Given the opportunity to learn an instrument when I was young, I decided to watch an orchestra on television to try and get an idea of what to try. I found myself drawn to the brass section, and whilst pointing to a trumpet, said to my parents “I’ll have a go at one of those…”. Luckily, I was given a cornet to learn on rather than a trumpet, and that’s where it all began. I joined Sidmouth Town Band as a near-beginner in about 1996. After spending a bit of time seat-hopping on the back row, I eventually progressed onto solo cornet. Realising I wasn’t best suited to playing cornet, and with a nudge from Adrian, I moved onto baritone, before finally ending up where I am now – on solo euphonium.
I enjoy playing a wide range of music, but have a slight penchant towards the cheesier pieces we play and anything Christmassy! I would also love to see selections from musicals featuring much more within the band’s repertoire!
I have just about finished a degree in Business Management, so busy preparing for entering the big, bad world of work.
Elaine Cordy [2nd Euphonium]
I started playing the tenor horn aged 9, mainly because my best friend Jen (who now plays for the Stonesfield Band in Oxford) was playing cornet in the School band! I also met my husband Martin (see the trombone section) at 13 years old in the local concert band. My past teachers include the famous Mike Sallis and Bernard Hazelgrove who instilled in me a love of brass banding and a hatred of scales! In my youth I played with Holst Brass Band on 1st Horn and the Berkshire County Youth Brass Band on Solo Horn and have visited France, Germany and Austria on various band trips.
I had a bit of a break from playing in my Uni years and directly afterwards mainly because I could not find any bands in Bristol to play with, but when I moved to Exeter I decided to look a bit harder for a band and joined Sidmouth in July ‘05. After a short time on horn I moved to baritone, before ending up where I am now on euphonium.
I really like the way that Sidmouth band is a part of the town culture and community and makes an effort to get out to the people of the town, with weekly concerts in the summer and attendance at the main events of the year. We have had some good results over the past 2 or 3 years, and it is nice to know that the locals of Sidmouth support our successes!
