Ewan Easton is Principal Tuba with the Halle Orchestra and Tutor in Tuba at the Royal Northern College of Music.  He took over the MD’s role in January 2016.

I began my banding career with Chester in 1963, gradually working my way up from 3rd cornet to Principal over the next 20 years.  I also took a junior class/band for beginners.
I moved to Point of Ayr Band in the late 1980's as resident MD and flugel  horn player, returning to Chester in the mid 1990's, playing top man again but mainly MD until retirement from this role in 2014 when we won the Area.  Principal again at the moment.

I have only recently moved into the area after spending a few years playing on the top row with both Bakewell Silver Band and my previous local village band of Youlgrave in Derbyshire.
I started banding at the age of 9 with Coatbridge Burgh Band in Scotland before spending many years with Monklands Youth Brass Band along with my sister Mags and my Grandfather.
I left banding for many years and feel blessed to have come back home to it.  I was once told that if you join a brass band you’ll always have another family and have never known a truer statement.

Information to follow

I joined the City of Chester Band permanently in 2001, after originally helping out for the odd concert and contest. Some of my previous bands include Ellesmere Port Silver Band and Point of Ayr Band.

Likes (in ascending order):-

• Real ale
• Pink Floyd
• Holly Willoughby
• Progressive/hard rock
• Golf
• International Rugby Union (England, naturally)
• Cricket
• Alesha Dixon (but not her laugh), Kate Winslet, Nigella and, just recently, Oti Mabuse from Strictly (just couldn't choose between them)
• Oh..... I suppose.... if pressed, attempting to play cornet!

Dislikes (in ANY order):-

• Lager
• Rap music
• The Conservative and Republican Party
• Social media - get a life people
• Every single type of religion - without exception!
• People who use the possessive apostrophe incorrectly
• Swing music that is NEVER written on paper as the composer intended it to be played - just plain lazy!!!!
• Last orders - is there really any need?

I have been around banding from a young age as I remember often watching my dad at his various brass band concerts. I started playing the cornet when I was 10 and I joined Lions Youth Brass, and I have loved it ever since! I progressed through the Debut, Academy and Youth Band at Lions, ending up as assistant principal cornet. I really enjoyed competing in the National Youth Brass Band Championships every year and the yearly band tours. In 2024 when I completed my A levels the time came to leave Lions Youth Brass. I then started at the University of Chester, where I joined City of Chester Brass. I am also in the Fodens Youth Band where I currently play Rep. I am excited to enter the world of adult banding with such a lovely and friendly band and I have loved my time here so far.

I started playing at the age of four, playing bugle in my Dad’s band. I was following in the footsteps of my brother in a Scout band, as I was a girl I couldn’t join them at the time on parade, however, I became an accomplished bugle player and taught other contemporaries at that time how to play.

I continued in the Marching Band model until at age 14 joined Warrington Youth Band and learned to play the cornet and read music in a brass band world. I enjoyed the European trips and playing solos having the confidence to play without music, which I continue to this day with Chester Brass Band.

I joined Chester Brass band more than 30 years ago and have been part of Chester Brass band community since playing alongside my Husband father –in Law Mother – in Law and my 2 Daughters as part of the bands history.

I am currently supporting the back cornet line but really enjoy playing Last post ad Reveille taking solo spot each year at Chester remembrance service, embracing my foundations to my original beginnings of being a Bugle player in my Dad’s band (Slick Lawton) 31^st Warrington Scout Band Workingmen’s Mission, a great testament to a lifelong celebration of my Dad and the wonderful world of bands!

I played violin as a child and loathed every minute, but learnt the rudiments of music.  I grew up in Yorkshire - there is nothing like the sound of a brass band playing at a village fete - so there was something 'in the genes' that lead me to join the City of Chester Training Band in my late 30s. The uniform was also a key attraction.  I've played back row cornet with main band for nearly ten years in order to 'up my game'. I love the focus, the challenge and the team.  Sometimes I notice an improvement!  I also enjoy my push-bike, industrial heritage and scrambling in the mountains.

I started playing at age 7 with Prescot band in Liverpool in 1970 and played my first contest at age 8.  I worked my way up the ranks from bottom 3rd cornet until I got to Flugel in 1979.  I remained on Flugel with Prescot Band until I joined City of Chester in 1984 where I took over from Janet Killmurray.  Later I moved on to cornet for about 12 years to take over the Principal Cornet seat, but returned to Flugel about 10 years ago. 

Having my brother Andrew as one of the Top Cornet players in the Northwest, has given me the opportunity to play with some of the top Championship section bands around the Northwest.  Over the years I have guested with: Besses o' th Barn, CWS Manchester, Leyland and Wingates. 

Around Christmas, I usually get the opportunity to play other instruments in the band and so far my tally is, apart from Cornet and Flugel, the Tenor Horn, Baritone, Euph and Eb Bass.   For much of my time with City of Chester I also served as bandmaster and conducted them on the last two outings to the Whit Friday Marches. I handed over the bandmaster’s baton several years ago to give the opportunity to Matthew Birkett. 

I started playing tenor horn in 2000 in my primary school band, joining Chester Training Band soon after. I 'graduated' to the main band in 2002 taking part in my first contest with main band in Feb 2002 at Preston..

I played flugel horn in the training band as well around 2005/06.

I also learned clarinet and alto saxophone at high school. I played in my high school training band, senior band and swing band (on alto sax). 

In my early days of playing I was a member of the Cheshire County Youth Brass Band and enjoyed going on multiple tours across Europe and America. I also played for Ellesmere Port Silver Band. After taking a break from playing, I retuned to playing the tenor horn in 2008 and joined the City of Chester Band.

I began playing tenor horn at the age of 10 in my primary school’s newly formed brass band and continued to play throughout school in various county ensembles including the Vale Royal Schools Concert Band and Cheshire Youth brass band (as well as some questionable trumpet playing in the jazz band!).  Once at university I played with the University of Birmingham brass band before taking a break from banding. I’m so happy to have returned to it again, joining Bluecoat Brass in 2023 and the main band in 2024.

I joined the Training Band in 2003 as my local Brass Band on cornet. I then joined the main band three years later, before finally 'seeing the light' on Baritone. 

I also played in the Cheshire Youth Brass Band from 2006, until the bands final practice in 2012.

The picture is taken ahead of contest preparation in my earlier days!

My banding career has been a game of two halves, with a very long half time interval!

I first picked up a beaten up old cornet with the school band,aged 11, down in Cornwall.

I rapidly ‘progressed’ to bass. 5 years later, I was playing with St Austell Band at the National finals in RAH, a wonderful and abiding memory which was down to good luck rather than ability.

After that, I had to have a rest for 40 years. Retirement from the day job finally giving me the chance to play again. A freak accident whilst playing has put paid to my bass playing, but I’m thoroughly enjoying my new role as second baritone and band secretary.

Awaiting bio.

Awaiting bio.

I started playing the trombone aged 11 at school. I  had lessons with a keen brass band player and my music teacher was also a brass bander, so it was impossible not to be influenced by these talented people. As time went on, I was encouraged to spread my wings into orchestral playing, but I always came back to brass bands. I went on to study music at degree level and branched out into singing as a first study, moving on to the RAM in London to do a post grad. Many years later, it’s great to be back where I started … playing the trombone in a brass band and I’m enjoying every minute of it! Music is part of who I am and it’s an honour to play with this great bunch of people.

My name is Ella, and I'm from Rossendale in East Lancashire, I am currently at University in Chester studying History. I've been playing trombone since I was 9 (I wanted to play cornet but was told I was too tall!!- so got handed a trombone). I joined my first brass band in 2014 with my Mum and Brother (making banding very much a family affair), and since then have played in all manner of ensembles from jazz bands to youth orchestras, and in all manner of venues, from Manchester's Bridgewater Hall to the Blackpool Illuminations Switch On 2023 (where I met Sophie Ellis-Bextor!).

My first instrument was an old euphonium belonging to the Crewe West End Band.  Practicing on it at home for the first time c. 1963 our neighbour thought there was a cow calving in the adjoining field and, sound-wise,  things haven’t got much better! By 1964 I was in Crewe Co-op Band playing Second Baritone.  Moving to Chester in 1981 I joined City of Chester in 1982 when I filled a vacancy in the band touring Switzerland with John Golland.  I moved onto BBb Bass in the early 1990s and since 2017 I’ve been on Eb Bass.

I took up the tuba aged 16 with Menai Bridge Band. My first instrument was an elderly 3 valve BBb tuba and I changed to EEb when I discovered my arm was too short to reach the fourth valve on a modern BBb.
I stopped playing when I went to university but was persuaded back to brass banding when I moved to a new job in North Staffordshire. I then played in Rode Hall Silver Band until I moved to Cheshire and joined City of Chester Band.
In real life I am a hospital based optometrist, and when I have any spare time I design and make costumes for a local amateur theatre.

My musical journey started age 4 when my mother began to teach me the rudiments of piano playing. Via a few instruments, I ended up playing brass and because no one else would, eventually ended up with an E flat Bass playing for Parr Band in St Helens. I've moved around a bit since, in where I've lived, instruments I've played and bands I've been in. I joined City of Chester Bluecoat Band in 2011 following another relocation and have been here since (even meeting my now wife through the band) largely playing either flavour of bass. I have been bandmaster since 2016 and regularly conduct the band. 

Information to follow