Norfolk Brass

Norfolk Brass (formerly Matthews Norfolk Brass) is a registered charity that enjoys the reputation of being one of the most consistent high standard Brass bands in the East Anglian area.

The Band's professional conductor is David Stowell, a conductor and composer, who studied at the Royal Military School of Music and has continued his career as a professional musician in the UK. He has appeared with several leading Orchestras and Brass bands including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Black Dyke Mills Band, Kennedy Swinton, Brighouse & Rastrick and the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.

Under David’s direction, in 2009, the Band won the London & Southern Counties area First Section area contest, and subsequently went on to achieve third place in the National Brass Band Championships in Harrogate. From 2010, the band is competing in the Championship Section of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.

The Band actively promotes the education of music to young people and its ensemble includes young players to enable them to progress careers in music. The band has achieved the satisfaction of sending at least four members going on to become members of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britian.

By an agreement between the Band and Norfolk County Council schools, the band's percussion equipment is made available daily to a number of young players training to be percussionists at school under the direction of Ian Chopping, a peripatetic teacher and the band's lead percussionist. The band also has a young person trust and makes an award to a young band member each year when funds permit.

The Band plays various concerts primarily in and around Norfolk. Our repertoire is wide and varied and spans the popular, light classical, operatic and film genres.

The Band is indebted to the Hetton-Hickling Trust for it's ongoing support.