Tipping point for UK

Brass Bands England recently appointed a new interim CEO – Andrew Coe. He comes with a ‘big ticket’ CV in international tennis and motor sport, but how realistic are his intentions for the UK brass band community and BBE, which reaches its 50th birthday next year - Nicola Bland finds out.

Earlier this year, Brass Bands England (BBE) drafted in new face Andrew Coe as consultant, trustee, director and interim CEO. Heralding Andrew’s appointment BBE Chairman, Mike Kilroy, enthused: ‘... With the recent increase in membership activity resulting from the successful BBE Conference in December and new initiatives such as Bandsafe, the Trustees have recognised that the professional experience that Andrew brings to BBE would be valuable in helping to bring a renewed focus to the organisation’s operational activities.’

Few in brass banding had heard of Yorkshireman Andrew Coe before his appointment, although he and Mike Kilroy date back to Yorkshire Imps playing days together and bumped into each other a year ago at a contest, which coincided with BBE’s decision to appoint new trustees. However, although he’s blown a cornet on and off throughout his life, playing for a clutch of bands in the 1970s and ‘80s including Horbury Victoria, Carlton Main Frickley, Hammonds, ‘Imps’ and a few other local bands, he dipped out of brass banding for around 25 years to focus on some pretty big global remits in world tennis and international motor sport, latterly returning to the front row of Sussex-based LGB Brass, for which his daughter plays on the back row. He recalled...

Read this article in full, featured in July/August 2017’s BBW, by subscribing to BBW Digital. Alternatively, subscribe to the printed magazine delivered by post: £40 (UK); £68 (Europe); £81 (Rest of the World)