President of Skelmanthorpe Brass Band Community
The Skelmanthorpe Brass Band Community’s president is no stranger to the brass band world. A former trombone player with Grimethorpe, Ray studied conducting with the late George Thompson and a little over thirty years ago, conducted The Skelmanthorpe Band for a short while.
Ray was re-acquainted with the organisation back in September 2009, when his friend dragged him into the ‘Musical Notes’ music shop in Holmfirth. There he spoke to Peter Noble, who talked him into conducting Skelmanthorpe B Band at a concert in Emley Chapel the following week.
Ray has now retired from work but in his younger days, was a management consultant. It is in this capacity that he has recently worked with a representative of the committee, developing a strategy which has resulted in the organisation gaining a grant from a trust fund. This has enabled the Skelmanthorpe Brass Band Community to purchase a full set of new brass and percussion instruments and in addition to this, extend and improve its current rehearsal facilities.
