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Composer in Residence

Comber Silver Band is delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Thompson as its first Composer in Residence. Andrew is a graduate of Queen's University Belfast and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He has a wide musical background, from his role as a classroom teacher to church organist and playing clarinet, saxophone and piano as a soloist and in jazz bands, function bands, theatre orchestras and various other ensembles. Although he never trained as a percussionist, he has played percussion in contest winning performances with both Comber Silver Band and the First Old Boys' Band, including a performance which won the best percussion prize in the top section of the Brass Band League Championships.

The Band's conductor, Wesley Thompson commented, "I am looking forward to working with my son in developing new concert repertoire for the Band and for our junior band, Laureldale Brass Ensemble. He has grown up in a brass band family and, whilst he would not regard himself as a "brass bander", he has a good understanding of brass band scoring and a good understanding of me, and the way I want the Band's programming to progress. I have been impressed by arrangements he has done for various ensembles and by his original compositions for choir, and I am pleased that this opportunity to further develop and showcase his talent as a composer has become available.

Band Chairman, Lawrence Balhaam, said, "We are excited by this new partnership and we look forward to working with Andrew in producing compositions and arrangements that will be enjoyed by Comber Silver Band, Laureldale Brass Ensemble and our audiences".