Gerard McCartney (Eb bass)
Gerard began playing the tuba in second year in the De La Salle Secondary School in Downpatrick. This was a school concert band so the tuba player learned bass clef.
Soon he was going to the South Eastern School of Music in Ballynahinch playing in the Junior Concert band and progressed through the Intermediate Concert Band to the Senior Concert band and attended the Advanced Teaching Service in Ballynahinch passing grade 7 in the theory of music.
He was tutored in The School of Music in this time by Mr. Jackie Burch who tutored him through his grade 5 (practical) and passed with distinction.
Gerard played with the Senior Concert Band on BBC Radio 4 at Ormeau Avenue. Around 1981 he played for Laganvale Brass Band under the conductor Mr. Murdock and played in the Ulster Hall in the Northern Ireland Championships, Battle of the Bands. This required Gerard to be transposing treble clef with Laganvale and the school band which had then become a brass band whilst reading bass clef at Ballynahinch (switching back and forth from three valve to four valve tubas) and the following year for grades for Music A Level at St. Patricks Grammar School in Downpatrick.
After leaving school Gerard didn’t play anymore since 1984. In March 2021 he bought a tuba to see if he could still play and after two weeks contacted Downshire Brass Band. Robert Mercer welcomed him on board and he started attending band practices. By June he was playing live with the band at Hillsborough Castle!
Gerard worked as a Registered Mental Health Nurse for 34yrs in Purdysburn Hospital/ Knockbracken Healthcare Park. He worked in the Regional Secure Unit for 15yrs and retired in 2019. He is married and has a daughter, son and grandson. Gerard loves travelling and has been doing city breaks in different cities all around Europe since 2004.