Philip Dutton

After many anguished years of practicing the piano, Philip's father brought home a cornet for him to try. At the age of 13 this was just the ticket to musical stardom: lots of noise for very little effort!

Within a week he was out playing Christmas carols with the Ware Town Band on 3rd cornet. He quickly progressed to principle cornet of that band and later the Netteswell Youth Band. At the same time he was studying with Robin Whitbread through the schools music programme in Harlow and took his grade VIII at the age of 15. Although his career aspirations took him in a scientific direction, Philip continued to progress his musical career within the British brass band tradition. Whilst at university he played with the famous Besses O'th Barn Band and then through various job relocations appeared with the Welwyn Garden City Band, The Ipswich Coop Band and British Steel Teesside (North Skelton) with whom he played many times at the National Finals in the Royal Albert Hall (soprano cornet) as well as appearing on the BBC2 Best of Brass series on three occasions.

In 1986 Philip moved with his family to Holland. Because the brass band tradition was only just beginning in the Netherlands, Philip decided to change to trumpet and joined the Orginal MCC big band, Het Shell Dans Orkest and the symphony Orchestra, Musica: all in the Hague. After a short spell in East Anglia with the Ipswich Orchestral Society, Philip took his family to the USA where he became firmly hooked on Brass Quintet playing with The Chester Brass Quintet and Ars Nova (Richmond Virginia).

Back in North Yorkshire now, Philip plays with various orchestras in the region (particularly the Harrogate Symphony) as well as The St. Cecilia Orchestra and The Modernaires Dance Orchestra. He spends much of his time working with computers and music and provides many of the arrangements for The Stray Brass Quintet.

Philip plays the following instruments:

Bach Stradivarius Bb, Henri Selmar Eb/D, De Prinz A/Bb Piccolo and Bach Strad. Bb cornet