Gareth Hand

Gareth first learnt to play percussion at the Whitwell Brass Band in 2006 where his dad, Andy, was playing the Baritone. He went on to join the Thoresby Colliery Band in 2010 and with them he gave his first performance at the National Brass Band Championships in 2011. In 2012 he joined the Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band participating in several memorable performances under the direction of Philip McCann, including their winning performance of ‘Harmony Music’ at the Yorkshire Regional Championships in 2013.

2014 saw Gareth join The Desford Colliery Band providing him with the opportunity to travel, perform and teach in many parts of the Far and Middle East including: Thailand, Vietnam, Dubai and Singapore. In 2015 he also travelled to Austria with the Leyland Band where they performed in the courtyard of the Imperial Palace, Innsbruck as part of the Innsbruck Promenade Concert series.

Gareth joined the Black Dyke Band at the start of 2019. Highlights so far include performing at the KKL Concert Hall in Lucerne and at venues across Japan as part of the band’s 2019 tour. Memorable contest performances include, most notably, the bands winning performance of ‘A tale as yet untold’ at the 2020 Yorkshire Regional Championships and ‘Titan’s progress’ at the 2019 National Brass Band Championships which saw the band qualify to represent England at the European Championships in 2021.

Gareth has also enjoyed performing on the bands’ recent recordings – a highlight being one of the band’s latest releases which features the music of John Rutter arranged for brass band by Luc Vertommen.

Away from the world of brass bands, Gareth performs with orchestras in Sheffield and Nottingham, and works as a secondary school Music Teacher at both Shirebrook Academy in Derbyshire and Aston Academy on the outskirts of Sheffield. Complementing all his musical activity he is currently completing a MA in music with the Open University.