Our Members

photo of BJ Big Band at Royal Victoria Park, Bath

Royal Victoria Park, Bath, May 2010.

diagram showing players in the previous photo, indexed

Jon Pearce, Alto Saxophone 1	Jon began music lessons on the piano aged 7. When he was 10, he went along to hear Corsham Windband where he became transfixed by the saxophone and that afternoon his parents unexpectedly spent the money they had saved for a new kitchen on a new saxophone instead! Jon has been unable to put the saxophone down ever since. Jon played in Corsham Windband Association for many years playing locally and in international youth competitions which included playing at the Royal Festival Hall in London and competing in the International Music Festival in Strasbourg. In 1998 he played with Just in Time Swing Band and was asked back to tour South Africa in 2000 whilst on Summer break from university. In 2002 Jon added the soprano saxophone to his reportoire. Jon works as a graphic designer by day and juggles playing the saxophone with being a husband to Tamsyn and Dad to their two girls Kara and Kelsie. He currently a member of the BJ Big Band, The Original Sax Quartet (www.originalsax.co.uk), Saxophonics, and The Wiltshire Sax Choir.
Lucy Bright, Alto Saxophone 1 and Flute	Started learning the flute at age 10, and after a few years joined the Chippenham Town Band, and when Fantasia flute ensemble formed I joined them also. At the age of 14 really wanted to learn the saxophone, so I had a very early Christmas/birthday present from Mum and Dad... an alto sax. A year later I joined Saxophonics, where I played for a few years, and I now play in the BJ Big Band!
Chris Churchouse, Alto Saxophone 2, dep on Tenor 1/2	Originally a brass player, Chris started on Baritone horn at the age of 7 in the Salvation Army, moved quickly to a Euphonium of about his own size and then moved to Cornet. He played Trumpet in the school orchestra - his own way of getting out of detentions! He eventually took over leadership of the SA junior band, conducting and teaching children to play, until he took a break from music at around 30. He has recently taken up playing again, this time with Alto and Tenor Saxophone. Chris is the Assistant MD, helping Rod as necessary, and also looks after the band's web site. Chris also plays in the Saxophonics saxophone ensemble.
Tony Jackson, Tenor Saxophone 1	Tony came from a musical background with both mother and grandmother playing the piano. Aged 14, he auditioned and was accepted into the Royal Marines School of Music to study violin under Louigi Becker and saxophone as a second instrument. He thus travelled extensively throughout the world with the Royal Marines Band Service. Highlights include playing under the batons of Sir Malcolm Sergeant, Sir Vivian Dunn, Malcolm Arnold and Dr Gordon Jacobs, playing at The Edinburgh Tattoo, Royal Tournament, and recording for EMI including the soundtrack for Thunderbirds and with the Oceannaires Dance Band. Tony now plays with Swindon Concert Band, Wootton Bassett Orchestra, Stringendo string quartet and BJ Big Band. His motto is "have violin or saxophone, where do you want me to play"?
Mike Pearce, Tenor Saxophone 2	Mike has been playing the tenor sax for 16 years. Prior to that he had no playing experience at all. He took up playing when he noticed the enjoyment that his two sons got out of playing in bands, and he also needed an escape from the stresses of work. He has always loved the sax sound. Mike currently plays in four bands and really enjoys both the music and the company of fellow musicians. Now he has retired, his hope is to improve his playing and his long term musical ambition is "to live long enough to play the pesky instrument well".
Graham D'Aucourt, Baritone Saxophone and Clarinet	Graham started learning to play recorder during Junior School years and progressed to Clarinet at Grammar School where, after 4 or 5 years, he decided he was no longer interested. He flirted with tenor sax at university but confesses, "I didn't really know what I was doing!". Twenty+ years later he was watching BBC Young Musician and thought "I can do that", but soon discovered that he couldn't. However, he persevered and joined local orchestras before discovering a local jazz workshop - jazz being a passion since early teens. He then started attending various jazz weekends and Summer Schools, one of which led to the purchase of a baritone sax and the rest, as they say, is history. He joined Saxophonics soon after, then a Somerset-based big band and ultimately the BJ Big Band. Baritone sax has almost completely taken over from the clarinet, but this does still come out once a week for the Wootton Bassett Orchestra. Graham is proud to have seen The Beatles at the Winter Gardens, Margate in the summer of 1963 and his musical ambitions are to be out, playing on New Year's Eve and to be part of a regular, small jazz group.
Mike Ostime, Trumpet 1	Started on the clarinet aged about 11 but soon decided that the future lay in being able to make much more noise, occasionally musical, and switched to the trumpet. Had a lean musical spell lasting many years after leaving school, apart from playing briefly in a brass group in Somerset run by an ambitious MD whose declared aim was 'to turn Bridgwater into the musical capital of the western hemisphere'. Heard of it? Enough said! After getting back into practice, in recent years, played with Ashton Keynes Philharmonia, Swindon Symphony Orchestra and Cheltenham Philharmonic. Currently with Wootton Bassett Orchestra, along with several other members of the band. First foray into the world of big band was with the Big Brunch Band. Enjoyed it enormously and now having a lot of fun in the BJBB. They are a sociable bunch of musicians who first and foremost want to enjoy their music and to share that enjoyment with their audiences.
Laurence Chamberlain, Trumpet 3	Our youngest member. Details and photograph awaited.
John Rushton, Trumpet 2	John joined the local brass band, the Corsham Town Band, at the age of 11 and learnt to play the cornet. After many years with the band and also the Marshfield Band he bought a trumpet and joined the Westinghouse Orchestra in Chippenham. On travelling to Saudi Arabia to work he took his trumpet with him and played in the Abqaiq Live Music Association Big Band and the Dhahran Community Concert Band. On moving to Oman, where he lived for some 17 years, he played trumpet in a variety of musical groups over the years including the Ras al Hamra Brass Ensemble, the Ras al Hamra Chamber Group, the Desert Storm Rock Band, the Frank Day Big Band and various ad-hoc 'pit bands' for pantomimes, music halls and concerts. On his return to the UK he rejoined the Westinghouse orchestra for a while before leaving to join the Wootton Bassett Orchestra where he still plays trumpet. He is a founder member of the BJ Big Band. John's favourite recollection is of playing at the British Embassy in Muscat and being served a beer paid for by the great British taxpayer when he was non-resident for tax purposes!
Adam Morris, Trumpet	Details awaited.
Art Robb, Trombone 1	Born in New York in 1945, Art's first instrument was the trombone. He sang his way through college, joining every choir and singing group available. Whole-hearted classical music snobbery was only averted by marriage and a move to London, where he taught himself to play banjo, recorder, penny-whistle, blues harp and cricket. In Malmesbury, in the 80s, he teamed up with local folk guru, Paul Darby, to form Loose Shoes (Folk, Blues and Beyond!) Then, meeting in his living room, the sometime band Sailbad the Sinner quickly morphed into the Dubious Brothers which has lasted 20 years. Recently, another trombone has arrived and is used in the Malmesbury Concert Band, Dirty Work and the BJ Big Band. Art has been a self employed musical instrument maker and repairer since 1974.
Rod Lawford, Trombone 2	In exchange for organ lessons, Rod sang with the choir of St. Erkenwald’s Barking before moving on to Birmingham University where he read music, taking instrumental tuition in piano and oboe. During this period he also sang with the North East London Polytechnic Chorus which gave concerts at the South Bank in London and engaged in foreign tours, including France, Italy and Israel among its destinations. Whilst working in a career outside music, it remains an important part of his life and in recent times has found his ‘inner brass player’ having taken up the trombone which he plays with BJ Big Band. He is also the band's Musical Director.
Bren Jones, Bass Trombone	Bren is the founder of the BJ Big Band - the 'BJ' part of the name being in his honour. He says, "I first took up the bass trombone at school aged 13 as it was the only instrument left, I really wanted to play the trumpet then but I'm glad I didn't now. The instrument was a G trombone - that's the one with the handle. Fortunately I had long arms and was able to reach the end of the slide without it, so that went into the dustbin - which, if I'm honest, is where the rest of the instrument belonged as it was in such a poor state. After leaving school I stopped playing, only coming back to it 30 years later but this time with a modern bass trombone, which is one of the finest inventions of the twentieth century. My only claim to fame is that I played in the same orchestra as Karl Jenkins for about 4 years (he was the little guy who played the oboe), but that's only because we went to the same school!"
Mike May, Keyboard	Originally a clarinettist in the Essex Youth Orchestra, Mike took up the church organ at the age of 18 and quickly established himself as the organist at Forest Gate Congregational church in East London. He continued to play the church organ for many years and it was only a few years ago that he began playing electronic organs and keyboards. He regularly plays at various locations in Wiltshire, as well as continuing to play at churches in both Calne and Derry Hill on a regular basis. Mike retired in January 2010 and joined the BJBB in March. He hopes that the change of tempo with the Band will keep him young for many years to come!
Charles Wilkinson, Rhythm Guitar	Charles has been a GP for 35 years. At Medical School in 1969 he taught himself folk guitar - which morphed after Medical training into playing in Dr Jazz (a Bristol group raising cash for MRI medical scanners). Charles actually likes Rock and Roll and had a band called Midlife Crisis which has since gone. He joined BJ Big Band in March 2010 where he says he is "hanging in there but loving it".
Alison Bisping, Bass	Alison started playing the cello and the piano whilst at primary school and continued for some 15 years playing with various orchestras until she got married. She then took a break from music while her children were younger and then was asked to join them playing the tuba at Chippenham Town Band. "If we can lend you a tuba and teach you to play, will you join us?" What a challenge and what a lot of fun! The latest challenge Alison has is to play the Double Bass, an instrument she has always wanted to play. BJBB was lacking a double bass player and one night after rehearsal, there was a conversation in the pub - "Do you know anyone who plays the double bass", to which her husband, Andrew (Percussion) said "No, but Alison has always wanted to..." which led to Alison to start learning from January 2011.
Andrew Bisping, Percussion	Andrew's musical career started as a singer, including playing the title role in Oliver as a skinny blond 11 year old. He also played Euphonium for a while as a child before a 30 year break from music. As the only non-playing member of his family he then took-up playing the drums six years ago and was playing in four different bands for a while. This covered a range of styles from local town windbands to a four piece function band with singer. BJ Big Band is the latest addition and current favourite. Andrew’s mid-life re-incarnation of musical activity is matched by other daft endeavours such as running his first marathon and cycling from Birmingham to Zurich, Switzerland.
Pete Hill, Drums	Details awaited.