Musical Director - Stephen Tighe.

Mr. Stephen Tighe, ARCM, LDBBA (Cert) PFS, FPC. Member NABBC, ABBA. & BFBB approved adjudicator.

Most of Stephen’s first class playing experience was as a professional trombonist in Military Bands, Big Bands and Orchestras. He has toured and played extensively throughout mainland Europe, Canada and the USA. Stephen lived and worked in Germany for 5 years and was a regular player for several German Orchestras and taught regularly in British Army Education Service in Osnabruck.

After returning to the UK he continued playing for the highly successful Leyland Daf Band before deciding to pursue his conducting ambitions. He retired formally from playing in brass bands in 1985 and his last proper job was with the Brighouse & Rastrick Band in the RAH. Although he was dragged out of retirement by Ashton Under-Lyne Band and helped them win a couple of National Titles.

He is well known in the north of England as a highly successful and respected band trainer, conductor and adjudicator. He has been Music Director of Freckleton Band, the Moston & Beswick Band, the Bedford Leigh Band, the Every Ready Band, the Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band, the Kibworth Band the Dobcross Band and the Welwyn Garden City Band. He has conducted at most of the major contests including the National Finals and the All England Masters Championships.

He is an arranger and composer and his music is currently being used for the “Music For Youth” Festival. “Pennine Music Publications”, “Prima Arts” and “Jagrins” publish his brass band arrangements.

Stephen was awarded the Licentiates Diploma in Brass Band Adjudication (LDBBA) in 2001 and was only the fourth person ever to hold this award from Salford University. He is a member of the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators and a BFBB approved adjudicator for the National Championships of Great Britain. He adjudicates at about a dozen contests a year!

Stephen is our professional conductor and Director of Music. He joined us in Autumn this year and is assisted very ably by our bandmaster, Alistair Mackenzie who plays Solo Horn in the band.

“ I am very happy to be working with such a nice bunch of people and hope that we can achieve great things together” … said Stephen.