The Pangbourne and District Silver Band (L&SC) is delighted to announce the appointment of Stewart Lewins as it's new resident MD.  Well known in bands in the Bath and Bristol area, Stewart took up the position with Pangbourne Band after relocating to Reading, where he is a member of the teaching panel  of Berkshire Maestros, the Young Musicians' Trust.

Until December Stewart had been conducting the Midsomer Norton Band and making regular guest appearances to conduct Filton Concert Brass as well as Marshfield Band and the Bristol Veterans' Brass.  He has also been the MD of the Bath Spa University Brass Ensemble and conducted Brighton's Fretful Federation Mandolin Orchestra, with whom he won the Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar Federation Cup for Musicianship.

A talented multi-instrumentalist, Stewart has played and contested from the 4th to the Championship section and has played every instrument in the brass band at one time or another, including percussion, which was his principal instrument when he studied music at Bath Spa University.  Indeed, he has been known to play both percussion and a brass instrument simultaneously!

'... the truly memorable treat of the day was the performance of [Stewart Lewins] with the Marshfied Band. You may have seen many a cornet player pick up a percussion instrument to help a band's cause during a performance over the years and perhaps even a percussionist play a brass instrument if really needed. You can bet your bottom dollar though that you have never seen a percussionist play a side drum and soprano cornet simultaneously have you now?

'It was a type of genius not even the great Phineas Bower of Black Dyke infamy could have managed and further confirmed that there must be something in the musical water down here that many championship bands with their current player shortages would pay a fortune for to solve their problems. I wonder if this clever young chap has thought of doing that too?'

4barsrest.com (West of England Regional Contest Retrospective 9 Jan 2008)

Currently, Stewart also performs with the brass quartet Brasstastic and with a small Bhangra wedding band based in Bath.

On his appointment as MD to the band Stewart said: 'I am thrilled to have been invited to conduct the band so soon after moving to the area, and am looking forward to the new challenge.  I'm very pleased to be involved with such a happy, enthusiastic group of people and am looking forward to an exciting and rewarding time ahead.'