Adrian Hirst
Bass Trombone
Adrian comes from Skelmanthorpe , midway between Huddersfield and Barnsley in West Yorkshire. He started to play the piano when seven years old and, when he was 14, his younger brother Chris was learning to play the trombone. Thankfully for Black Dyke this tempted Adrian to take up the instrument. His only tutor in his whole brass-playing career was Les Hepplestone (originally a cornet player) musical director of Wakefield Metropolitan Youth Band, where Adrian was a member.
Moving on to Frickley Juniors, he had only been there a couple of months when the Bass Trombone chair became vacant, so Adrian took up the position. He played there for 5 years and it was at Frickley that Adrian met his wife Karen who played repiano cornet. He moved to Barrow Colliery Band and shortly afterwards Karen also joined; following his five years at Barrow Adrian played for a 3-year spell with Yorkshire Imperial.
Then as Adrian puts it, he "Got the call", the chance to join Black Dyke. When in conversation with Adrian , it is not difficult to sense the pride he has of the performances he has taken part in. Whether it be winning the British Open in 1992, the National Championship in 1994, the European Championship, British Open, and National Championships in 1995, the National Championship in 2001 and 2004, the 2005 European Championship and the British Open Championship in 2005 and 2006 plus many other contest successes. Or the many successful concerts in the United Kingdom, America, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Holland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. It is difficult to select ‘one that stands out' from such an array, but certainly at the forefront of his mind, is the occasion when, as a member of Black Dykes trombone trio, they played ‘Temptresses for Trombones' in front of a packed audience at the Royal Albert Hall.
Karen and Adrian were married in 1985; they have a daughter Amy and a son James.
Adrian became a qualified mining surveyor in 1984 and Qualified Chartered Surveyor in 1991, Although Karen does not play an instrument now, as membership secretary of the Black Dyke Band ‘Friends Society', she has kept her ‘connections' with music.
