HELLESDON & SPROWSTON BRASS

                                     of Norwich in the County of Norfolk

Claire Smith

Claire is our Soprano Cornet player

Claire grew up in a small village in Kent, had a happy family life and then a normal destructive teenage phase.  At 18 Claire moved to Norwich and studied Physiotherapy at UEA, met her long term boyfriend Will and graduated in 2006.  She had a series of jobs but struggled as there was a job crisis across the country. Begrudgingly Claire moved back to Kent for a permanent Physiotherapy job where she lived with her best mate and had the best 8 months, but at last 2008 she’s back in Norwich working and moved in with Will.

Claire started playing when she was 13 years old after watching a brass group play pink panther at her school.  She played with UK Paper Concert Band for 5 years after her mum dragged her to one of their concerts as she wanted to give up.  She knew the conductor and he made her come up on stage and conduct "the flower duet" in front of all those people!  It worked though as Claire says she hasn’t looked back since.  After moving to Norfolk and once she got a car Claire joined Hellesdon and Sprowston brass band where she has been since Mar 2007.

Most memorable brass band moment Claire says;

“must be my old conductor Tim Gibson, making me conduct in a hall full of strangers not knowing what I was doing!  My Mum was such an evil parent.  All I can remember is keeping my head low looking at the musical score, and getting a box of malteasers at the end.  Thanks Mum, my musical journey is all because of you!”

Denny Murphy

Denny plays Repiano Cornet

Denny first started playing cornet at the age of about 11 or 12, when she was a youngster joining the Salvation Army. Denny had a great time playing in concerts spending weekends on exchanges with other Salvation Army branches around the country, indeed she feels really very lucky to have been able to spend a week in Yorkshire doing concerts in various places, meeting some really nice people and generally having fun. 

When she left the Salvation Army as a late teenager Denny gave up playing the cornet and didn't play again until many years later. Denny was in hospital for a while and had alot of time to think about the things she would really like to do when she "got out", one of her plans being to take up playing again. As fate would have it Denny had become very friendly with somebody who said to her 'Well my daughter is in a brass band and they're looking for new players, why don't you give it a try'. 

Well that was 3 years ago and she is now in Hellesdon & Sprowston brass playing Repiano cornet, which is "somewhere between 1st and 2nd cornet, with a few twiddly bits in between". Denny has said that she is really glad that she decided to play again, is having great fun, making some new friends as well as catching up with old friends from her Salvation Army days. Although its been tough to start again having not played for many years, she feels she is starting to get the hang of it again now

Denny says that perhaps her most memorable brass band moment was;

 ".....when we went to Holland for 10 days with the band, although we nearly didn't make it because the axel on the coach broke on the way to catch the ferry and we had to wait for a replacement. Eventually we did get the ferry on time and managed to arrive in Holland in one piece although we were al very sea sick for the whole journey. We travelled to many different places while we were there, staying with families, playing all sorts of different music and having a fabulous time".

Malik Morrison

Malik also plays Repiano Cornet

Geoff Butler

Geoff plays 2nd Cornet and is also the Band Chairman

Geoff was born in Wolverhampton and taught in Shrewsbury for 32 years, and then moved to Norfolk. He has played with both Stalham and Wherry Brass before Joining Hellesdon and Sprowston band in May 2007.

Geoff is married to Lynne with children Tom and Kate.

He has been playing the cornet for 10 years, and started out with the Whitchurch Band in Shropshire. His son started the same time and now plays for Fulham Band.

Geoff also plays the flute but not in public!

 His most memorable brass band moment Geoff says; 

"is probably playing in the Whitson Fridays in Saddleworth. First time there were just 11 of them and followed by the Black Dyke Band in the march section"

Mohammad Douglas

Mohammad is plays 2nd/3rd Cornet

Roy Forder

Roy plays 3rd cornet in the band and is the Bands Engagement secretary

Roy is a retired boat builder and self employed General Handyman, and latterly an Audio Visual installer and Awards/Conference/Briefing event roadie. He started his banding at the age of 12 with the Blofield & District Silver Band, travelling to Brundall every Thursday to practice under Mr Fred Baxter (Bandmaster of the Cawston band). This came under the Education Authority as an evening class, and involved playing in the EABA parade and concerts in Great Yarmouth. It was doing this event that the EABA suggested that lower class bands attended a rehearsal with a higher grade in order to improve the playing at these concerts. It was at one of these rehearsals that Roy decided to join the Lads Club Band and he found that his playing was improving. It was there that Roy had the opportunity to learn the drums under Richard Brown their drummer, a passion Roy had from earlier years. When doing fates, Roy often found himself playing other instruments when players failed to turn up.

The Lads Club Band moved from that club and changed its name to the Sprowston Band. He stayed with them until 1981 when he got married and felt he could not give the band his full commitment. During this time Roy had the privilege of taking part in a production with Anglia TV called “Backs to the Land”. After leaving them, Roy continued to play the drums in his Church (which he still does), he also took up the trumpet and played with the Meadow way Orchestra. 

Some time later, after the Enterprise Band was formed Roy went to a concert and found that he knew some of the players, they tried to encourage him to join. But some time later the Sprowston and Enterprise bands joined forces. Roys desire to play began to return, with his wife’s encouragement he joined them in November 2008 and is now the Engagements secretary.

Roy recalls a funny incident when he was in the Reepham Carnival Parade. Reepham Band led the procession, the MD was Mr Will D Bream, and he was at the front of the band. During the parade for some reason he decided that that band would turn right (despite there being onlookers standing across the road), this was because he fancied a chat! ….The trombones persuaded him to keep following the others.