I joined Burnley Alliance on 2nd Horn and after a couple of months I had my first concert with them at Howarth Park in Accrington. Unfortunately neither of the other two horns turned up to the concert and I was then thrown in at the deepest of deep ends, sight reading Solo Horn after only two months playing. My dad spent the whole concert looking over my shoulder from Eb Bass, singing my parts in my ear. The highlight of the concert was the three eggs which were thrown over the wall onto the band. After that experience, my dad decided I was never going back there and decided to take me to Haslingden.
We walked into the bandroom at Haslingden and got the warmest of welcomes (although it later turned out that this was because they thought my dad wanted to join and not me!). However, at eleven years old I joined on 2nd Horn and have enjoyed being a member of the same band ever since. The reason for such loyalty to the band is partly due to the great friends I have in the band and partly due to meeting my future husband, Andrew, who is also in the band. Soon after joining I played in my first contest at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. We were in the 4th section, we played Eric Ball's Indian Summer and we won!!
After a couple of years I progressed to Solo Horn. My very first solo at the front of the band was Iona. In the same year as this, the conductor at the time, Colin Angell, sent me on a Masterclass at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel in Accrington. Gordon Higginbottom, the renowned Horn player, was taking the class for the whole day and following that day I definitely had the Horn bug.
In more recent times I spent a period of approximately 7 years on Solo Cornet, moving to the cornet for the good of the band. However, the Horn has always been my true love and in January 2005 I took the opportunity to go back on Solo Horn and I have never looked back since. I am enjoying being part of the best horn section this band has had since I joined and long may it continue!
