Marcus studied trumpet with Jonathan Bailey at the East Sussex Preparatory Course, Colin Clague at Kingston University and with John Wallace and James Watson at the Royal Academy of Music. He has also performed in masterclasses with Guy Touvron, Timofy Dokshitzer, Empire Brass and Bill Houghton. In 1992 Marcus won the Concerto Competition at Kingston Universtiy culminating with a performance of Arutuniun’s Trumpet Concerto with the University Symphony Orchestra.

Since finishing his studies, Marcus has performed with numerous orchestras including the Herb Miller Orchestra, Westminster Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra and Jubilate Brass. Marcus has performed in the Royal Albert Hall, St. Martin in the Fields, the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York. Marcus has had the pleasure of performing for HRH Queen Elizabeth II, on Radio 3 and even Top of the Pops!

He currently mixes his freelance trumpet playing with his role for the East Sussex Music Service where he is a full time brass teacher and Curriculum Manager for the Eastbourne Area Music Centre.

Andy started playing at the age of 10 with the now defunct Pevensey Silver Band on tenor horn but soon changed to cornet. Pevensey Silver went on to become Sussex Brass (Hastings) with whom Andy played a variety of positions from Principal Cornet, Soprano and even Kit Percussion!. Andy went on to study at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, under the late Ian Macintosh, son of Britain's first cornet hero, Jack Macintosh. Following 6 years with the Band of 3^rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, he returned to Sussex and resumed playing with brass bands, by now having graduated onto Soprano Cornet. He joined what was then Uckfield (Industries) Band on Soprano and held this position until his appointment ten years later as Resident Conductor. By this time, he had been deputy conductor for a number of years and had also conducted the Hangleton Band in Hove plus an extremely short spell at Horsham Borough! Andy was appointed as Director of Music, Mid-Sussex Brass in February 2000 - a position he relinquished in 2008.In addition to his work with Brass Bands, Andy plays trumpet with and is Chairman of the Sussex Symphony Orchestra.

Pastie was born on Mr Silas Fartblower's Somerset farm in the wet and windy summer of 1837, at 4.00pm in the afternoon. He was named Alfonso Dangleberry after his grandfather, Peter Williams. His name was changed by deed poll, some years later. He was immediately indoctrinated into the local community, and was declared 'baby with the largest testicles', at his first summer fete. It was there that he developed his obsession with music, and at the tender age of 2 was given a Bb bass to play. He called it Lucy, and it became his constant companion, even going to playgroup with him. After 5 years, his adoptive parents, Titus and Wilhelmina, sold him to a local brass band, who used him to clean the spittle of the band room floor, polish the music stands, and varnish the communal music pegs. It was here, that his life took a serious turn for the worse. After countless years, he moved from the bass, and was forced to play cornet on Sundays,  flugel horn on Wednesdays, and the conductor on Saturdays. After many years enjoyment, he ran away to join a group of travelling entertainers and musicians, and became their sexual plaything, drug-tester, and designated driver. It was with them, that he found his sorry way to Uckfield, and the beacon of light that is the band room behind the Alma. He now lives under the paving slab to the left of the door, and can often be heard playing the Last Post, (in respect to Mr D Johnson, a recent leaver), on a cold winter's night. He has never played for any famous bands, knows little about music theory and composers, and is quite proud of the fact that he thinks an arpeggio is a type of Italian chocolate biscuit. He would like to point out that some of the above is true, and some is not, but can't remember which way round it is. No-one in the band knows his real name. Neither does he.

 

 

I was born at an early age and guess that I have never grown up .I started my playing career, as so many before me did, under the tutorship of Michael Fairhurst at Ringmer School. Tune a day was such a hard learning system, but I did make the grade eventually and joined the impressive Ringmer School Band. I became a member of the Then Uckfield and District Brass Band around 1970 as a natural progression from the school band. I took a short break from playing then joined Sussex Brass for a couple of years but upon hearing that Uckfield were struggling to survive applied to make a comeback. I am now proud to say that under the Baton of Steve McIntyre the band is enjoying a very positive resurgence and I am looking forward to many more years of friendly music making with UCB.