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President.......................Colin Gibbs

Chairman.......................Phil Jones

Treasurer.......................Pam Talbot

All other committee members have an area of responsibility within the band and they are as follows;

Alan Brunt, Liz Askew, David Austin, Liz Hartley, Andy Ibbetson, Steve Jones, Liz Lancaster, Karen Medcroft, Julia Sanders, Robin Stride, Pam Talbot, Chris Wake, Nathan Wake, Margaret Wilson, Robert Whiteley, Jo Wood, Gabby Zealand

I read music at Huddersfield University in the heart of the banding world, joining the Yorkshire Co-op Band the minute I arrived, enticed with a decent pub and a lift to band (all a student ever needs). As well as playing Euphonium for the band, I conducted them in a few concerts, shown the way by John Roberts, himself a product of the Major Peter Parkes school of conducting. I left Yorkshire Co-op and played for a number of bands along the way including Hepworth, Brighouse and Rastrick and Sellers International, joining Pennine Brass in my second year at University. I was doing a lot of freelance conducting by now, and was travelling back from University to the Bedale Band in North Yorkshire. Thankfully, they covered my expenses well, and I returned to my house in Huddersfied at 2am, getting the last train back from Leeds! I was appointed Musical Director of Tewit in 2004, and continued to balance University, Pennine and Tewit, being out of the house six nights a week for band.

Finishing University I realised that I wasn't going to make it as a professional euphonium player (is there such a thing?), and studied for my PGCE (Teacher Training Degree), working at Holgate School in Barnsley and Rossett School in Harrogate. I worked at Richmond School in North Yorkshire for two years, specialising in Music Technology (my other interest) and builidng up the wind band numbers from 5 to 50. I returned to my old school, St. John Fishers in Harrogate in September 2008, again as a Teacher of Music and Music Technology, much closer to home (and Tewit!). I currently play Principal Euphonium for the Harrogate Band, and also enjoy explorations on the trombone when time permits. As Conductor of Tewit, I am also an Artistic Director for the Harrogate International Youth Music Festival, and for the past two years have conducted the massed bands of over 250 young people in the Finale Concert.Youth Music Festival, and for the past two years have conducted the massed bands of over 250 young people in the Finale Concert.

Craig Ratcliffe B Mus (Hons), PGCE - Musical Director of the Senior Band

My musical explorations started relatively late when I had the brilliant idea to learn the bagpipes at the age of 11 after following military band music for a number of years. Thankfully, I quickly figured this instrument wasn't for me, firstly, my fingers weren't long enough to cover the holes, and secondly it gave me indigestion after eating. With these two things disrupting my progress, I was dragged along to the bandroom of the Wetherby Silver Band by a friend, promising that she'd stop throwing bricks at my house if I went along with her. The Bandmaster at the time gave me a cornet to have a blow on, to which I replied "Is that the best you can do?", and within the space of five minutes was in the possession of a leaky, old, gold La Fleur Baritone. I worked my way up through Wetherby Silver Band, starting on 4th 2nd Baritone, and finishing up on Prinicipal Euphonium by the age of 15. By this time I also was the first conductor of the newly formed training band at Wetherby, and had formed a very successful big band whilst at school called UJay.

Steve Heninghem - Musical Director of the Junior Band

Being born into a family with a strong musical heritage, there was little prospect of escape and so, at the tender age of eight, my formal musical education began at York Minster Choir School, where I learned the cello in addition to the true privilege of studying music under Dr. Francis Jackson & singing in the choir. My teenage years were spent exploring all kinds of music and, thanks to a man who became my best friend, strongest critic & finest mentor, discovering the absolute joy of opening the minds of children to music.

Career-building, marriage & family-raising meant that it all had to take a back seat for a while until my own daughters started to show an interest in music and my eldest, Angela, began to play the tenor horn. In 1990 I took her along for her first rehearsal with Ian in the training band, then only half a dozen strong and so my association with Tewit began. The Brass Band genre was then as new to me as it was to Ange & we learned together until she retired at the ripe old age of 19 from the Solo Horn seat & left me behind.

Thanks to Tewit, I have had the opportunity to learn conducting & direction skills from top practitioners of the art and often conduct other ensembles, but more importantly, I was the one with the estate car when the band was short of tuba players!

Best Tewit moments:
- Playing in the Whit Friday Marches for the first time.
- Touring in Bavaria.
- Ange’s first solo with the band; A time for Peace.
- The 21st Anniversary concert when the band wore full Brass Band uniform for the first time & Malcolm Dibb (the conductor of the time) & I (on Tuba) cried all the way though Deep Harmony.
- Every single time that my kids perform in public; they never fail to amaze me & make me feel very, very proud for them.

Kath Woods - Musical Director of the Training Band

I discovered the Tewit Youth Band in 1990 when I joined the senior band on euphonium. Spurred on by then Musical Director, Malcolm Dibb, my enthusiasm for brass bands really kicked off. I reached the dizzy heights of solo euphonium before leaving Harrogate to study music at Huddersfield University, which included brass band studies under Major Peter Parkes.

I returned to Harrogate and Tewit in 1997, this time working with a group of 4 beginners and helping develop what is now the Training Band.

Thanks to my introduction to banding at an early age, I have been able to go on and fulfil many ambitions which include sharing a concert stage with the Black Dyke and Brighouse & Rastrick bands, performing at the British Open Championships and playing with top jazz trombonist, Wycliffe Gordon, at the International Trombone Festival. Through my involvement at Tewit, I hope to be able to encourage and help youngsters to achieve much, much more.

I currently play with the Yorkshire Imperial Brass Band and Yorkshire Evening Post Brass Tentet, both based near Castleford.

Best Tewit moments:
- Playing at my first Whit Friday Marches.
- Playing with the band when they won the Northern Youth Band Championships in 1992.
- Attending the first Training & Junior Band 'Away Day' at Bewerley Park in 2007.
- Feeling hugely proud every time the Training Band play out in public!

Ben Tierney- Musical Director of the Intermediate Band

Born in Kelty Fife, Scotland he started playing cornet in the local village band at the age of nine. Over the next few years Ben took part in various competitive events, winning Regional and National accolades taking part on TV talent shows before taking to the trumpet and playing in a Scottish Country Dance Band at the age of 16.

Ben joined the RAF Music Services in 1962 serving in Uxbridge, Singapore, Germany, Cyprus, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and finishing in North Yorkshire. During this time he studied conducting with Eric Banks. In 1968 Ben began part time teaching for North Yorkshire and he was invited into a full time position in 1974 where he has remained ever since.

Over the years, Ben has conducted and played in several bands in the Yorkshire area. He formed the Area Schools Concert Band in Harrogate in the 1970’s. He has had many competition and festival successes with brass and wind bands. These have involved finals in the Albert Hall and the Festival Hall, London working alongside such notables as Patrick Moore, Emma Johnson, Derek Southcott, Nicholas & Robert and David Childs, Kenny Baker and Gordon Higginbottom.

A number of Ben’s pupils have progressed to professional playing in principal positions of orchestras, singing positions in operas and even in rock bands; Tim Kellet with 'Simply Red'; Patrick Addinall, Principal Trumpet at the BBC Philharmonic after being appointed at the age of 21.