Who's Who at WCB

 All administration and decision making is by our committee. Please feel free to speak to any committee member with your queries or comments. Meeting minutes are available on the Members Only pages. You can contact the committee here

The committee members are: Nick Bradley (Chairman), Allan Jones (Musical Director), Christine Murphy (Secretary), Gordon Robson (Treasurer), Mel Oliver (Assistant Secretary), Shelagh Humphries, Terry Mitchell, John Glynn, Andrew Dyson (co-opted), and Alan Sawyer.

I founded the Werneth Concert Band in 1983 and have been its Musical Director ever since.

I have spent the whole of my professional life in music education, moving from a high school teaching post in Cheshire to Manchester City Council Education Department’s Music Service as Senior Brass Teacher in 1971. I was, subsequently, appointed Head of Manchester Music Service and Music Adviser for Manchester from 1990 to 2007. As part of my work in Manchester I directed many groups including symphony orchestras, wind and brass bands and choirs, performed in many of the country’s major concert halls. I also undertook many concert tours throughout Europe and, further afield, to America, Canada, South Africa and Australia.

Over the years I have worked closely with most of the area’s leading music organisations including the Royal Northern College of Music, Chetham’s School of Music (governor), Halle Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Manchester Camerata as well as advising the regional and national arts’ boards.

For a number of years I served on the national executive of the Federation of Music Services and the British Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles.

I am very proud of the successes and achievements of the Werneth Concert Band which is , truly, a community band, serving the needs of amateur musicians and audiences in and around the Stockport area and long may it continue to do so.

I joined the Band when it first started as a non-playing member, mainly to ensure that three of my four daughters Kate (Whittaker - 2^nd clarinet) and Sarah (Quilliam - euphonium) who are still members, and Rachel (French horn) went to the first meeting in April 1983 and joined the Band. More or less by default I became secretary of the Band. Eventually, tiring of attending rehearsals and listening to everyone else playing I decided to learn an instrument, and started playing the bassoon in 1987. I retired as secretary in 2004, though I remained on the committee. Just to keep up the family connection my wife Marjorie started playing the euphonium in 2004 and is now a member of the Band.

I am delighted to have been asked to become the Chairman of such a thriving and professional organisation and hope that I can continue to promote and support the Band in the way that my predecessor John Glynn did during his nine years in the post.

Professionally I was, until I retired, a Chartered Patent Agent, working for many years for Ferranti and also in private practice.