Sandy Smith, Composer & Arranger for Brass Music

Sandy Smith

Composer

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Arranger

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Transscribed

Sandy was born in Scotland and began his career with the Whitburn Band. Studying  initially in Edinburgh he gained L.T.C.L. and L.L.C.M. teaching and performing diplomas and also became principal horn of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland before moving to Yorkshire.

In 1981 he joined the Black Dyke Mills Band where he spent over ten years as Principal Horn. During this time he played all over Europe and in Israel, Japan and Australia as well as being part of many contest winning performances at the British Open, National and European Championships. In 1993 he joined the Stockport based Williams Fairey Band with whom he again won all the major Brass Band Contest titles.

In 2000 he joined the Grimethorpe Colliery RJB Band and toured Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong with the band. He has also played with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra in works requiring Tenor Horn.

He rejoined the Black Dyke Band in 2007 winning the National Championships in 2008 and 2009. He also plays Tenor Horn and Mellophonium in "La Banda Europa", an Orchestra of 35 diverse European instrumentalists.

Among the composers who have written works for him are Elgar Howarth - whose "Horn Concerto" was premiered at the RNCM Festival of Brass in 2005 with the composer conducting the Grimethorpe Band -, John Golland, Peter Graham, Martin Ellerby - whose "Tenor Horn Concerto" he premiered at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester in 1999 with the Williams Fairey Band - and Andrew Duncan - whose "Gambade" received its premiere on the Grimethorpe tour of Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong in January / February 2000.

Sandy is in increasing demand as an arranger and has lectured on Brass Band scoring, arranging and the history and repertoire of the Brass Band at Huddersfield University. His teaching activities have encompassed every stage of musical education from Primary School to University Standard.

He was Professor of Tenor Horn at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester for many years and has held similar posts at the University of Huddersfield and Leeds College of Music. He has taught on many Brass Band residential courses including the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, the Brass Band Summer School and the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland.

He studied conducting at Huddersfield Polytechnic and began conducting Brass Bands in the late 1980's. He was appointed as resident conductor of the Brighouse& Rastrick Band in October 2010.