Johnson slides over to Principal Trombone at Leyland Band
Published in Band News on 2013-10-09 by Empty Chairs
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Leyland Band are pleased to announce the appointment of Ross Johnson to the position of Principal Trombone. Previously a member of the Porthywaen Silver Band in Shropshire, Ross is also a member of the Black Dyke Youth Trombone Quartet and the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. At the age of seventeen he joins Leyland’s stable of youthful but talented soloists.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Ross to the team at Leyland,” commented chairman Iain McKnight. “Despite his years, he possesses a considerable talent and is a welcome addition to our band. In my experience, players with a combination of youth and aptitude such as Ross’ not only perform to a very high standard but also rapidly develop in to the banding stars of tomorrow. Given the quality of performance he is already capable of, this can only bode well for the coming months and years.”
Ross is a pupil of Brett Baker and John Proctor and has won many solo competitions including, most recently, best soloist at the 2013 Wychavon Festival of Brass. Having achieved the benchmark Grade 8 in trombone with distinction at the age of fifteen, he went on to earn his ATCL Diploma a year later, aged just sixteen. In 2013 he has travelled to Kentucky in the United States to participate in the Great American Brass Band Festival to a colossal audience of 30,000.
"To be appointed Principal Trombone of the Leyland Band is a great honour,” said Ross. “I have had a very warm welcome and the atmosphere is electric."
Ross will officially join Leyland following this weekend’s National Brass Band Championship finals at London’s Royal Albert Hall where the band will, for the second consecutive year, represent the North West as regional champions. His first public appearance will be at Southport’s Holy Trinity Church on Sunday 20th October where the band will perform its annual Proms concert. As well as enjoying a varied concert programme, audience members will have the opportunity to take the patriotic spirit home with them by way of the band’s new CD Crown Imperial.