Oxford Exit for James

One of the most important members of Flowers Band is making the unenviable decision to leave the Band.

James Harris joined Flowers in October 2017 following a move from the University of Birmingham, where he studied Medical Science, to the University of Oxford to study for a DPhil in Clinical Medicine.

After taking up the Bass Trombone seat following this move, James’ appointment allowed Flowers to begin building the Trombone section. Solo Trombone Rob Wilshaw said, “We will miss having James as part of Flowers Band. His dedication and talent made him a great part of the section, but also his work behind the scenes has been tireless. He has been excellent at ensuring the committee is running smoothly and tying together the different aspects of running a Band like Flowers.”

MD Paul Holland said, “I would like to give my thanks to James for his commitment as both Bass Trombone and Band Manager at Flowers. I wish him every success developing his professional career and hope he finds time to keep up his love of music somewhere suitable.”

During his time on an incredibly tough and demanding course, James managed to become a model Band member. He adapted quickly to the playing demands of Flowers, as well as dedicating more time to joining the committee. His organisational qualities helped the committee and lead to James being appointed the youngest ever Band Manager in Flowers’ history, at the tender age of 23.

James leaves the Band in considerably better condition than when he joined, and has been integral to the resurgence of Flowers Band in recent years. All at Flowers wish him well for the future and look forward to seeing him around the banding scene.

This means we are now gauging interest in the Bass Trombone vacancy. Rehearsals will begin once we are out of the National Lockdown, with auditionees meeting for a one-to-one try-out with MD Paul Holland at the bandroom at Gloucester Academy of Music before going on to audition in a full band setting.

Anyone interested should message Flowers Band through any of the Social Media accounts, or can fill out the contact form below.

All applications will be treated in strict confidence.