Scottish solo horn for Cory
THE Cory Band has promoted Scottish tenor horn player, Ailsa Russell, to the position of solo horn.
A former solo horn player with the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS), Ailsa takes over from her old teacher, Owen Farr, after sitting next to him on first horn since joining Cory in 2009. The move comes as the 23-year-old prepares for life as a professional musician in the army which will soon see her return from training at Kneller Hall, London, to join the Band of the Prince of Wales Division.
Speaking about the new formation, Philip Harper, Cory's Musical Director, commented: "This is a great boost for the band ahead of the summer. Ailsa has been playing with Cory for five years on first horn, stepping up into the solo seat whenever required, including memorably our 10-date tour of Australia in 2013.
"She is a very talented young player with lots of potential and I look forward to helping her with her future development."
A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Ailsa started playing the tenor horn at the age of nine in her local primary school under the direction of Michael Robertson. At 10, she joined Arbroath Instrumental Band on second horn and progressed through the section to become solo horn when she was 15.
