How long have you played with Black Dyke Band and what position do you currently hold?
I’m in my 24th year and am proud to say I am the longest serving female player.

What’s the best thing about playing in a brass band?
Everyone will mention about the camaraderie within the band but for me it’s where I have chance to park my professional life as a company administrator and in the evenings become a musician.

What’s your highlight so far with Black Dyke Band?
There are so many highlights, when you have been lucky enough to tour throughout Europe, America, Japan and Australia but I have to say playing at Glastonbury this year was really fabulous!

How did you get involved with playing a brass instrument?
My local school, Bluecoat in Oldham, had a great tradition of a brass band. My brother played and I guess I was dragged along at one stage, and they couldn’t get rid of me after that.

What was your earliest musical experience?
I’m not sure what my earliest experience was but one of the proudest was when I was the first girl to play, some 50 years ago!

Who has been your biggest influence?
I guess my first professional teacher was the famous Gordon Higginbottom, renowned soloist and founder member of the James Shepherd Versatile Brass. Although my husband, who is the conductor of Black Dyke, would like to think it is him. Remember the saying, happy husband, happy life!

Do you enjoy practising or find it a chore?
The saying ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ is always in my mind, so when those days come along when I know practising is a challenge I have to remind myself of the great audiences we entertain at Black Dyke.

Were your parents musical?
My mum played the piano and my dad (when he was a child) played drums in the Boys Brigade!

What piece of music do you most enjoy playing?
At Black Dyke we play many genres of music. I like the original and challenging music, however at the moment all the horn section are featured in a great tune, appropriately entitled Nobody Does it Better.

What’s the best and worst things about performing?
Performing is a real buzz. I don’t think there is worst thing, I enjoy every performance! Although packing down after the concert is not high on my list of things I enjoy!

What can the audience expect from a performance by Black Dyke Band?
I always think a performance with Black Dyke is like a journey, we have the emotions of Elgar’s evocative Nimrod, the virtuosity of world class soloists and the exhilaration and sound that only a brass band can produce.