Downshire Brass Welcomes Three New Members

Downshire Brass is delighted to announce three new additions to our Senior Band roster.

Clara Robinson began her journey with Downshire Brass through our Community Band before progressing to the Senior Band, where she took up the 1st Horn chair in April 2026. We are delighted to see Clara continue her musical development within the band.

We are also pleased to welcome Susanne Reavy to Downshire Brass. Susanne joins our Cornet Section, and we look forward to her becoming an integral part of the band.

Completing our new additions is Ellen Mullen, who makes a welcome return to Downshire Brass and rejoins our Cornet Section. It is fantastic to have Ellen back with us.

All three will make their competitive debut with Downshire Brass at the upcoming NIBA competition this October, and we look forward to seeing them represent the band on the contest stage.

Please join us in giving Clara, Susanne and Ellen a very warm welcome, as we wish them every success as they begin this next chapter with the Senior Band. 🎺

Welcome to Downshire Brass!

A range of opportunities available at Downshire Brass

The end of summer and the beginning of the school year always marks a busy time for everyone including Downshire Brass as we kick-off a new season of banding, outreach and concert activities.

Downshire now has close to 100 people associated with its various bands and ensembles and plans to expand that further this Autumn, offering places across our groups.

Youth Band Promo

🎺 COMING TO BELFAST TO STUDY THIS SEPTEMBER? 🥁

Are you a brass or percussion player heading to Belfast for university or college?

Don’t leave your music behind! Downshire Brass is based in South Belfast, within easy reach of the city’s universities and colleges, and we’d love to welcome students who want to continue their musical journey while studying here.

We offer two different playing opportunities:

🎺 Downshire Brass – Championship Section
For experienced players looking for high-quality music, concerts and competitions.

🎶 Downshire Brass Community Band
A relaxed, friendly and sociable band for players who want to keep playing and enjoy making music alongside their studies.

Joining a band is also a great way to meet people, make new friends and become part of a musical community when you arrive in a new city.

📍 Rehearsals at our bandhall on the Belvoir Estate, South Belfast.

Interested? Get in touch and come along for a rehearsal!
🌐 www.downshirebrass.com

And if you know a brass or percussion player coming to Belfast this September, please tag them or share this post with them!

Youth Brass Opportunities Aplenty!

At Downshire Brass, we are passionate about helping young musicians develop their skills, confidence and enjoyment of playing music with others.

Hear from our Youth Development Officer, Olivia Orr, as she explains why joining a band like Downshire is a fantastic way to develop musical skills, gain valuable life skills and make new friends through music.

Our youth programme is one of the longest-established and most successful brass development programmes in Northern Ireland. It provides a friendly, supportive environment in which young brass and percussion players can learn, make new friends and experience the excitement of performing as part of an ensemble.

Downshire Youth Band

Downshire Youth Band welcomes young brass and percussion players who are approximately Grade 3 standard or above. The band rehearses on Monday evenings from 6:30pm to 7:40pm at the Downshire Brass bandhall on the Belvoir Estate in South Belfast.

Rehearsals combine enjoyable music-making with the development of important ensemble skills, including:

• Listening and playing together

• Rhythm, tuning and musical awareness

• Sight-reading and rehearsal technique

• Confidence in performance

• Experience of a wide range of musical styles

The Youth Band performs at concerts and other events throughout the year, giving members regular opportunities to share their music with an audience.

Opportunities for Beginners

We are also keen to hear from children and young people who would like to begin learning a brass instrument. Where suitable opportunities are available, we can help new players take their first steps and work towards joining the Youth Band.

Previous experience is not always necessary—enthusiasm, commitment and a willingness to learn are what matter most.

A Pathway for Young Musicians

Downshire Brass offers young players a clear pathway through the organisation. As their skills and confidence develop, Youth Band members may have opportunities to progress into other Downshire Brass ensembles and take part in larger concerts, community performances and special projects.

Young musicians benefit from:

• Experienced and encouraging musical leadership

• Regular ensemble rehearsals

• Performance opportunities

• Support with musical development

• A welcoming community of players

• Opportunities to progress within Downshire Brass

Join Us

We currently have opportunities for young brass and percussion players and would be delighted to hear from interested families.

To find out more, arrange a visit or ask about joining, please contact Downshire Brass through our website or social-media pages.

Couch to Concert - Autumn 2026

"Get off your phone and do something real!"

That's how one of our Couch to Concert participants summed up the experience of completing our 12-week programme, and we couldn't agree more. This September, Couch to Concert returns - a fun, 12-week journey designed especially for adult beginner brass players.

Whether you once played in a school band, sang in a choir, or simply love music, this is your chance to pick up an instrument, learn something new, and experience the satisfaction of making music in a friendly, supportive brass band.

What's included?

Weekly in-person rehearsals
Supportive online learning materials
Loan of an instrument
New friendships and plenty of encouragement
The opportunity to perform in a concert at the end of the programme

Who can join?

Anyone aged 21 or over who wants to get music back into their life. No previous brass experience is needed.

When?
Thursday evenings, 6:30pm–7:45pm
Starting September 2026 (12-week programme)

Where?
Downshire Brass band hall
Belvoir Estate, Belfast

Places are limited, so don't miss your chance to be part of something special.

Learn more and register your interest:

https://www.downshirebrass.com/couch-to-concert-2026

Have questions? Visit our FAQs:

https://www.downshirebrass.com/faqs

New Appointment at Downshire Brass

Downshire Brass is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Ashmore, Principal Bass Trombone with the Ulster Orchestra, as our new Associate Conductor.

Richard is a professional bass trombonist with more than 35 years of musical experience. For the past 26 years, he has been based in Belfast with the Ulster Orchestra. Alongside his performing career, Richard has worked extensively in music education with a wide range of participants, including students with special educational needs. His work has included facilitating workshops and concerts, developing creative projects, and performing across Northern Ireland.

Richard is also the founder of The Brass Surgery, a business specialising in brass instrument repairs and servicing.

Downshire Brass Chairperson Robert Mercer said: “We are incredibly pleased to welcome Richard to the Downshire Brass family. He brings a unique wealth of experience and enthusiasm for music which dovetails perfectly with the Downshire ethos.”

Richard has already begun his role as Associate Conductor, leading the band at the recent BBNI Brass in Concert Entertainment Contest in Fivemiletown and, over recent weeks, working alongside our Resident Musical Director, Prof Michael Alcorn MBE, in preparing the band for the Brass Bands NI Spring Festival in Omagh.

Richard said: “Having already received a very warm welcome from everyone, I am really looking forward to getting to know the Downshire family better and supporting them on our musical journey.”

Speaking about Richard’s appointment, Michael Alcorn said: “I am delighted to be working alongside Richard as we seek to develop the senior band and associated ensembles at Downshire Brass in the time ahead. Richard brings incredible experience and insight as a player and teacher, which will help us raise ambitions and playing standards. Exciting times ahead for Downshire!”

Downshire Brass Senior Band warmly welcomes new and experienced players to join its ranks. The Community Band and Youth Band are also continuing to recruit new members. For further information on joining the band, or to find out more about upcoming engagements, please visit our website.

Landmark evening as Downshire Brass Community Band launches

Wednesday, 25 March 2026 will be remembered in Downshire for the successful launch of its new Community Band - a group which brings together the talents of established and emerging brass players, united in a love of music-making.  

Downshire Community Band made a memorable debut on 25 March 2026 to a packed St John’s Church Hall, Orangefield, where the buzz of anticipation was matched only by the warmth of the welcome from an audience of friends, family, and participants from the 2026 Couch to Concert programme.

Taking to the stage for the first time, the newly formed band immediately set the tone with a confident and engaging performance. Their programme moved effortlessly from the courtly elegance of ‘Pastime with Good Company’ to the rich familiarity of hymn tunes, before building to the stirring march ‘Slaidburn’. For many in the audience, it was hard to believe that this ensemble had only been playing together for a matter of weeks.

Reflecting on the occasion, the Band’s conductor and Downshire’s overall Musical Director, Michael Alcorn, said: “The new group played their socks off — it genuinely felt like they’d been performing together for years. There was a real sense of enjoyment and connection, both within the band and with the audience.”

The evening began with a vibrant opening set from Downshire’s Ten-Piece Ensemble, directed by Robert Mercer. Their performance brought an immediate sense of energy to the hall, with a lively and engaging selection of pieces that have become a hallmark of their appearances at venues across Northern Ireland. The ensemble’s polished and upbeat programme provided the perfect prelude to a night that celebrated not just musical performance, but the spirit of community and shared achievement.

Altogether, the concert marked a significant milestone for Downshire, highlighting the success of its inclusive approach to music-making and offering an inspiring glimpse of what this new Community Band can achieve in the months and years ahead.

Downshire’s Chairperson Robert Mercer congratulated the band on their outstanding debut and thanked all those who made the event possible: “This has been a fantastic achievement in such a short space of time, and I want to congratulate every member of the Community Band on what they’ve accomplished tonight. We are incredibly grateful to our audience for their support, and to St John’s Church for the generous use of their hall. It’s evenings like this that show the real strength of our musical community.”

Photo credit: Gareth Heron.

Couch to Concert 2026

Following the success of our first Couch to Concert programme, we are delighted to announce that we will be running a new programme from January 2026.

This 12-week programme is designed to introduce participants to the joy of making music together in a brass band setting. Participants must be over 21 and have some prior musical experience—though not necessarily on a brass instrument.

Who are we hoping will sign up?
Perhaps you played music at school, in a band, or in a choir—and for one reason or another, life got in the way. Maybe you’ve always regretted giving it up. Now’s your chance to rediscover your love of music!

This programme, designed by the band’s musical director, Professor Michael Alcorn, is designed to get you started (or restarted) on your musical journey. Over 12 weeks, you’ll progress from the first steps of playing in a brass group to performing in your first concert. The programme is supported by online learning materials and examples to help you with the journey to the first concert.

Sessions begin in January and will run on Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm to 7:45pm for 12 weeks. The rehearsals will take place at Downshire’s band hall in Belvoir Park, Belfast.

Downshire Launches a new Community Brass Band

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new initiative — the Downshire Community Band, beginning in January 2026.

This exciting new group builds on the success of our “Couch to Concert” (C2C) programme, which saw 22 aspiring adult musicians come together from mid-September 2025 for a 12-week journey into the joy and excitement of brass band playing.

Band Chair, Robert Mercer, said:

“Within the first few weeks it was clear that many members of the group were keen to carry on after the programme finished, and their enthusiasm was the catalyst for the formation of the new Downshire Community Band.”

Professor Michael Alcorn, who devised Couch to Concert and will direct the new ensemble, added:

“It’s been wonderful to see the dedication and enthusiasm of everyone who is taking part in Couch to Concert 2025. The way they’ve embraced our approach to learning — and made such great use of the online resources — has been inspiring. They will be the founding members of the new band, along with other players who are keen to join this new, innovative ensemble.”

Click here for more information about the new Community Band.

Launch of Couch to Concert Programme

Downshire Brass is launching a new adult learners programme called Couch to Concert in September 2025. The programme aims to attract adults who might have had prior musical experience, perhaps in School in a band or School and are now keen to get back into music.

Downshire’s new ensemble provides an ideal platform to re-engage with music within the brass band environment. The participants will have 12 weeks to prepare for a public performance in late 2025.

More details of the programme are available here: Couch to Concert.

Downshire Brass Celebrates 2nd Place Success at the 2025 European Brass Band Competition

What a weekend it’s been for Downshire Brass! Months of dedication, rehearsals, and teamwork culminated in a fantastic 2nd place finish in the Challenge Section of the European Brass Band Competition held in Stavanger, Norway. This incredible achievement is the result of collective commitment and passion, and we’re immensely proud of how we represented ourselves on the European stage.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Roger Doherty, whose outstanding organisation ensured the trip ran seamlessly from start to finish. Special recognition must go to our Musical Director, Michael Alcorn, whose monumental effort—both in and out of the band room—was truly the driving force behind our performance. Words don’t quite capture the depth of our appreciation.

We’re also deeply grateful to the guest players who supported us both during the weekend and in the lead-up to the competition. Your contribution was vital, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

It was not only a successful competition, but also a memorable trip filled with camaraderie and music.

Success at the Brass Bands Northern Ireland Spring Festival 2025

On 12 April band competed in the annual Brass Bands Northern Ireland Spring Festival 2025. The band were awarded 2nd place by the adjudicator, Mr Bob Childs. We are delighted with such a fantastic result.

Congratulations to 1st Old Boys Band - Belfast on their win and to Laganvale Metal Technology Band for their 3rd place finish. Congratulations to Comber Brass and Dynamic Brass for theirs wins in the 2nd and 3rd sections. Massive congratulations to St Marks Silver Band on taking not only band of the year in their section but also being awarded overall band of the year.

As always this result would not have been possible without the unwavering dedication of our Musical Director, Michael Alcorn. The band are truly blessed to have such a hardworking, enthusiastic and talented conductor at the helm.

The band were also awarded the Denis Gillespie trophy for the best trombone section. Denis was a member of the Reid memorial and Downshire for over 50 years and were presented this trophy when he passed away. According to the engravings, this is the first time we have won it so it makes it extra special. Fantastic achievement by the trom team

Lastly our amazing principal cornet, Hannah Calderwood was awarded the best soloist prize. Below is a quote from the BBNI page about the trophy

"BBNI would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Mr Harry Gault on the 28th anniversary of his passing, on 12th April 1997. This fabulous trophy is awarded to the best soloist in the Championship Section. Congratulations to today’s winner Hannah Calderwood from Downshire Brass"

A brilliant day was had by all but no rest for all of us as Downshire Brass as we keep the foot down on the pedal in our preparations for the European Brass band championships in Stavanger Norway in May 2025.

Glynis Burns

Members of Downshire brass are deeply saddened upon hearing of the passing of Glynis Burns. A gifted musician and talented artist who we remember coming to the Reid Memorial as a teenager.

Glynis played solo trombone for the Reid and Downshire.

Glynis was a beautiful lady with a warm and generous heart. We send our love and sympathy to her heart-broken family.

The death of Marty Wilson

We were deeply shocked and saddened to hear of Marty Wilson’s passing. Like so many musicians and friends, we are mourning the loss of a truly remarkable character.

We were fortunate to welcome Marty to Downshire Brass shortly after his retirement from the Ulster Orchestra, and his wealth of experience, skill, and expertise was immediately recognized and valued by everyone in the band.

All the members of Downshire want to extend their sympathies to his wife, Gillian, and the wider family circle at this very sad time.

Brass in Concert Champions 2024

Downshire Brass Success at Brass in Concert

What a weekend for team Downshire Brass, in which we took first place at the annual Brass in Concert competition in the Valley Hotel, Fivemiletown. We were placed first in music and also first in entertainments. Huge congratulations to Roughan Silver Band and Wellington Memorial Silver Band on their wins in their own sections and all of the participating bands on the day.

On behalf of the Band Committee, we want to take this opportunity to thank all of the members of Downshire who literally poured their hearts and souls into yesterday's ‘70s themed programme which included some stunning playing from our soloists Brendan Coyle and Joe Stewart.

The programme, entitled Sounds of the ‘70s aimed to transport the audience back to a golden era of pop music of the 1970s including hits by Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, the Carpenters, Barry Manilow, Barbara Streisand and ABBA. The programme included three brand-new arrangements specially created for this year’s contest in Fivemiletown by the band’s musical director, Michael Alcorn.

Move on Up - Curtis Mayfield (arr Michael Alcorn)

We’ve Only Just Begun - Roger Nichols & Paul Williams (arr Michael Alcorn) soloist Brendan Coyle

Dancing Queen - Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson (arr. Michael Alcorn)

Evergreen - Barbara Streisand & Paul Williams (arr Alan Catheral) soloist Joe Stewart

Copacabana - Barry Manilow arr Marcel Saurer

You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder (arr Goff Richards)

VPM - Jacques Morali Victor Willis (arr Morali, Belolo, Willis arr. Tanner / Alcorn)

A massive thanks must go to our MD Michael Alcorn for the many many hours of music arranging, AV wizardry and most of all the endless work he does in the bandroom. Keep an eye out as you never know those ‘70s costumes may possibly make a reappearance at some point later in the year.

We hope all at the Valley had a great day's music making and the odd bit of craic as well and huge thanks to BBNI for their excellent organisation of the event.

North of Ireland Band Champions 2023

Delighted to announce that Downshire Brass are the 2023 championship section winners of the NIBA contest held yesterday in the Marketplace Theatre Armagh.

From all the band officers, a massive thanks must go to all of our players for their hard work and dedication, but a special mention must go to our Musical Director Prof. Michael Alcorn. His attention to detail and ever-present enthusiasm drove the band to a brilliant performance yesterday.

This now qualifies the band to represent Northern Ireland at the 2025 European championships in Stavanger , Norway 🇳🇴 We want to congratulate all the competing bands who performed yesterday in Armagh and a special mention to Roughan Silver and Dungannon Silver on winning the silverware in their sections.

Farmers Market at Royal Hillsborough

Our 10-piece ensemble (actually 11!) had an enjoyable day out at Royal Hillsborough today performing at the Farmers Market at the Dark Walk. (27 May 2023)

Memorable day at Hillsborough Castle for the King's Coronation

Downshire Brass were delighted to be invited to perform in front of a huge crowd this afternoon at Hillsborough Castle to mark the coronation of King Charles III.

Following the live-streamed coronation service, a 21-gun salute and a performance by the Royal Irish Regiment Band, Downshire provided two hours of entertainment for the audience in glorious sunshine.

Downshire return to Fivemiletown

Downshire Brass returns to Malone Presbyterian Church for a special service

Remembrance Day services are always poignant occasions for all communities as we mark those that have given their lives in service to their country. Sunday 13 November 2022 was very special for Downshire Brass as we returned to Malone Presbyterian Church for the first time since the pandemic to be part of the congregation’s remembrance day service.