Anna Hughes-Williams Joins the Band

We are delighted to announce that Anna Hughes-Williams has joined the band as part of our solo cornet team. Anna hails from Treorchy in the Rhondda Valley. She learned to play the cornet at school under the leadership of Ieaun Morgan. His high standards, excellent guidance and support gave her the inspiration, commitment and dedication to follow her passion of brass banding. She moved to Manchester to study and joined Fodens Brass band in 1990 under Howard Snell, with her cornet teacher John Hudson on principal cornet. A very successful banding career followed playing for Wingates, Besses o' the Barn, Sellers and Desford Band.

During her playing career Anna has won several major contests including British Opens, Nationals, and Europeans with Fodens and YBS. Notable performances include Year of the Dragon in 1992 and Concerto Grosso in 2003 at the Europeans. She has enjoyed many more great musical memories with CD recordings, concerts, contests and tours abroad to Australia, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, South Korea, Thailand with Cory, Desford, and Tredegar.

As an educator Anna is a brass teacher at Bolton School Boys Division, and musical director of the Boltones, a musical group for young adults with learning or physical disabilities. She is a cornet tutor for NYBBW and NYBBGB, Training band and Wessex Summer School. In addition to all of this Anna is also the musical director of Stockport Schools Intermediate Band and Trinity Girls Brass Band, an all female brass band.

Her love of youth banding and contribution in this field was recognised in 2017 when she was awarded the Mortimer Medal.

Upon joining the band Anna said "When the opportunity came to join Hammonds it was one that I was not going to miss. It's great to be playing in the same team as Kirsty Abbotts again. We were last together over 20 years ago in Sellers under Philip McCann. I'm looking forward to working with Morgan and the rest of the band. They have a combination of musicians of the highest calibre who are all dedicated and strive for success, along with a wonderful supportive and friendly band environment. It'sgoing to be an enjoyable and successful musical journey which I am looking forward to immensely."