Shanklin Town Brass Band
Rylstone Chalet, Popham Road, Shanklin, PO37 6RG
This website is run by volunteers - please be patient when waiting for updates
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Shanklin Town Brass Band Rylstone Chalet, Popham Road, Shanklin, PO37 6RG
This website is run by volunteers - please be patient when waiting for updates
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Dennis
Wilby was elected President of Shanklin Town Brass Band in 2002. Born in Horbury, West Yorkshire, he commenced playing the
cornet at the age of seven, later becoming a member of many of the well-known
brass bands in his native county. He served for three years in the Army as Principal Cornet
with the Royal Army Service Corps Staff Band and on release was appointed
Principal Trumpet with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra in Belfast, the start
of his professional career in music. During his ten-year stay with the
orchestra, he was Chairman.
It was during this period that he was appointed conductor of Agnes Street
Band, one of the famous banding names in Northern Ireland. Returning to live and freelance as a trumpet player in
Yorkshire, he was associated with many of the big bands and theatre orchestras,
backing the famous show
business personalities of that era. But
he never lost sight of his roots in brass bands, soon becoming involved with
some of the well-known names. In
the 1970’s he was appointed Resident Conductor of Grimethorpe Colliery Band,
he had a two-year spell as Musical Director of the Wingates Band and in 1978 and
1979 conducted Harton Colliery Band
and Wingates Band respectively at the National Brass Band Championship Finals at
the Royal Albert Hall. During this
era he was invited by James Shepherd to become the first conductor of the
newly-formed all-star 10-piece group The James Shepherd Versatile Brass, with
whom he made two LP recordings and conducted the group’s first appearance as
guests at the National Brass Band Championship Gala Concert.
For 20 years Dennis was a regular visitor to Norway conducting
and fronting both wind band and brass band workshops.
He was employed for 24 years by
Wakefield Education Authority as a full -time Peripatetic Brass Tutor. Adjudicating has been an important and active part of his
life for the past 30 years. He has
adjudicated at all the Regional Championships, National Brass Band Championship Finals, British
Open Solo & Quartet Championships, Pontins Festival, Butlins Mineworkers’
Festival, Irish Championships in Dublin and Belfast, Norwegian and Belgian National Brass Band Championships, plus
most of the independent contests held throughout the country.
He also officiates at Music
Festivals throughout the UK and Ireland. He
is a member of ABBA (Association of Brass Band Adjudicators) and is on the
official list of The British
Federation of Brass Bands. In 1998 Dennis relocated from his native Yorkshire to live in
East Sussex, during which time his involvement in the band movement has
continued. He was Chairman of SCABA
(Southern Counties Amateur Band Association) from 2002 until 2005 and in 1999
was awarded his Certificate of Long Service Award from The National Association
of Brass Band Conductors. He is Editor of Brass Review (Britain’s only free
band magazine). |
Send mail to webmaster@shanklintownbrassband.org.uk with
questions or comments about this web site.
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