Musical Director
David W. Ashworth
David was born into a musical family in Bury,
Lancashire in 1951. He started playing the Tenor horn at the age of 7 and was
taught by Hugh Parry, then MD of the Wingates Temperance Band. His banding life
flourished over his younger years and between 1967 and 1979 he played with numerous
Championship Bands.
He studied Music at Lancaster University and is
still a member of the Universities Music Society,
During his 45+ years of conducting, David has had
numerous contest successes at all levels and was described by 4 Bars Rest as,
‘One of the finest Conductors outside the Championship Section’.
As a conductor David is extremely experienced,
having worked with many brass bands of all sections, Championship to Youth plus
brass ensembles.
Over the years, he led Boarshurst Silver Band to two consecutive victories at
the Butlins Championships, both British Aerospace Band (Championship) and
Stalybridge Old Band (3rd Section) to victories on their first contests under his direction.
He took Hawk Green Band from the 3rdSection to the First Section.
In 2020 he led BMP Europe Goodshaw Band, (4th Section, North West) to an
Area victory, gaining them promotion to the 3rd Section after only
working with them for 3 months, and also took Glossop Old Band to a 2nd
place, in the 2nd Section, Midlands Championships after only 2 months,
then taking both Bands to the National Finals in 2021.
His association with British Brass Bands over the
past 65 years, has led him to conduct bands from all over the UK and in Europe.
He is an Executive Council Member of The Association
of Brass Band Adjudicators (AoBBA) and was a long serving member of the National Executive
Council of the National Association of Brass Band Conductors. (NABBC)
He has vast experience in adjudicating, at both Brass
Band Contests and Music Festivals throughout the country. In the late 1990’s
and early 2000’s he adjudicated at the National Mineworkers Contest at the
Winter Gardens Blackpool, also at the Rhyl Music Festival and numerous Air Varie
and Slow Melody Contest throughout the country.
The 2012 National Finals at Cheltenham, the 2013
Brass at the Guild, the 2013 Uni-brass Contest at Lancaster University, the
2014 Yorkshire Slow Melody Championships and the 2015 Butlins National
Championships.
He adjudicated the 2018 Brighouse March and Hymn
Contest and the Whiston Brass Festival 2018, and also the 2019 Butlins National
Championships.
In 2022 David adjudicated the Regional Area
Championships in Wales, London & Southern Counties and the West of England,
and also at the 2022 National Finals at Cheltenham.
He is the Director of Music at the annual intensive
study weekend course, for the Dutch National Championships, with Felison Brass
in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where he holds the position of Associate Professional
Conductor.
Bands which David has played with and conducted over the years are
numerous and include :-
The James Shepherd
Versatile Brass.
British Aerospace (Chadderton) Band, (NW)
(Championship Section)
St Austell Band, (Cornwall) (Championship
Section)
Marsden Band,(Yorks) (Championship Section)
Hebden Bridge Band, (Yorks) (1st Section)
Hoover Bolton Band, (NW) (1st Section)
Hawk Green (Marple), (NW) (1st Section)
Glossop Old Band, (Midlands) (1st Section)
Oldham 97. (NW) (2nd Section).
The Granite City Brass, Aberdeen. (Scotland.)
2nd Section.
Walkden Band, (NW) (2nd Section)
Boarshurst Silver Band, (NW) (2nd Section)
BMP Europe Goodshaw Band, (NW) (2nd Section)
Stalybridge Old Band, (NW) (3rd Section)
The Golborne Band, (NW) (3rd Section)
The Waverney Valley Brass Ensemble, (Suffolk).
The Ovington Tynedale Band, (North East) 3rd
Section.