Adrian (Harry) Harvey Adrian was born in St. Austell, Cornwall, and was taught to play the cornet by E. J. Williams when he joined the St. Dennis Band. With ST. Dennis he enjoyed many contest successes with both the Youth and Senior Bands, whilst steadily progressing through the ranks.
In the mid 1980s he joined the up and coming Bodmin Town Band, under the
direction of Leonard Adams. There he was to enjoy banding at a top class level with many of our leading conductors, such as Peter Parkes, Richard Evans and Nicholas Childs.
When Adrian moved to East Devon in late 1996, he found the time spent traveling to practices too great, so he left the Bodmin Town Band and joined the Stoke Sub Hamdon Band, where he remained for just over a season. It was there that a chance conversation started his conducting career. The Ottery St Mary Band’s conductor had retired due to ill health, and after an audition, Adrian was offered the post immediately.
In 1998, Adrian was appointed to his present post as Musical Director of the Sidmouth Town Band. At the time the band was at a low ebb, but through his encouragement to all players, young and old, and by forming a youth band, the band’s future now looks much brighter.
