Adjudicator & AoBBA Member

Originally from Reading, Berkshire, Sam grew up in Tavistock, Devon. His formative years were spent with Stannary Brass Band, Bodmin Town Youth Band, City of Plymouth Wind Band and The Royal Naval Volunteer Band (Devonport).

Sam moved to Barnsley in September 2000, where he studied under Roger Webster and David Hirst. Having joined Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band that autumn, he went on to play cornet and flugelhorn with Brighouse and Rastrick Band and Grimethorpe Colliery Band for a number of years. Following a return to Carlton Main in 2010 (where he remained until November 2018) Sam received recognition for his playing, winning Best Flugelhorn at Brass in Concert (2010) and Best Instrumentalist at The Yorkshire Brass Band Championships (2022).

After a career in music education, which spanned 14 years, Sam now works as a performer, musical director and adjudicator. His success as a conductor has seen him lead bands to victory in many local and national contests: Bolsover Festival of Brass (Championship, First and Second Section), The National Brass Band Championships (First Section) and The Yorkshire Brass Band Championships (First Section). Under Sam’s guidance, Stannington Brass Band was also awarded back-to-back promotions at The British Open Spring Festival in 2023 and 2024.

In recent years, Sam has focused on developing a more extensive professional network. In 2018, he set up Backstage Brass, a six-piece function band, who travel the length and breadth of the country performing at weddings, festivals, corporate functions and live music venues.

Sam is an Eclipse performance artist, using their instruments for his commercial work as a trumpet, flugelhorn and cornet player. He has toured with Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings and features on various folk albums by artists such as Jon Boden, Eliza Carthy, Sam Sweeney, Jack Rutter and Janice Burns & Jon Doran.