Welcome to our series of Meet The Council articles. Throughout these entries we will try to give you a chance to get to know the people working behind the scenes at BYBA.
This week we are meeting the BYBA Secretary, Andrew Horton. Andrew started banding aged 11, first with the Bradford Company BB Band before then joining the Bradford Battalion Band when he was 12. The BB band later merged with the Bradford Girls' Brigade Divisional Band to form the Dalesmen Drum and Bugle Corps. He then got involved with the judging side of things when this corps folded, mostly at BB contests. He first judged Drum Major before progressing on to judge drill and sometimes display.
We sat down with Andrew to ask him a few questions:
What instrument do you play? I started off on snare, then was Drum Major for most of my youth, then when I could not longer compete as DM (19 was the age limit for BB/GB competitions) I was often on one of the bass drums.
What is the first show you marched in? I first marched in 1979, before we had themed shows! We were a fairly traditional bugle band then, although starting to be influenced by our near neighbours and good friends, 5th Halifax BB - The Anchormen
Proudest banding accomplishment? There has been a few and in order I would rank them as:
- Winning the Drum Major trophy at the BB National Championships
- Being asked to judge at the BB Nationals when I was only 21
- Getting my BYBA judging accreditation (after training for a year).
Most embarrassing banding moment? Filling in as a very young bugler at a competition (I couldn't play a note, but there was a blank file, which I filled) and realising half way through a solo that the solo had turned into a duet, as I had not put my bugle down. Hopefully no one noticed!
If you could talk to your younger self when they started banding, what advice would you give them? Cherish every moment and enjoy every contest, because a marching career in a youth band is very short but it will be some of the most fulfilling moments of your life.
What is one surprising fact about you? I appeared (with the band) in Pink Floyd's, The Wall and met Bob Geldof (pre-Live Aid).
If you could invite any 5 people (dead or alive) to a dinner party, who would you invite? Muhammad Ali, Seve Ballesteros, Freddie Mercury, Meat Loaf and Margaret Thatcher - don't think I would get a word in edgeways!
What are you most looking forward to over the next season? Getting back to judging and hopefully seeing some amazing performances this year!
Check back next week, when we will be meeting another member of the BYBA Council!