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We caught up with Matthew Hall, soprano cornet player of the WFEL Fairey Band, ahead of the band’s performance at Morley Town Hall on Saturday 11 November as part of the Leeds Best of Brass 2023/24 series.

How long have you played with the WFEL Fairey Band and what position do you currently hold?
I joined Fairey’s in 2021 during lockdown and I play the soprano cornet.

What’s the best thing about playing in a brass band?
My favourite thing about playing in a brass band is the sense of community. As well as making good music, performing and travelling, the best thing is spending time with good people and good musicians.

What’s your highlight so far with the WFEL Fairey Band?
So far my highlights with the Fairey Band have been my first nationals in 2021 and performing at the AO arena for the Queen’s Jubilee.

How did you get involved with playing a brass instrument?
I got involved with brass playing through my brother and sister who were taught through Rochdale music service. After always believing I never wanted to play an instrument to play football, I  soon realised I wasn’t very good at football so I decided to learn the cornet and haven’t looked back since.

What was your earliest musical experience?
My earliest musical experience was playing at the Symphony Hall with my local junior band at Music for Youth. But the most memorable experience was playing Share My Yoke at a school talent show when I was nine years old.

Who has been your biggest influence?
I have been luckily enough to be involved with organisations such as the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, the National Youth Band of Switzerland and the European Youth Band. I’ve met some of the best musicians from all around the world with some amazing guest soloists. My biggest influences for playing soprano cornet are Peter Roberts and Alan Wycherley. The power of Peter Roberts makes every soprano player jealous but there’s nothing more impressive than Alan Wycherley’s slow playing.

Do you enjoy practising or find it a chore?
I don’t find practicing a chore due to wanting to become the best. It gets difficult to find motivation on some days and I might not feel great about my playing, but it’s important to find the end goal and push myself as much as I can.

Were your parents musical?
My parents aren’t musical but my Grandpa played drums for a jazz band and my Grandad played the organ at his local church. Although my mum was always the “taxi”,  she’s started learning the baritone at our local training band.

What piece of music do you most enjoy playing?
I’ve been very fortunate to play a wide range of repertoire. My favourite test piece has to be Sand and Stars from the 2023 British Open, but as a concert piece it would be the Astor Piazzolla’s set from Brighouse and Rastrick’s 2022 Brass In Concert program. I was lucky enough to play this with the National Youth Band of Switzerland.

What’s the best and worst things about performing?
The best thing about performing is the reward at the end of it. Because we spend so long preparing and working hard for pieces, the reward of being able to perform it and hear the audiences reaction is always worthwhile. The worst thing about performing is my nerves. Due to being on soprano, it’s one of the hardest and worst exposed instruments. I feel the pressure more playing soprano because the mistakes are more noticeable. The way I combat my performance anxiety is just by working harder.

What can the audience expect from a performance by the WFEL Fairey Band?
The audience can expect a fantastic program with some of the best soloists in the country.