Players – Bren Jones Big Band

Chris Churchouse: Musical Director
Chris started his musical life at the tender age of 7 – or was it 8? It was a very long time ago! The instrument was the Euphonium but the bandleader moved him onto Cornet, which he tortured (or used to torture others!) until around the age of 30, by which time he had also taken up waving a baton. To the relief of music lovers, he then stopped playing for a while. Chris became interested in music again in his late 50s but this time on Alto Sax. He now tries to herd the cats in the Bren Jones Big Band and also plays Euphonium again (hurrah!) – this time in the Devizes Town Band. More recently, Chris has decided to add trombone to his list of instruments – sometimes he even plays it!

Lewes Hambrey: Alto Sax
Lewes first learnt how to play the piano but always wanted to learn how to play the saxophone. However, it was decided a saxophone was too big for him so he learnt how to play the recorder instead. After growing a little bit he dabbled with the cornet, and after growing a little bit more he eventually started to learn how to play the saxophone. Playing the saxophone in big bands from the age of 13 piqued an interest in swing music and subsequently he played saxophone in numerous big bands at university and beyond, as well as in a number of groups playing different musical styles. He continues to mess around on the piano if anyone gets really desperate. Thankfully, that rarely happens.

Steve Golding: Alto Sax and also Tenor, Baritone, Soprano and Clarinet
Steve started playing the saxophone and clarinet at a young age. He played in a youth concert band on the Isle of Wight but stopped playing regularly when he joined the army. Following the birth of his two daughters he encouraged them to learn an instrument and decided to take a fresh look at his own musical ambitions. Over the last few years he has played with a few different groups, mainly encouraging youngsters in their musical development. Steve enjoys swing and jazz music and has joined the Bren Jones Big Band fooling himself into believing that he could become a professional musician in his dotage.

Jill Buckley: Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Flute
Jill started playing Flute at aged 11, and now plays first flute in the RAF Association band. She now plays Alto and Tenor Sax, and Clarinet as well. Introduction to Big Band was in Sam’s Big Band in Devon, where she learnt to pretend to keep up,a skill that holds good in BJs! Jill was one of our most frequent deputies before joining us as a full member in 2014.

Derek Chase: Tenor Sax
Derek started playing the piano aged 4 and progressed slowly to the organ peaking with the ‘Wedding March’ at school at an inappropriate moment and was nearly banned from future playing. In his 30s he had the fantasy of having a responsible day job and playing saxophone in seedy night clubs. Apart from one cameo appearance in a pub, so far he has only managed to play in the relatively respectable London Saxophone Choir, Saxophonics and now the Bren Jones Big Band.

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 Bren Jones Big Band. Baritone sax has almost completely taken over from the clarinet, but this does still come out occasionally in both the big band and jazz workshop. 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.

Bren Jones: Trombone
Bren is the founder of the Bren Jones Big Band. 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 an oboe player by the name of Karl Jenkins, for about 4 years, but that’s only because we went to the same school!”

Steve Burrows: Bass Trombone
Like many of his generation Steve began his musical career on the recorder. His headmaster at junior school was not a fan, calling them “agony sticks”. Having got that message, Steve progressed to the violin reaching grade 7 before his hands got too big for the fiddle. There were many bass players at the school but no trombonists – the rest as they say is history. Steve has spent most of his life playing in symphony orchestras – which he still does. As he also played in the York University Big band when the opportunity to play with the BJ Big Band came along he grasped it with both hands! He’s now busy rediscovering the slide positions needed for the really low notes that orchestral Bass Trombone parts rarely require and having great fun in doing so!

Mike Ostime: Trumpet/Flugelhorn
Mike started on the clarinet aged about 11 but soon decided that he wanted to be 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, Cheltenham Philharmonic and Royal Wootton Bassett Orchestra. First foray into the world of big band was with the Big Brunch Band. Enjoyed it enormously and now having a lot of fun with the BJBB.

Martin Pickbourne: Trumpet/Flugelhorn/Vocals
Martin was given his first cornet as a teenager by his grandfather who having played flugel horn, persuaded him to join a Miners Welfare Brass Band. After rummaging through the best of the discarded instruments he also found a trumpet to play in a school orchestra and dance band before joining the Royal Navy at the age of 16. This colourful experience stood him in good stead, playing a variety of musical styles in volunteer bands both at sea and ashore, finally in an aircraft carrier deployed worldwide. After starting a second career and a long break from music, Martin was drawn back to playing again and really enjoys the BJBB.

Steve Alexander: Trumpet
Steve started playing music on tenor horn, French horn and piano in primary school, eventually focussing on the French horn in secondary school and while at university. Playing mainly classical and film music in the horn sections in various school and county youth orchestra groups and the Leeds Youth Orchestra, he has always wanted to play in a big band but because French horns are not part of the big band world, this was not possible. After over a 10 year gap in playing (to focus on building a career, marriage, children etc), Steve picked up his French horn again when coaching his son on trumpet. Soon finding out that the trumpet was great fun to play, he left his horn in the cupboard to concentrate fully on the trumpet. Steve is currently lead trumpet in the Wessex Concert Orchestra where he has been a member for 18 years and was delighted to be able to join BJBB recently and fulfil a lifelong ambition to play swing, jazz and big band music.

Craig Clements: Trumpet
Craig started his playing career at the age of 6 in his home county of Lancashire. His first instrument was the Tenor Horn where he played as a member of his local Salvation Army band, the Lancashire Youth Brass Band as well as holding the position of principal Tenor Horn in his championship winning school band. On moving to Wiltshire he transitioned to playing the cornet and having always been interested in Jazz and Swing music, has also added the trumpet to his repertoire.

Phil Radford: Guitar
I really enjoy the challeges involved in playing big band music, I have well over 50 years guitar playing experience but still learn something new every time we play together. Joined Bren Jones Big Band early 2013

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. The Bren Jones Big Band 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.

Nigel Maloney: Keyboard
Nigel began playing piano and drums at an early age. His first brass band then encouraged him to play cornet alongside his dad. He played in various school, county and college orchestras, before joining noisier bands in the 80s and 90s! At the turn of the century, Nigel was a member of local band Dirty Work, where he played keyboards and guitar. After ten years he took a short break from performing but recently he has been playing with a local Jive band as well as occasionally deputising in the Bren Jones Big Band – now a permanent member. The challenge of reading more complex music with lots of accidentals will hopefully keep Nigel’s brain active for the next few years!

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 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 fifteen years ago and was playing in four different bands for a while. Andrew’s mid-life re-incarnation of musical activity is matched by daft endeavours such as running his first marathon and cycling from Birmingham to Zurich, Switzerland. He arranges our events for us.

Nicole Warfield: Vocal
Nicole started to sing with the band in 2023 and is a great addition.