John Kinsella
Position: Principal Cornet
John was born in Liverpool, he first started playing the cornet with the Salvation Army in Devizes. After switching to trumpet with Ruth Jerome he gained a place with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. He later studied with Gordon Nelson, David Mason, Maurice Murphy and Howard Snell. During his time with NYOGB he had composition lessons with Derek Bourgeois. Due to illness he had to take a 6-month break from trumpet playing and it was at this time John started to play the viola. The following year he gained a substitute place with the NYOGB and the year later started studying viola and composition at the RNCM. After college he moved to Norway playing in the Bergen Philharmonic. The following 23 years he played as Principal Viola and as a soloist with many orchestras across Scandinavia, Germany, Holland and the UK. Brass bands weren’t completely forgotten, however, and in Norway he played soprano cornet for Åskøy and Eikanger. Before joining MK Brass he played for KCB first as solo cornet then flugelhorn.
As a composer he has received commissions from the arts councils of Poland, Norway and Germany.
Lewis Wallington
Position: Solo Cornet
Lewis is a third-generation brass bander with early memories of being sat at the back of rehearsals with his father conducting. He started playing cornet at 7, initially being taught by his father after he set up what has now become Deddington Brass. In 2015 he studied music alongside mathematics at the University of Birmingham. Whilst there he played in many of the different ensembles and took instrumental tuition from Paul Mayes and Richard Marshall. Many of his highlights come from playing principal cornet in the 50 plus piece brass band which he also managed for a while, including their annual trips to the Unibrass championships. Lewis took up the position of Musical Director with Marsh Gibbon band and helped out local bands such as Hook Norton before joining Milton Keynes Brass in January 2019.
Louis Grao
Position: Solo Cornet
At the age of 7, Louis decided that he needed to learn the trumpet after seeing Louis Armstrong play on TV and liking the fact that they had the same name. Despite the trivial reason for picking it up, he quickly became obsessed with the instrument. Over the next few years, he decided to further his obsession at the Milton Keynes Music Service, where he joined as many groups as he could, including their brass band. Later, at the age of 13, he joined the National Children’s Orchestra and the National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain. Then, at 15, he began attending the Junior Royal Academy of Music’s Saturday music school. In 2022, Louis completed a music degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. While he enjoyed his studies, he ultimately decided that he preferred music as a recreational activity. These days, he finds joy in playing with various ensembles, including big bands, orchestras, and small groups. He is excited to continue his musical journey with Milton Keynes Brass.
Alan Clifton
Position: Solo Cornet
Alan started playing the cornet when he was 8 years old at school. He then went to Stantonbury music centre where he played in various wind bands and brass bands. He auditioned and was accepted for Stantonbury brass when he was aged 12 and progressed onto the front row. When he was 17, he moved to Moulton 77 brass band where he played for a number of years and worked his way through the ranks up to principal cornet. In 2017 he joined MK Brass.
Martin Groves
Position: Soprano Cornet
Martin started playing Bb Cornet aged 8 in 1973 with Chinnor Silver Junior Band. Progression to the senior band came a couple of years later. By 15 he had taken up Principal Cornet at Berkhamsted and Boxmoor band. Around 1984 Martin gained his first championship section position as principal cornet for the then Halls Oxford Concert Brass (now Kidlington Concert Brass). This led to performing on Radio 2’s ‘Listen to the Band’, ‘Friday Night is Music Night’ and at the Albert Hall. After this, progressing to the William Davies Construction Group Band under Dr Keith Wilkinson, a tour of Switzerland, a CD and more trips to the Albert Hall. In 1994 a career change brought playing to a regrettable end and the cornet was put away for good; but in 2015 the urge to play again became too great to ignore, except this time Martin decided to have a go on the Soprano Cornet – yes, he is a bit mad! Playing this notoriously difficult instrument became a passion and obsession which started at Oxford Cherwell Concert Brass and then a year later to Milton Keynes Brass.
Coming soon…..
Position: Repiano Cornet
….. coming soon…..
Helen Pakes
Position: 2nd Cornet
Helen started playing trumpet at the age of 10 at school in Shrewsbury. At 13 she was a founder member of the junior section of her local brass band, Sabrina Brass (now Shrewsbury Brass Band). She progressed to the senior band two years later where she played front row cornet. She also played trumpet with the Shropshire Schools Concert Band and Shropshire Schools Symphony Orchestra. She moved around a lot before and after university and played in a variety of groups including: das Symphonische Blasorchester der Stuttgarter Musikschule; Cambridge University Brass Band; the City of Swansea Concert Band; Kettering Symphony Orchestra and Huntingdonshire Concert Band. Work brought her to Milton Keynes towards the end of 1998 and she joined Bradwell Silver Band in the hope of meeting some new friends. She was successful because while there she met and married fellow cornet player Patrick! After seven years with Bradwell, playing front row, soprano and a brief spell as principle cornet, Helen moved to MK Brass (then Broseley Brass) in 2005.
Coming soon……
Position: 2nd Cornet
Coming soon…..
Kathy Gifford
Position: 2nd cornet
After gaining her BSc in Music, Kathy taught for Aylesbury Music Centre (AMC) for a long time(!) At AMC her Trumpet students included Grammy award winning composer & conductor Jules Buckley (19 BBC Proms, Arctic Monkeys, Pete Tong, BBC Symphony Orch, Quincy Jones etc), and Alex Maynard (RPO, West End, Ibiza Classics Pete Tong etc.).
She also helped to run the multi-award winning AMC Big Band (winners of the BBC Radio 2 youth Big Band competition 4 times, played at North Sea Jazz Festival 4 times, BBC radio broadcasts, Blue Peter 7 times, London Palladium, Birmingham Jazz Festival etc.).
Her own playing has been mostly orchestral e.g. accompanying choral society concerts mostly in the UK, and before AMC took ‘centre stage’, also playing brass ensemble music. She started her own quintet ‘Brass Tacks’ whilst at school. After playing at the Albert Hall, Brass Tacks went on to play for events and music societies throughout the UK, including work for the Yehudi Menuhin ‘Live Music Now!’ scheme.
Kathy joined Milton Keynes Brass in 2023
David Johnson
Position: 3rd Cornet
David started playing violin at of 11 but switched to trumpet following being banned to the garden shed. At 12 David joined his local brass band in Woburn Sands on cornet, and shortly afterwards the local youth orchestra in Bletchley. As a teenager David won a place in the Buckinghamshire Youth Orchestra, initially as principal trumpet, but later as a double bass player (an instrument he took up at 17). Following teacher training, David taught in a number of Milton Keynes schools as a classroom music teacher as well as the Stantonbury Brent Music Services, conducting and as a brass peripatetic. In 1984 David was one of a small group of musicians which founded Broseley Brass, now Milton Keynes Brass, and was appointed conductor of the development band. After 57 years in banding David remains an enthusiastic member of the cornet, and occasionally percussion section, and enjoys arranging music for brass and other ensembles.
Simon Hardy – 3rd Cornet
Position: 3rd Cornet
Simon started playing the cornet at the age of 10 with Melton Borough Band, becoming principal cornet at 14. He also played principal cornet for the Leicestershire Schools Symphonic Wind Band. His first experience of Championship Section banding was with the Ancient Order of Foresters Band (now Foresters Brass) whilst a student at Warwick University. After university he joined the Royal Navy so banding went on hold, starting again when he left the service in 1997. Stints with Foresters (again), then the Ransome Band were followed by a move to the north west, playing first for the Timperley Band and then onto Ashton Under Lyne. A highlight at Ashton was second place at the Grand Shield and qualification to the British Open when still a First Section Band. A further move back south led to several happy years on back row (his spiritual home!) with the GUS Band. A busy career as a solicitor meant another enforced break from banding around 2010 before the lure of banding brought him to MK Brass in the summer of 2017. In a long and varied band career he has been lucky enough to play at almost all the major contests including the National Finals at the Albert Hall, the British Open, the Grand Shield and the All England Masters although Brass in Concert still eludes him.