Filton Concert Brass welcomes guest speaker Professor Nicolas Childs

Filton Concert Brass were honoured to host Professor Nicolas Childs with his personalised talk with the band on Wednesday 3rd March 2021, during which the band were able to actively interact and talk with Nick about the importance of brass bands and hear about Nick’s extensive experience in the banding world.

It was a fascinating and engaging evening with Nick Childs. It was particularly  interesting to hear about Nick Childs’ professional musical career; learning about his experience playing on international stages on euphonium, his journey into conducting, as well as his partnerships with bands he is working with at the present and has worked with in the past. The insights Nick shared were useful, instructive, and inspiring. ​

The evening was filled with anecdotes, which brought to life a man many banders have only seen before at a distance on stage, conducting the world famous Black Dyke Band. 
​

Kevin Darby, Filton's Principal Cornet player said of the event: 

It was a privilege to share a fascinating and up close and personal evening on Zoom with Nick Childs. On a personal level, it was great for Cath and I to catch up with him and remember shared experiences. Nick also shared stories from his early playing days with Tredegar Band under his father’s guidance and his first conducting experiences, and the highlights of his long and successful career with Black Dyke. Interspersed with audio clips and rounded off by an inspiring question and answer session, it was an insightful reminder of what we have all been missing during lockdown and why Nick is regarded as a living legend in brass band circles.

The evening finished on a positive note; banding, Nick Childs said, is something we will all be proud to go back to and will all enjoy together again.