Sam Hairsine

Sam Hairsine’s brass band career started in East Yorkshire. Bob Childs, the legendary Euphonium player, was the brass teacher at the school that Sam attended and suggested that he take up the instrument. Sam flourished under Bob’s inspirational tuition, and progressed in standard, quickly becoming a member of the Championship Section EYMS Band and the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. After EYMS, Sam took up the Principal Euphonium seat of the other Championship Section Band in his immediate area, Aunt Bessie’s East Yorkshire Brass. In his early brass banding career he was a member of bands that won the North of England Championship several years running, competed in the most prestigious competitions in the land and performed on the ‘B-side’ to a Number One pop single.

In 1999, having completed his A-levels under the inspirational teaching of Catherine Maynard he joined the Royal Marines Band Service. A week after his audition he was examined and duly became an Associate of the Royal College of Music. After Basic Training he entered the Royal Marines School of Music in Portsmouth and was required to take up the ‘Cello, which he loves, as well as continuing his Euphonium studies. In addition to performing he began a BMus(hons) course provided as part of Royal Marines training through the University of Portsmouth and achieved a first class honours degree. Most recently he has gained a Class A Diploma (Snowplough) from the Borosport Ski School.

Sam is currently serving in the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Collingwood, based in Fareham. He has been lucky enough to play around the world, including Iceland, the USA, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Holland, Norway, and spent a year in Italy as part of the Allied Forces Southern Europe Band based in Naples, Italy. He has performed numerous solos in some great venues, including St. David’s Hall, Cardiff, but considers some of the most important performances to have been those in the North Arabian Gulf and Afghanistan.

Sam has conducted and directed ensembles for a number of years, but has recently had the privilege of conducting Royal Marines Bands in performances as part of his promotional courses and training. Recently appointed to the post of Musical Director of Spinnaker Brass, he is looking forward to a long, happy and successful time with this dynamic, ambitious and forward-looking band.
Sam Hairsine lives in Fareham with his beautiful fiancée Claire, and couldn’t be happier.