Principal Cornet – Jane Whitehead
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Profile To Follow……
Sharon started her playing at the age of 8 with the St Stythians Band. A former pupil of the late Albert Chappell she has also played with the Cornwall Youth Brass Band, Redruth Band and Camborne Band. After a 5 year break Sharon joined Lanner Band in 2003 and during her time with the band has played 3rd Cornet, Flugel and Rep. By day Sharon is a Licensing Officer with Cornwall Council.
Elliot joined the Lanner Brass Academy in 2011 after starting to learn the Cornet at school. He swiftly progressed and moved onto Soprano Cornet. In September 2014 Elliot auditioned and joined the Cornwall Youth Brass Band. In March 2016 Elliot moved to Bb Cornet 2 weeks before taking part in the area qualifying contest with the senior band and has been there ever since, along with his sister, Morwenna on Trombone, and parent’s Jason and Tracey.
Sharon started playing with Truro Band at the age of 12 for 4 years, she then moved to St Agnes Band for several years. Then saw a move to Lanner & District for 9 years before joining Camborne Band for 6 years. During her time at Camborne she enjoyed many successes including performing at the Royal Albert Hall in London on four occasions and was part of the hat trick of wins at the West of England Bandsmens Festival in Bugle.
Sharon rejoined lanner in 2006 for 10 years, took a short break and returned in 2018.
Amanda started playing the cornet aged 9 at Carharrack & St Day band, taught by our current flugel player Tania. Moving to Redruth Band aged 11 under the baton of David Loukes, saw Amanda put on soprano cornet, which she has played pretty much solidly since. Joining Pendennis after 5 years working in London, Amanda got the banding bug again and was with them through their achievements throughout the years. The most memorable being 10 successive wins at Exmouth Entertainment contest and especially winning the soloist prize, which was the highlight of her banding career so far.
During the day Amanda works for Cornwall Housing as a Prevention & Engagement Officer.
The longest serving playing member of the band Lee started playing at the age of eight with the then Lanner Junior Band, it wasn’t long before he progressed to the senior band and has since sat in all cornet positions including short spells on soprano and principal. Lee was Chairman of the organisation for nine years before stepping down in 2017 to enable him more time to dedicate to youth music both with our own Academy where he is Manager (which he was instrumental in establishing back in 2010) as well as being a Trustee of the Cornwall Youth Brass Band.
Lee is an accountant by profession and currently works in Plymouth as Chief Finance Officer for a leading provider of support services to people with a learning disability and/or autism and Chief Executive Officer to a charity providing specialist accommodation solutions.
Sam started his musical career on cornet at the tender age of four. He started with the family heirloom instrument and then progressed onto a borrowed one from the band. He joined the beginner group in the Lanner Brass Academy in 2011 and soon progressed into the main academy band where he played third cornet moving up to 4th man down after several years.
Before long, Sam started playing with the senior band and joined the Cornwall youth brass band playing third cornet in both bands. Not long after, he decided to learn a new instrument, Orchestral percussion. After a percussion position came available in the senior band, Sam saw an opportunity and jumped at the chance!
Now 17, Sam is studying A Level and BTEC Music at Truro College and is enjoying the course. He has joined a Jazz Ensemble at college, which he is enjoying playing in as it is a new branch of music.
Sam is now back on cornet, playing 2nd cornet in the band, and 2nd man down at CYBB.
Phil’s banding career covers two periods, one in younger life and now in older life with a 24-year gap in-between. He started learning the trumpet at the age of 13 and had lessons with Geoff Mason in Portsmouth. He was the Flugel player in Portsmouth City Band and also the musical director of the junior band and quickly got Phil involved in banding.
At the age of 16, Phil moved back to Cornwall and was encouraged to join St Erth band where he became principal cornet and liked the village band feeling. In 1990, Phil moved to Hayle Town Band and played on the front row enjoying success at a number of different contests. This lasted for 9 years when he gave up playing for good – or so he thought.
During the Covid pandemic, Phil started listening to bands again and by chance he was asked by a friend if he would like to have a blow with Lanner Band as a number of old Hayle players were playing there. In August 2021, Phil started with Lanner and he is enjoying playing again.
Conductors Phil has played under include Geoff Mason (Portsmouth Junior Band), Harry Rowe (Portsmouth City), Idris Stone (St Erth Band), John Sharman, Leon Johnson, Dereck Johnson, and WAB Tressider (Hayle Town Band).
Phil has had lots of good times in banding, but his favourite banding memory was when he was 15 and was introduced to Schnapps while touring Germany with Portsmouth City Band. Needless to say alcohol and banding certainly do mix.
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