Under the spotlight: Rainford Band
BANDS taking part in the Scottish Open on November 28 are each taking a turn under the spotlight. Rainford Band, from Merseyside, is preparing to make the trip north next month.
Here, the band provides some more information about itself...
Soprano Cornet: Darren Humphreys
Principal Cornet: Morvern Sinclair
Flugel: Laura Lea
Solo Horn: Lynne Campbell
Solo Baritone: Gareth Nelson
Solo Trombone: Jack Rowlands
Solo Euphonium: Seth Livingstone
Solo Bâ™ Bass: Danny Sinclair
Rainford Band from St Helens, Merseyside, is a village band with a big future.
The band completed a busy contest season in May by becoming the 2015 Spring Festival Senior Trophy champions, beating a strong field of 20 bands.
It was in 1976 that the band took its first steps along the road to championship status when it was formed from the nucleus of the 1st Rainford Boys' Brigade silver band. Since then it has moved steadily through the sections, winning prizes at every level. With a happy mix of experience and youth, the band is now well set to compete for further top honours.
It is the third time the band has competed at the Scottish Open, each time under the inspirational guidance of MD Gareth Brindle, the former Black Dyke baritone star.
The conductor
Gareth Brindle is widely regarded as one of the finest baritone players of his generation. Born in Wigan Lancashire he originally started playing the euphonium at the early age of ten under the tuition of Harry Mather, Keith Hollinshead and Bill Millar.
With great support from his parents Helen and Malcolm, as a euphonium player he worked his way up through the sections playing with such bands as The Longridge Band and British Telecom Band.
He moved onto baritone in 2001 when he accepted the solo baritone position with the Williams Fairey Band and helped them in 2002 and 2003 win back to back National Championships at the Royal Albert Hall.
In 2004 Gareth was asked to join the world famous Black Dyke Band on solo baritone, which he accepted and decided to make the journey over the Pennines to the Yorkshire Band.
It was also in this year he won the National Championships at the Royal Albert Hall again and thus achieved his personal "hat-trick" of victories in this competition.
His tenure with Black Dyke was very successful with the following contest wins being achieved: British Open 2005 and 2006, the European championship in 2005, the English Nationals in 2009 and 2011 and National Championships again in 2008 and 2009.
Gareth has also done many tours with Black Dyke and has performed at some of the most prestigious concert halls around the world including KKL (Luzern) Switzerland, Grieg Hall Norway, Sydney Opera House Australia and The Royal Albert Hall England.
As a solo performer he has made quite a name for himself in the slow melody contests over the years winning most of the major competitions and has been invited as a guest soloist with many bands across the UK.
To date Gareth has worked with some of the finest conductors in the world including Sir Colin Davis, Harry Mortimer, Nicolas Childs, Elgar Howarth, and Howard Snell. He has also been fortunate to perform with many household names from stage and screen including Hayley Westenra, James Morrison, Evelyn Glennie and Alan Titchmarsh to name but a few.
At the end of 2011 Gareth left the Black Dyke Band and is currently the musical director of the Rainford Band
Away from brass bands his musical interest doesn't stop as Gareth works for a classical music company handling well known record labels such as Naxos, Chandos, Hyperion and Opus Arte.
