Graham Cardwell, Musical Director
Graham started playing tenor horn at the age of twelve in the Melton Borough Band under band director Arthur Clarke. Having moved to Hull in 1986 Graham played with several bands in the Humberside area including the Hessle Royal British Legion Band, Cleethorpes Silver Band and Barrow Band. This gave him the experience to join the EYMS band under Musical Director Robert Childs on cornet where he started on 3rd cornet and played every cornet position (except principal) before moving back to his first instrument, the tenor horn. During the two years with EYMS the band had 8 consecutive 1st places including the Second section national finals in 1992. In 1993 he moved to local rivals the Cottingham Band who were also enjoying great contest success under the baton of Richard Grantham and during his time with the band were promoted from 3rd to 1st section.
During his time at the Cottingham Band Graham studied for a BA (hons) in Band Studies where he was privileged to work under the baton of course director Major Peter Parkes and David Hirst and was tutored in performance by Stan Lippeat, Russell Gray and Roger Webster. In 1996 he moved to Huddersfield in order to complete a music PGCE in secondary education and moved to Nottingham in 1997 to take up the post of Head of Brass at the Trinity School. Having had a year out of playing he joined the Newstead Welfare Band for a short period before signing on 1st horn for the championship section GUS band later to become Travelsphere Holidays Band which involved a 120 mile round trip to rehearsals. The band under the directorship of Melvin White and later Frank Renton enjoyed many concert and contest successes including the Midlands area in 2001 on the test piece Jazz by Philip Wilby and rose to 7th in the banding league tables.
During this period Graham was promoted to Head of Music at Wilsthorpe School in Derby and due the pressures of work this created felt he needed a more local band. In 2002 he joined Derwent Brass in Derby on solo horn where he stayed for the next two years seeing the band promoted from 1st to Championship section. Graham has also played tenor horn with the Young Ambassadors Brass Band of Great Britain and has taken part in four European tours and one tour of Canada and America.
In January 2006 Graham was pleased to be asked to conduct the Rolls Royce Derby Band. Graham is currently Head of Creative / Media Diplomas at Trinity School in Nottingham.
