Ceri John
Ceri started playing the baritone at the age of 10 and immediately joined Burry Port Junior Band. He would be the latest member of the John family to join the band along with his Father Tab, brother Gareth and cousins Edmond, Daren, and Andrew. He would also follow in the footsteps of his Grandfather and Great Grandfather in joining the band.
Ceri went on to study music at the University of Salford, and during his time there played with some of the best brass bands in the world. Winning the European Brass Band Championships with the Yorkshire Building Society Band, before joining the world-famous Black Dyke Mills Band. In his final year at Salford University, he won the Harry Mortimer award for the most outstanding musical performances throughout the year.
In 2000 Ceri returned as our Principal Euphonium. During this time we would reach the National Championships at the Royal Albert Hall three times and win the British Open Senior Cup. In 2015 Ceri joined the Tredegar Town Band, but like Hotel California, once you join Burry Port, you can never leave, and now he finds himself back with us as our Solo Euphonium and Resident Conductor.
Michael Thorne
Michael’s musical journey began in the early 1970s when he borrowed his sister’s recorder and taught himself to play along with Watch with Mother. This didn’t quite lead him to fame and fortune so he joined the Burry Port Junior Band in 1978 and a few weeks later progressed to the senior band. At that time the band were conducted by Haydn Phillips, a brilliant teacher and exceptional musician, who encouraged Michael to become passionate about music and explore the various careers that it offered.
After some years he became principal horn of the National Youth Brass Band of Wales where he was inspired by world-renowned tenor horn soloist Gordon Higginbottom who was horn tutor on the course and later became Michael’s teacher. It was perhaps fitting that Michael became tenor horn tutor of this incredibly talented youth brass band in the years 2000, 2001, 2012 and 2016. The band’s conductor at this time was composer Edward Gregson who became another pivotal figure in Michael’s musical career as he was senior lecturer in music at the University of London, Goldsmiths College and was the main reason why Michael chose to study there and, in fact, became Michael’s conducting tutor. While at Goldsmiths, Michael met a life-long friend and acclaimed stage and classical composer Adrian Sutton (Coram Boy, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The War Horse) who composed a first movement of a tenor horn concerto, which was trialled by the university symphony orchestra with Michael as soloist. Michael also had a Horn Sonatine written for him in 1988 by Ammanford born composer John Phillips (winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s composition prize in 1961) and was premiered in his finals’ recital (1989). After obtaining a music degree and PGCE from Goldsmiths, Michael decided to return to Wales and further his musical life through teaching, playing and conducting.
Michael became Musical Director of Burry Port Brass Band in 1992 and has enjoyed the thrills and spills that this association has provided. This partnership saw the band move from second section, through first, and eventually to Championship section status – winning the Champion Band of Wales more than once. Also, around this time, he joined the famous Cory band from the Rhondda as principal horn player and resident conductor. This partnership lasted for a little over 8 years when the rigours of 16 hour days and treacherous mountain roads finally took their toll.
As a player and conductor Michael has performed at prestigious concert venues such as the Albert Hall, Symphony Hall, Bridgewater Hall, St David’s Hall, Wales Millennium Centre, and has toured extensively in Europe and parts of North America. He has played in nearly all, and conducted in some, of the major brass band championships such as the British Open, National Championship finals, European brass band championships, Grand Shield, Senior Cup (winning conductor 2005), Senior Trophy and of course the National Eisteddfod of Wales. He has worked with and played under some notable musicians over the years for instance James Watson, Robert and Nicholas Childs, Frank Renton, James Shepherd, Steve Sykes, Philippe Schartz, Martyn Brabbins, Grant Llewellyn, Gregory Rose, Tom Davoren and Adrian Sutton. In April 2018, Michael recorded one of two trumpet parts for Adrian Sutton’s music to The War Horse for the UK and international tour – the other trumpet part was played by Michael’s ex-pupil and ex-member of Burry Port Town Band, Matthew Williams, now principal trumpet with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Michael retired from full-time playing and conducting some years ago to concentrate on his private psychotherapy, counselling and supervision practice, and lecturing in counselling for the University of Wales Trinity St David and Coleg Sir Gâr. However, he has recently given up all teaching and lecturing and now has spare time to devote to Burry Port Town Band as co-musical director.
Andrew Jones
Andrew is a freelance trumpet player and conductor and has been a professional musician for over 25 years, having travelled all over the world having performed at a wide variety of venues, including Sydney Opera House, the Grieghalle in Bergen, the Royal Albert Hall and the British High Commission in Kampala, Uganda.
His musical career at the age of seven, playing the Cornet, in the local village brass band – Crwbin Silver Band, playing alongside his Dad, Uncle and Cousin.
Having studied music at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, and has been playing for a living almost ever since. During this time, he has performed with a host of world-renowned musicians, such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Karl Jenkins, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Only Men Aloud, Katherine Jenkins and Trumpet legend, Maurice Murphy.