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Nigel Taken
Conducting the band at the 
Royal Albert Hall, London.

Captain David Barringer BMus (Hons)

Captain David Barringer was born in Rotherham, South Yorkshire in 1973. His musical upbringing was in Brass Bands and he quickly progressed through the instruments starting on Cornet aged 7 and settling on the Tuba aged 11. He played with some of the UK's top Bands and was Junior Slow Melody Champion of Great Britain for two years in succession.

Captain Barringer joined the Army in September 1989 and after basic training studied at the Army Junior School of Music, Pirbright. He subsequently attended the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall between January 1991 and December 1992. He joined the Coldstream Guards Band in January 1993 and toured all over the World with them, including a three-month coast to coast tour of the United States and Canada, as well as playing in most major concert venues in the United Kingdom.

During his time with the band he developed an interest in brass band conducting and spent two years as Resident Conductor of the Flowers Brass Band. After winning the London heat of the 1998 Young Conductor of the Year Competition, he went on to be runner up at the National final. He then went on to represent Great Britain at the inaugural European Conductor of the Year competition in the year 2000.

He was selected for the prestigious Student Bandmaster course at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall in the summer of 2000 and on completion of the course, he was awarded a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree. On promotion to Warrant Officer Class One in July 2003, he took up the position of Bandmaster to the Light Division Band touring all over Europe and serving 3 months on roulement in Cyprus. In June 2005 he was posted, albeit in the same town, to take up the appointment of Bandmaster with the Adjutant General's Corps Band. In January 2007 he was posted to Headquarters Directorate Corps of Army Music at Kneller Hall and was subsequently commissioned in the rank of Captain. 

Captain Barringer has continued to pursue his interest in Brass Bands throughout his career and in 2007 he formed the British Army Brass Band and is the band’s Principal Conductor.  In recent years he has been Musical Director of SWT Woodfalls Band and Professional Conductor with Yeovil Town Band.  He has conducted at several major competitions, including the All England Masters twice, and has made numerous recordings including two Listen to the Band broadcasts for BBC Radio 2.

Lieutenant Colonel C J Davis OBE
BA(Hons) MMus DMA Royal Marines

Born in 1959 in Eastleigh, Hampshire, Chris Davis took an early interest in music, playing in various combinations in and around the Winchester area, including the Hampshire Youth Concert Band under John Knight, and took trombone lessons with Sidney Langstone, before joining the Royal Marines Band Service in 1975.

After three years training he enjoyed ten years as a member of the band on board Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, taking part in many foreign deployments, including two circumnavigations of the world, two Royal honeymoon cruises and trips to the Americas, Australasia and the Far East.

Having been commissioned in 1993, there followed two years of study at University College Salford, where he gained a First-Class Honours Degree, studying conducting under David King and composition under Ray Steadman-Allen and Peter Graham. Chris is now Principal Director of Music, Royal Marines.

Apart from Bournemouth Concert Brass, he has had the privilege of conducting many brass bands during his career, including Otterbourne Brass (formerly City of Winchester), Newtongrange, Clackmannan, Marple, SWT Woodfalls, Leyland and the world-famous Black Dyke Band.

David Hayward
David started his playing in Gwent with the Celynen Band and later the Abergavenny Borough Band.  During this time he played for both the County Youth Band and Orchestra and studied trombone with John Jenkins at the Welsh College of Music. 

After qualifying as a teacher at Bath Spa University College he remained in the West of England playing with a number of bands in the area including a time with the Sun Life Band.  During this period he became interested in conducting, taking the Frome Band from the Fourth to Championship section.  

For seven years he was the Resident Conductor of the SWT Woodfalls Band.

He now conducts bands on a freelance basis, whilst demands on his time to adjudicate and compere have increased.

Professionally, after eleven years as a Primary School Headteacher, David is now a Senior Executive and Liaison Officer for the Children and Young Peoples Directorate of Somerset .... and you try saying that in one breath !!!

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Nigel Taken A.L.C.M., L.L.C.M., G.L.C.M
Nigel studied trumpet at the Coventry School of Music, and later the London College of Music under Trumpet Professor Dennis Egan. Before moving to London, Nigel's banding experience began with the City of Coventry Band as their flugel soloist at the age of 15, playing regularly with Harry Mortimer's 'Men of Brass' and his 'All Star Brass'.

Nigel works as a music teacher and is Head of Brass at Goffs School in Hertfordshire. He is in great demand as a band trainer and conductor and has achieved success at the highest level. He has worked with many bands in a professional capacity and is currently the Musical Director of the Averley and Newham Band.

He has worked with Bournemouth Concert Brass since 1990 and has led the band at many contests, including 13 West of England Regional Championships and 4 National Finals. Under his direction BCB became the first band in the West of England Region to win the 1st Section and then the Championship Section in successive years.

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