Conductors

Musical Director – Chris Jeans

Ld. Chris Jeans is the music director for the Ratby Co-operative Band. The vastly experienced musician works in partnership with leading a team of conductors and band trainers within the organisation.
Chris is a leading figure in the world of brass music. For over forty-five years he has performed at the highest level giving solo performances in many of the world’s most prestigious venues. He is an acclaimed international trombone soloist, clinician and Ambassador for Antoine Courtois and Besson musical instruments.
Chris is the President of the jury for the French Open Brass Band Championships held in Amboise. He regularly is invited to adjudicate at the Sion Music Festival in Switzerland, Brass in Concert in the UK, Siddis Competition in Norway, Regional Brass Band Competitions, Brass Festivals throughout the UK & Europe and the Manx Music Festival in the Isle of Man.
As an educator, Chris holds the position of head of brass at Leicester Grammar School – a position he has held for over 35 years. He has also been the been the trombone tutor and member of staff for the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain a position he held for 10 years. Chris is a visiting artist and conductor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
As a player he has held the position of principal trombone with some of the finest brass bands in the World. Chris Jeans is known as ‘The man with the golden trombone’. He began his playing career in his home town of Yeovil, before moving onto become principal trombone of Sunlife, Desford Colliery, Grimethorpe Colliery, Rigid Containers, Ransome, YBS, John Foster & Sons Black Dyke Mills Band and the GUS Band. He has held the title of Champion Trombone Player of Great Britain and also won the title ‘Brass in Concert Solo Champion’ on two occasions, and the outstanding soloist at the Butlins Mineworkers Competition. Chris has won the National Champion Band of Great Britain on seven occasions, European Championships on three occasions, Champion of Champions, All-England Masters, French Open, British Open Championships three times, and hat-tricks on BBC Best of Brass and Granada TV Band of the Year competitions, to name but a few.
As a soloist, Chris has featured on television, radio and has even been written about in the national press. He has toured extensively across the world, playing in prestigious concerts and appearing alongside many high-profile artists such as Tony Bennett, Christian Lindberg, Evelyn Glennie, Lesley Garrett, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Chris has performed in venues such as the Carnegie Hall (New York), and the Royal Albert Hall (London) and must be the only soloist to perform at 35,000 in the air!  He was the first brass band trombonist to produce his own solo album, his latest on the World of Sound Label ‘Blue Jeans’, and he has also got three books bearing his name with EMI & Kirklees Music.
For the past 35 years, he has been the Artistic Director of Music at Youth Brass 2000, which are the current British Open Youth Champions, Championship Section National Youth Champion Band of Great Britain (2013-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23), Brass in Concert Youth Champions, Action Research Entertainment Youth Champions, Butlins Youth Champions and 4BarsRest Lower Section Band of the Year. The band has won many major awards and has performed numerous times at the School Proms, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Chris held the position of Artistic Director of Music for the World-Famous GUS Band, a position he held for 4 years, Musical Director of the Ransome Band for 2 years and the Musical Director of the Ancient Order of Foresters Band for 10 years. He has also been guest conductor of the St. Austell Band, Derwent Brass and the World-Famous Brighouse & Rastrick Band.
In 2009, Chris was presented with the Brian Hicks Memorial Award for his continued service and outstanding dedication to youth brass bands in Great Britain.  In 2010 he formed his own jazz band – Chris Jeans and his ‘Crazy Love Band’.  In 2013 Chris was awarded the ‘All England Masters International Dedicated Service Award and in the same year he was also awarded from the Worshipful Company of Musicians ‘The Mortimer Medal’ and made a ‘Freeman of the City of London. In October 2014 Chris was nominated for Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year and to also have the BBC announce Chris, as “A National Treasure” was the icing on the cake!!

Conductor – Mid Band – Nicholas Garman

Nicholas began playing the cornet when he was 6 years old, later joining the Bristol Easton Salvation Army Band. Nicholas held the position of Music Scholar at Bristol Cathedral School and whilst a pupil there joined the Sun Life Band under Dr. Roy Newsome. At university, he was a member of Enfield Citadel Band, First City Brass and the BBC Concert Band based at Elstree Studios, receiving lessons from Rod Franks and Stephen Cobb. 

Since then, he has played with many of the country’s finest bands including Brighouse, Cory, Fairey, Foden’s and Grimethorpe, playing with Grimethorpe on stage at the RAH as part of the first ‘Brassed Off Live’ band. Nicholas’ brass band honours include Swedish National Brass Champion (with Stockholm Brass), Butlins Mineworkers Open Champion (with Redbridge), Midland Area Champion (twice, with GUS) and London and Southern Counties Area Champion (three times, with Redbridge). 

As a soloist, Nicholas has performed the Hummel Trumpet Concerto at Harvard University, as a flugel horn soloist at Birmingham Symphony Hall and the University of North Carolina and, has won many soloist prizes as part of brass band competitions. 

 As a conductor, he has won ‘best entertainment’ in the Cory Online Entertainment Contest and has also won prizes at other local contests. He has also conducted at the National Finals of Great Britain. Nicholas was awarded his Licentiate in Conducting from the London College of Music in 2017. 

 As an adjudicator, Nicholas has experience in all types of contest and at all levels. He joined AoBBA after successfully completing the trainee adjudicator scheme in 2013, was appointed to the executive in 2016, and has been AoBBA’s secretary since 2019. 

Nicholas is a Senior Examiner at the London College of Music and travels globally in this role. Previously, he was Director of Music at an independent school in North London. Nicholas holds Fellowships of the Royal Society of Arts and the Guild of Musicians and Singers. He is a Member of the Independent Society of Musicians.

Nicholas was appointed MD to the Ratby Mid Band in June 2023. 

Conductor – Crescendos – Becky Cook

Having been born into a Brass Banding family, music has always been part of Becky’s life. Having learned to play Cornet with Ratby Band at the age of 5, Becky still plays with the band in the Championship section today. After subsequently playing Horn and Euphonium Becky settled on her instrument of trombone at the age of 10 and has never looked back. Winning the National Youth Championships Best Instrumentalist at the age of 16 turned out to be the first of many individual awards for performance in Becky’s playing career.

As well as Brass Bands, Becky has also performed in Orchestras, Wind Bands, Small Ensembles and many more musical groups, regularly performing in the orchestra pit for Professional Shows.

After obtaining her Music Degree at Chichester University, Becky studied for her PGCE where she returned to Leicester in 2002 where she worked as a Primary School Teacher for 20 years. Becky is now Head of Music at Ratcliffe College Preparatory school. 

As well as a freelance brass teacher, Becky took the helm as Conductor of Ratby Junior Band in 2003 and has taken them on many tours, training weekends, competitions and concerts. “working with young people is what I love best”.

Conductor – Tooters (Beginners) – Jonathan Abbott

Profile to follow

Conductors – Daytime Band – Kevin Holdgate

Kevin was born in September 1961 in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Although born in Wakefield the family soon moved to Doncaster where he grew up in the coal mining community of Woodlands. His father, Allen, worked at the local coal mine and more importantly played trombone with the local brass band, Brodsworth Colliery.

It was perhaps inevitable therefore that when Brodsworth decided to establish a junior band in 1967 one of the first names on the list of players was Kevin’s. Keeping up the family tradition, the trombone was the instrument of choice. 

Within 3 years he was Solo Trombone with the senior band with his father on 2nd. Over the next 2 years he helped Brodsworth gain promotion to the Championship Section and gained invaluable early experience of performing. During this period he also competed in dozens of solo competitions and had considerable success. He was also introduced to the world of jazz and played lead trombone with the South Yorkshire Youth Jazz Orchestra alongside Pete Beechill (now a top London session musician) and later a very young Dennis Rollins MBE (freelance jazz trombonist).

His success in the competition field had not gone unnoticed and in 1973 he was approached by the famous Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band one of the top 10 brass bands in the world. At the age of 12 he became their Principal Trombone making his debut at the British Open in Belle Vue Manchester.

In 1972 James Shepherd stunned the brass band movement by leaving his position as principal cornet of the world famous Black Dyke Mills Band to form his own James Shepherd  Versatile Brass. In 1982 Kevin was asked to join the group following the resignation of his great friend Derek Southcott who had left to join the Syd Lawrence Jazz Orchestra. 

In 1983 he was asked to join Grimethorpe Colliery, to succeed Stan Priestley who had emigrated to Australia. Once again he made his contesting debut at the British Open and helped the band to get 2nd place. Over the next 20 years he was privileged to tour the world with Grimethorpe and Versatile Brass, appearing as a soloist in some of the finest concert halls, in cities across the globe. 

When Kings of Brass was formed in 1994 one of the first names on the list was Kevin’s on Principal Trombone. His inclusion broke one of the key rules which was to be over 40 years of age, but this was conveniently ignored by the management. He was even included as a soloist on the bands final album playing Bill Geldard’s fine arrangement of Autumn Leaves.

In 2010 Kevin was approached by the Newhall Band based in Swadlincote, Derbyshire to become their Musical director. At the time the band was placed 21st out of 22 bands in the 4th section of the Midlands Area.

In the ensuing 6 years, the band progressed and was promoted to the 2nd section for 2017. Following retirements, relocations and players progressing to higher levels within the brass band movement the band moved down the sections again but became National Champions of Great Britain in 2023 in the 4th Section.

Kevin has been lead Trombone with the Nottingham Jazz Orchestra for the past 25 years. During which time he has had privilege of playing with some of the UKs finest jazz musicians. Mike Lovatt, Alan Barnes, Matt Ford, Bruce Adams, Nathan Bray, to name but a few.

Kevin is a published composer, arranger and orchestrator for Brass band, Wind Band, Symphony Orchestra and brass ensemble. His big band, jazz, and bierkeller arrangements are regularly featured with his own bands and many others around the world.

Many of his arrangements were produced for and featured by the James Shepherd Versatile Brass and recorded on their last two CD’s. In 2020 he produced over 80 arrangements for the JSVB Legacy group that was put together during the Covid pandemic. Many of these arrangements are also available for full brass band.

Kevin is passionate about making live, instrumental music making available across the age groups. His involvement in the growing number of daytime band offerings is synonymous with this passion.