Dennis Wilby began playing
the cornet at the age of eight and spent many years with the top
bands in his home county of Yorkshire. During Army National
Service he was Principal Cornet with the R.A.S.C. Staff Band. When
his service ended, he began his professional playing career as
Principal Trumpet with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra.
Dennis returned to live in Yorkshire and, as a professional
freelance musician, played with the Yorkshire Concert Orchestra,
Northern Concert Artist’s Orchestra and the Royal Ballet
Orchestra.
He also had a successful career as a conductor. He was Resident
Conductor of Grimethorpe Colliery Band and Musical Director of
Wingates Band, Harton Colliery Band, Northumbria Police Band and
Bo'ness and Carriden Band. He was guest conductor with many of the
leading bands in Britain and abroad. These include River City
Brass Band (USA) and the Norwegian Army Band in Bergen. In 1998
Dennis was appointed Musical Director of the National Youth Brass
Band of the Republic of Ireland. He received the long service
25-year certificate from the National Association of Brass Band
conductors in 1999.
For the past 40 years, Dennis has regularly worked as an
adjudicator. He has adjudicated at all the Regional Championships,
the National Finals (on three occasions) and the Norwegian Brass
Band Championships (twice). He is now one of the most respected
adjudicators, both nationally and internationally.
Dennis presented the commercial radio series, Viking Bandstand
and published many brass band arrangements. He is also editor of
Brass Review, Britain’s only free brass magazine.
In 1998, Dennis moved from Yorkshire to
live in Sussex. He generously agreed to become President of LGB
Brass and served as Chairman of the Southern Counties Amateur
Bands Association from 2002-2005. |
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