Where were you born (you don’t have to share the date with us if you don’t want to!) and where do you live now?
Evanston, Illinois, USA
Now Thurgoland, on the River Don
Summarise your musical career to date in no more than twenty words!
Fr. Horn age 37, Tenor horn age 47. Flugel age 62.
2nd horn in 6 time North American Brass Band Association Champion band: Illinois Brass band.
Order of Brass Band World (OBBW), 2000.
When did you join Shepley Band – and more importantly, why on earth did you join?!
2009 Fr. Horn gig.
What do you enjoy about being part of Shepley Band? We assume you enjoy the band of course!
Great fun, good music, good blow, jolly conductor, good age mix in the band, Fr. Horn gig.
What has been your favourite moment with Shepley Band?
Hmmm. Can’t really pick one out.
What’s your favourite piece of music of all time?
Too many to count. I would have much trouble narrowing it down to 10. 100.
Who’s your favourite composer? Those still living don’t count by the way – it’s all noise with them!
I disagree. The greatest composers in the world today all live and work in Yorkshire. Anyway, like the above, too many to count. There are 3 composers who never ever wrote a bad note: Mozart, Prokoief and Monteverdi.
Apart from all the hours you put in every day practising (obviously) what else do you get up to in the real world?
Cut.
Fantasy Dinner Table – imagine you’re having dinner – who would you want on either side of you – and why?
Judith and Sandra. Good company, good women, good musicians. What more could you ask for.
Oh, and what’s your favourite food – after Sheila’s World Famous Ginger Biscuits?
That is also very tough. I think Indian cuisine is the most varied and subtle of any nations. But the burger’s and fries at Sauer’s or the Italian beef and Little Al’s both in Chicago, or even the sauerbratten with creamed spinach, German fired potatoes and rye bread at the Berghoff were all to die for.
Your private plane is sitting on the runway at Shepley Aerodrome. Where would you like to go today – and why?
Patmos. The only other place as beautiful as South Yorkshire.
You’re a very modest individual, shy and retiring (like everyone in Shepley Band) – but what’s been your greatest achievement to date?
Named one of the top 25 cancer researchers in the US in 1996
First colorectal surgeon asked to lecture at the National Academy of Sciences, 1999
But the OBBW tops both of those. By a lot.
We seem to be living in a celebrity culture today – so if you could be a celebrity who would you be and why?
Huh? Be somebody else? Like Me? I can think of celebrities I would like to be - with - Jennifer Lopez.. Selma Hayek..
You’ve managed to get the TV remote control all to yourself. If you could have an evening of your favourite telly programmes what would you watch (after you’d finished daily practise of course)?
Movies
Finally, you found an old oil lamp on your way out of our Christmas Concert. You rubbed it and Jude the Shepley Band Genie appeared and granted you three wishes. What did you wish for?
Also very tough. Just about all my wishes have been fulfilled in the past 5 years.
Evanston, Illinois, USA
Now Thurgoland, on the River Don
Summarise your musical career to date in no more than twenty words!
Fr. Horn age 37, Tenor horn age 47. Flugel age 62.
2nd horn in 6 time North American Brass Band Association Champion band: Illinois Brass band.
Order of Brass Band World (OBBW), 2000.
When did you join Shepley Band – and more importantly, why on earth did you join?!
2009 Fr. Horn gig.
What do you enjoy about being part of Shepley Band? We assume you enjoy the band of course!
Great fun, good music, good blow, jolly conductor, good age mix in the band, Fr. Horn gig.
What has been your favourite moment with Shepley Band?
Hmmm. Can’t really pick one out.
What’s your favourite piece of music of all time?
Too many to count. I would have much trouble narrowing it down to 10. 100.
Who’s your favourite composer? Those still living don’t count by the way – it’s all noise with them!
I disagree. The greatest composers in the world today all live and work in Yorkshire. Anyway, like the above, too many to count. There are 3 composers who never ever wrote a bad note: Mozart, Prokoief and Monteverdi.
Apart from all the hours you put in every day practising (obviously) what else do you get up to in the real world?
Cut.
Fantasy Dinner Table – imagine you’re having dinner – who would you want on either side of you – and why?
Judith and Sandra. Good company, good women, good musicians. What more could you ask for.
Oh, and what’s your favourite food – after Sheila’s World Famous Ginger Biscuits?
That is also very tough. I think Indian cuisine is the most varied and subtle of any nations. But the burger’s and fries at Sauer’s or the Italian beef and Little Al’s both in Chicago, or even the sauerbratten with creamed spinach, German fired potatoes and rye bread at the Berghoff were all to die for.
Your private plane is sitting on the runway at Shepley Aerodrome. Where would you like to go today – and why?
Patmos. The only other place as beautiful as South Yorkshire.
You’re a very modest individual, shy and retiring (like everyone in Shepley Band) – but what’s been your greatest achievement to date?
Named one of the top 25 cancer researchers in the US in 1996
First colorectal surgeon asked to lecture at the National Academy of Sciences, 1999
But the OBBW tops both of those. By a lot.
We seem to be living in a celebrity culture today – so if you could be a celebrity who would you be and why?
Huh? Be somebody else? Like Me? I can think of celebrities I would like to be -
You’ve managed to get the TV remote control all to yourself. If you could have an evening of your favourite telly programmes what would you watch (after you’d finished daily practise of course)?
Movies
Finally, you found an old oil lamp on your way out of our Christmas Concert. You rubbed it and Jude the Shepley Band Genie appeared and granted you three wishes. What did you wish for?
Also very tough. Just about all my wishes have been fulfilled in the past 5 years.
Who are you and what instrument do you play?
Rick Nelson. French horn
Rick Nelson. French horn
The Shepley Band Interview
