Simon Oates

Simon Oates started playing at the age of ten with a Lincoln based youth band before progressing to their senior band, Ruston Bucyrus Brass Band, taking the Soprano Cornet seat by the age of 12. He joined the Foss Dyke Band in 1984 as their Soprano Cornet player at the start of a very successful run of contest results culminating in the band being promoted to the Championship section within seven years. By the age of 16, Simon had completed all the grades in performance and theory with the Associated Boards of the Royal Schools of Music and held the title of Junior Slow Melody Soprano Cornet Champion of Great Britain. He studied music at Newark College after leaving school and frequently deputises for bands and performed with Manchester’s BT Band at the annual BT charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall where he was fortunate to play alongside Goldsmiths Choir and Peter Skellern. In 2000 Simon accepted an invitation to join Nottinghamshire brass band, Thoresby Colliery where he was regularly featured as a soprano cornet soloist performing in the gala concert of the French Brass Band Open in Amboise in 2003 and as part of the band broadcast on BBC Radio 2’s ‘Listen to the Band’. He claims to be the most televised soprano cornet player in the world following SKY TV's worldwide coverage at the opening ceremony of the memorial gardens at the London American Embassy in 2003 where he performed with the Thoresby Colliery Band. Simon enjoyed contest success with Thoresby winning the French Open Brass Band Championships in 2003 and playing in contests such as the All England Masters, Grand Shield and the Mineworkers Championships and has been asked to deputise on soprano for Grimethorpe Colliery Band, Fodens Band and Desford Colliery Band. In January 2015 Simon was invited to join the Coventry based Jaguar Land Rover Band, ranked as one of the top 50 brass bands in the world winning the Senior Cup trophy that year and qualifying for the British Open Brass Band Championships in 2016. Simon’s Trumpet playing experience includes that of Principal Trumpet of the Newark College Orchestra as well as a number of guest soloist spots in Lincoln Cathedral where he performed as a soloist accompanied by the Cathedral organist. He has also been engaged as guest trumpet player for the Cantamus Girls Choir. Whilst at music college, Simon was also engaged to perform a number of lunchtime recitals at the Lincoln Usher Art Gallery. As well as an accomplished soprano cornet and Eb trumpet player, Simon is also an experienced conductor having deputised for conductors on the brass band circuit for a number of years. He has conducted brass and voices in Lincoln Cathedral on a number of occasions. Simon commenced his training as a conductor through the National Association of Brass Band Conductors residential training courses studying under course director Trevor Walmsley and being influenced by many leading conductors that he has had the privilege to play under. As well as NABBC training, Simon conducted a number of ensembles at music college and also competed in the Midlands round of NABBC young conductor. At the age of 21 he accepted an invitation to become the Associate Director of Music of the Lincolnshire Hospitals Band leading the band on all of their Christmas engagements that year. From November 2014 to March 2016 Simon was Musical Director of Foss Dyke leading the band to Third Section Midlands Regional Runners Up in 2015, qualification to the National Finals and promotion to the 2nd Section. After a break from conducting, Simon accepted an invitation to join the Enderby Band organisation in Leicestershire to become their Associate Conductor and in October 2017 was appointed Musical Director of Nottinghamshire's Championship Section Brass Band, Blidworth Welfare Band. Simon was a joint founding member of Tennyson Collective together with Gareth Westwood.