Our Conductor:
Richard Powell GRSM, LRAM, ARCM
While a student at the Royal Army School of Music, Richard won the Cousins Memorial Prize.
Richard attended the Royal Academy of Music (1984-88) studying trumpet with Sydney Ellison, Ray Allen and James Watson, piano with Fiona Cameron and conducting with Denise Ham and Colin Metters. He was principal trumpet in the Academy's Symphony Orchestra, the Sinfonia and the chamber orchestra.
As Assistant Director of Music at St Edward's Oxford, Richard is responsible for the teaching of all brass instruments and several of the school bands. He is also a member of the Scots Guards Association Pipe Band.
Band Members:
Robin, Tuba Player
As mentioned in the about the band section Goring had a First Division Brass Band but ceased to exist after the First World War.
In 1977 the Concert Band was established again and set up as a Community Organisation, open to players of all ages and levels of proficiency.
Robin was one of a number of people to benefit from the band starting up again and their first president (and the first Freeman of Goring) was Lucy Woodward, who supported the band tirelessly during the early years.
Robin joined the band in early 1981, at the invitation of Derek Benbow, to play E♭ Bass in sucession to Terry Hookway, the original bass player. Robin had no previous experience but a few lessons from Jim Brewer, a lifelong brass player, set Robin on what he hopes was the right road.
The band's first conductor, George Jones, was a woodwind enthusiast who gave lessons to young players on Saturday mornings at a token fee. George retired to the South Coast shortly after Robin started playing the Bass (Robin believes the 2 events were not connected)! George was suceeded by Derek Benbow, followed by Jim Brewer, Peter Singer, Peter Hopkins, Andrew McBirnie and now Richard Powell.
Peter, Tuba Player
Peter joined the band in 1978 when his daughter Sally decided to play the clarinet in the band. At the time his instruments were the flute and piccolo, and under George Jones the band gradually became proficient enough to play concerts. As the band progressed now under the baton of Derek Benbow more proficient players were attracted culminating in a first major concert in the Corn Exchange in Wallingford, under the direction of Jim Brewer. When Jim decided that he had to retire he said would Peter like a "go" with the baton, and from then on it was Peter's turn to direct the music of the band for a few years.
On Peter's retirement from conducting, Peter Hopkins took over and the band had a surfeit of flutes so he found himself playing the tuba, from a few leger lines up, to a few leger lines down. After playing the flute, Sax, Euphonium, Bass trombone and recorders he has got as low as he can and is really enjoying the bass, just as well there is nowhere to drop down to now.
Now under the direction of Richard Powell the band is better than it has ever been and the numbers in the band higher than ever. Peter now waves the baton in Richard's absence standing in front of a very different band from 30 years ago.