at the Hexagon where the Band won on “Year of the Dragon” with Dave Whitson. Since then Richard has spent time navigating the cornet section, with stints on Second Cornet, Repiano, Soprano, Front Row and Principal Cornet where he currently plays.
Kayleigh Hughes (Assistant Principal Cornet)
Kayleigh started playing at the age of seven with St Dennis Band. She held the principal cornet position in their Senior and Youth Bands, leading them both to many contest wins; the latest being the National 2nd Section Final. Having won many ‘Best Soloist/Player’ prizes with St Dennis, she has also had many solo contest successes. Kayleigh was also principal cornet of Cornwall Youth Brass Band and a member of The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. In March 2006 she joined Camborne Town Band as Principal Cornet at the age of 16. After several successful years at Camborne, Kayleigh joined Roche Brass as Principal Cornet in 2012. Kayleigh enjoyed her time with Roche Brass but wanted to take an experience within her banding career to play for one of the top 10 bands in the country. She joined the Flowers band in 2019 as Assistant Principal Cornet where she enjoyed playing at a large nunber of top brass band competitions. Kayleigh joined Aldbourne in July 2021 and is really looking forward to being part of such a great organisation.
Jack Easterbrook-Grimmet (Front Row)
Jack Easterbrook-Grimmett joined the Dabchicks after an incredible 24 years at Hyde Band since starting in their training band! During his time with Hyde, Jack undertook the role of Band Manager and had the pleasure of leading the band on principal cornet.
Jason Sellars (Front Row)
After retiring from a successful career in the Royal Corps of Army Music in 2015, Jason has established himself as a busy Freelancer playing Trumpet/Flugelhorn with several semi-pro orchestras and numerous pit bands on the South West musical theatre circuit. He also works as a DVSA qualified motorcycle instructor and advanced rider instructor. He has a banded with a number of bands in the South West, and has joined Aldbourne from Filton concert brass.
Paul Bilkey (Soprano)
After a chance blow of a Bb Cornet in a music rehearsal at his parent’s home, Paul was encouraged to take up the instrument; starting at the age of 12 with his local brass band Helston Town in Cornwall. Within months of beginning on Bb Cornet, the junior band’s MD David Pascoe recognised his talent for the upper range and introduced him to the Soprano Cornet where he has remained ever since; making his contest debut with Helston in the 3rd Section at the Pontins Finals 2 years later.
After 4 happy years under Edward Ashton, he moved to Redruth Town under Leonard Adams to play alongside friends made in the Cornwall Youth Brass Band, where Paul under the directorship of Albert Chappell had the opportunity to play at the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall as part of the National Festival of Music for Youth. Leaving Redruth After 2 years he moved ‘north’ for employment, settling in the Oxford Area; playing firstly with Swindon Brass and then Aldbourne. Following a change in career he moved back to Cornwall and was invited to join Camborne Town; enjoying 3 successful years under Steve Sykes and Derek Greenwood.
Changing employment once again Paul moved to Aldershot in Hampshire; a 10-year period that initially rekindled playing with Aldbourne for a short spell before transferring to the more local Alder Valley Brass in Aldershot and then Friary Guildford. A brief move to Lincolnshire saw Paul join Foss Dyke Band before returning to Oxfordshire in 2005 and the recently vacated soprano chair at Aldbourne, where he has remained to date; playing in some of the most enjoyable, high calibre and successful music performances of his career.
Dave Gotts (Back row)
Dave Gotts first started playing trumpet, aged 10, and upon switching into cornet, joined Solent Brass aged 15 (now Ocean Brass). After a six year tenur with Woodfalls Band, Dave joined Michelmarsh Silver Band as an assistant principal cornet in 2015, helping them gain promotion to the Championship Section.
Matt Richardson (Cornet Section)
Matt first picked up the cornet aged 9 and quickly joined the ranks at the North Powys Youth Music Trust. He progressed through the set up of Brass Blowers, Training Band and ‘A’ Band before the conductor Steve Edwards asked him to join Newtown Silver Band. It was here that Matt got his first taste for competing in the Welsh Regional Second Section Championships. During his time at the band Matt auditioned and gained a place in the National Youth Brass Band of Wales in 2012 and 2013 under the tutelage of Dr Nicholas Childs and Dr Stephen Cobb.
In 2015 Matt joined the British Army as a musician and worked with Andrew Mitchell at the Royal Military School of Music. He has since been posted to the Band of the Royal Corps of Signals and the British Army Band Tidworth, both brass bands within the Army. This has seen him travelling all over the world to play in countries such as The Netherlands, Germany, Cyprus, Jordan, Gibraltar, Egypt and Afghanistan.
In 2019 Matt enjoyed a stint with Hammonds Band in Huddersfield competing in the Yorkshire Regional Championship Section Contest, and the inaugural Brass Pass Band of the Year contest. Matt left Hammonds upon posting to Tidworth in summer of the same year and joined Aldbourne Band. It was a fantastic start to life in the band for Matt competing at the British Open at Symphony Hall and the National Finals at the Albert Hall in the space of 2 months. He is looking forward to helping the band to further improve on their successes of 2019. See you all in the Blue Boar!
Antony Amos (Back row)
Anthony Amos started playing cornet aged 12 in South Wales, and after relocating to Nottinghamshire aged 15 joined Kirkby Colliery Welfare Band on front row. A music degree at the University of Leeds in Performance and Composition followed, along with deputising in contests with a number of Yorkshire based brass bands and working in other music genres for a few years post education. After changing careers into the business world, unfortunately work and frequent travel abroad required a break from playing. Recently, Anthony has been able to return to banding and after a short time with local bands including Hungerford Town Band we were delighted to welcome him to the back row team!
Jane Tilley (back row)
Jane heralds from Dorset and started playing cornet aged 8 with Beaminster Brass and Crewkerne Concert Band ( now Phoenix Brass). She spent her formative years playing mostly trumpet through School and County Orchestras, but Brass Banding formed the core of her love of Brass Playing. She has moved around with her job in I.T. and this has brought her into contact with many different Bands across the South playing bumper up and front row Backrow and Repiano, including, Phoenix Brass Lydney Band, Thornbury Band, Bendix Kingswood .
On moving to Swindon she played for Swindon Pegasus prior to taking a break from banding whilst she focussed on bringing up her two boys and work. She returned to Banding in 2012 and joined Aldbourne cornet section in 2015 and has not looked back ! Emphasizing the family music making in the Band she is married to Andrew Tilley the Solo Baritone player in Aldbourne .
Ali Roe (Back row)
Coming from a family of brass banders, Ali first started cornet lessons aged 7, and soon joined Swindon Pegasus’ beginner band.
As a teenager she played in a number of wind bands; regularly attended Wessex Youth Band Summer Schools, playing under the direction of conductors like Derek Broadbent, Stan Lippeatt and Mike Fowles, before rejoining a brass band whilst at university. After enjoying 3 years on flugel with Cambridge University Brass Band, she moved back to Swindon and joined Aldbourne on back row in 2009. Somehow juggling band commitments with her job as a Geography teacher, highlights of her time with Aldbourne include winning the National 1st Section Finals in 2011, being Championship Section National Finalists in 2016 and qualifying for the British Open in 2018.
