Dr Roy Newsome
National President
In
his so-called retirement, Roy Newsome finds plenty to occupy his time. He is the
President of the National Association of Brass Band Conductors (an honour dating
from 1993, following the death of Harry Mortimer CBE), an Executive Member of
the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators, a Research Fellow and Conductor
Laureate of the University of Salford,
and Music Advisor to the Brass in Concert Championships (a position he has held
since their inception in 1977).
After a lifetime of conducting and adjudicating, he has many memories. He has adjudicated at virtually all major brass band competitions throughout the world and has held conducting appointments with Black Dyke, Besses o'th' Barn, Fairey Engineering and Sun Life bands. With these there have been plenty of highlights, including conducting five winning performances at the British Open Championships and one at the National Brass Band Championships. The five British Open wins were with four different bands, a record in itself.
In more recent years he has appeared as guest conductor with Black Dyke, Grimethorpe, YBS, Foden's and Leyland, and he regularly helps lower section bands with their contest preparation.
There have been radio, television and recording engagements and numerous overseas tours. He can also look back on eight happy years as the Presenter of Radio 2’s Listen to the Band and some 30 years of guest conducting, lecturing and adjudicating in all the major brass band centres in Europe, plus Australia, New Zealand, America and Japan.
Then there were 17 years as Music Director of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and a legacy of what seems like a lifetime of memories pertaining to that appointment alone.
Having been in education for much of his life, Roy Newsome was one of the pioneers of the now highly acclaimed courses in Band Musicianship at the University of Salford. His PhD degree was attained at this university for research into brass band history. He has published five books about brass bands, is a regular contributor to brass band journals and magazines, and is frequently called upon to compose or arrange new pieces for band and to write sleeve notes for CDs.
Honours that have come Roy Newsome's way include the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians (1976), an Honorary Graduate Diploma (Salford 1989) and the Masters Dedicated Service Award, presented by the All England Masters Championships (2000). In 2001 he received the long-service award for 25 years membership of the NABBC and in 2005 accepted the British Bandsman Life Achievement Award.
Roy Newsome's greatest difficulty is answering the question, ‘What interests do you have outside of brass bands?