The White River Trombone Quartet 2024
Made up of former players of the World Famous Black Dyke Band the White River Trombone Quartet was formed from ex-players of the Black Dyke Youth Quartet and ex-players of the Black Dyke Band. The group aims to provide entertaining programmes featuring solos and well known brass arrangements to give an enjoyable experience from well established talented musicians. The group has over 100 years of experience playing chamber music and play in a variety of the country’s top brass bands including bands of the Salvation Army, Carlton Main Frickley Colliery, Faireys Band and Brass Band of Central England. The group is led by Brett Baker previously solo trombone with the Black Dyke Band and soloist for over 30 years.
The Black Dyke Trombone Quintet. 2004-2024
Brett Baker thought up the idea of a trombone quartet in 2004 from members of the Black Dyke trombone section. This was as 2nd trombone player Paul Woodward stepped down from the Band and was replaced by Garry Reed. Since then this quartet has performed at over one hundred events including for the British Trombone Society and at the International Trombone Festival in Birmingham in 2006 being popular at home and overseas. Highlights over the past 15 years include playing at the Royal Academy of Music in 2012 for the BTS National event, the Isle of Mann Trombone Festival in 2012 and in the summer of 2015 where the ensemble featured at The Singapore Low Brass Festival. The Quartet has appeared on many CDs including “Brett Baker & Friends” in 2018, “Radio City” in 2015 also with the Black Dyke Band and “Now & Then” in 2016. Most recently the Quartet joined with the ISB Section to make a trombone octet CD called “Cross Flourishes” launched in 2018. As well a a new CD entitled ‘Lassus Trombones ‘with the ISB and Grimethorpe sections. We recently signed up Adam Reed who now also plays in the newly formed Quintet. Future projects include a trip to Panama.
The members of the group are Brett Baker, Paul Woodward, Garry Reed and Adrian Hirst. Paul Woodward from West Yorkshire and is Director of Sales Finance for Barclays Bank. He is a fifth generation salvationist and fourth generation trombone player and is the first ever Co-Principal Trombone in the history of Black Dyke. Garry Reed second trombone player for Black Dyke Band is a plumbing and heating engineer from Redcar in the North East of England and Adrian Hirst bass trombone with Black Dyke is a retired civil servant.
The most recent Black Dyke Youth Trombone Quartet 2017-2020
There have been many versions of junior and Youth Quartets over the years and the latest group of talented players was formed in 2017. This current group has played in the Black Dyke Band Festival of Brass, at British Trombone Society events in Salford University and two members of the group performed in the Singapore Festival of Brass in 2015.
The players in this ensemble are Joe Heartfield, Adam Warburton, Paul Jackson and Oliver Atherton and have played in the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band and National Youth Brass Bands of Great Britain.
Previous Quartets
The Black Dyke Youth Quartet 2008-2014
The Black Dyke Youth Trombone Quartet has made a big impact on the brass scene in the UK including an appearance with the Black Dyke Band at the Symphony Hall Birmingham in 2012. The group was formed at a British Trombone Society event at the University of Salford in March 2011 and to enable the senior quartet to cope with the demand of engagements at various festivals including those for the BTS. Two of the members of the quartet played in the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and all four members have played in the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band. The quartet has now qualified for the National Festival in Birmingham twice and in 2012 received the sough-after ABRSM Chamber music award.
The distance travelled by each member to attend rehearsals is considerable even compared to USA standards in that each member does a round trip of around 200 miles, spanning England, Wales and Scotland. All players feature on Brett Baker’s latest CD Brett Baker & Friends and took part in the 2013 All American Brass Band Festival in Kentucky, USA.
The Black Dyke Youth Quintet 2014-2017
The Youth group has been together for three years and was previously the junior quartet in 2014. They have played in various concerts and festivals for Black Dyke Band and the British Trombone Society, including venues such as Leeds Town Hall and Halifax Minster, they will feature in the Brunts School Trombone Festival in May 2015. Quintet members are: Hannah Stell aged 17, Gemma Riley aged 17, Charlotte Horsfield aged 17, Josh Barber aged 16, Harry Fonseca aged 17.
The Junior Trombone Sextet 2014-2017
The Junior Trombone Sextet ran for 4 years that featured in the Black Dyke Bands festival at Leeds Town Hall for several years and also featured on Brett Bakers CD Radio City in 2015. Members at the time were: Carl Ashworth aged 16, Joe Heartfield aged 12, Amelia Lewis aged 13, Ian Ashworth aged 13, Adam Warburton aged 13 and Sam Clough aged 17.
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