CrossWinds at Leez Priory Essex
Players' Profiles
Michael King (Trumpet)
Michael began playing the cornet at the age of 9 with the Regent Hall band in London. At the age of 16 took an audition for the Grenadier Guards military band at Chelsea barracks London and passed to go onto the music wing at Pirbright as a junior musician. Over the years he has played with various brass groups until the present day with CrossWinds Brass Quintet.
Ken Bareham (Soprano and Alto Saxophone)
Ken started his playing career by annoying his childhood friends with a kazoo. He later realised the potential to annoy many more people simultaneously by buying a saxophone. After mastering a few scales, Ken went off in search of a band to join, and found the Basildon Towngate Scratch Orchestra. Enjoying the opportunity to play improvised jazz, Ken got together with a few friends, including Rob Hall, and formed the band Saxobone. Ken joined CrossWinds as the only reed player in the group, and to date has four saxophones. He’ll need to move to a bigger house when he acquires a fifth.
Joe Smith (French Horn)
Joe has been playing the Horn in F since the age of 7. During his seven years at secondary school, he was a member of five musical ensembles, and was, by 2005, the longest-standing member of the Concert Band, whose achievements include providing the finale for seasonal school concerts, 'wallpaper music' at Twickenham Rugby Ground and a five day tour of Belgium in 2005. Upon leaving school, Joe has provided musical accompaniment for local music groups in Essex, before joining CrossWinds in 2008.
Rob Hall (Trombone)
Rob first started making rude noises (with a trombone) around the age of ten, on a 1920s Hawkes "peashooter". Despite all this, his parents failed to see the danger signs, and encouraged this questionable behaviour. Various brass bands and orchestras later, he is happy to have met four like-minded chaps who make up the other 80 per cent of CrossWinds. His other current partners-in-crime are the Essex Police Band who, to date, remain happily unaware of his connections in the brass underworld.
Tony Kent (Tuba)
Tony started on the piano when he was in short trousers then, as a teenager, he switched to the pipe organ as it could make more noise and later on took up the euphonium to enjoy ensemble music-making. Then a tuba arrived. Tony also contributes musical arrangements to CrossWinds’ repertoire.
Michael began playing the cornet at the age of 9 with the Regent Hall band in London. At the age of 16 took an audition for the Grenadier Guards military band at Chelsea barracks London and passed to go onto the music wing at Pirbright as a junior musician. Over the years he has played with various brass groups until the present day with CrossWinds Brass Quintet.
Ken Bareham (Soprano and Alto Saxophone)
Ken started his playing career by annoying his childhood friends with a kazoo. He later realised the potential to annoy many more people simultaneously by buying a saxophone. After mastering a few scales, Ken went off in search of a band to join, and found the Basildon Towngate Scratch Orchestra. Enjoying the opportunity to play improvised jazz, Ken got together with a few friends, including Rob Hall, and formed the band Saxobone. Ken joined CrossWinds as the only reed player in the group, and to date has four saxophones. He’ll need to move to a bigger house when he acquires a fifth.
Joe Smith (French Horn)
Joe has been playing the Horn in F since the age of 7. During his seven years at secondary school, he was a member of five musical ensembles, and was, by 2005, the longest-standing member of the Concert Band, whose achievements include providing the finale for seasonal school concerts, 'wallpaper music' at Twickenham Rugby Ground and a five day tour of Belgium in 2005. Upon leaving school, Joe has provided musical accompaniment for local music groups in Essex, before joining CrossWinds in 2008.
Rob Hall (Trombone)
Rob first started making rude noises (with a trombone) around the age of ten, on a 1920s Hawkes "peashooter". Despite all this, his parents failed to see the danger signs, and encouraged this questionable behaviour. Various brass bands and orchestras later, he is happy to have met four like-minded chaps who make up the other 80 per cent of CrossWinds. His other current partners-in-crime are the Essex Police Band who, to date, remain happily unaware of his connections in the brass underworld.
Tony Kent (Tuba)
Tony started on the piano when he was in short trousers then, as a teenager, he switched to the pipe organ as it could make more noise and later on took up the euphonium to enjoy ensemble music-making. Then a tuba arrived. Tony also contributes musical arrangements to CrossWinds’ repertoire.
