Adjudicator Spotlight: Chris King BMUS (HONS), MBA, LRSM, ATCL
Chris King started his interest in music while playing the cornet with various brass bands in Lincolnshire. His musical career began at the Army Junior School of Music, Pirbright, where he trained as a Junior Musician between 1987 and 1989, winning the Musician of the Year award upon graduation.
On completion of his junior training, he attended the one-year Pupil's course at Kneller Hall, Twickenham, where he won the prestigious Frank Wright Silver Medal in the annual cornet soloist competition.
In 1990, Chris was posted to the Royal Artillery Band at Woolwich where he served for nine years playing cornet in the band, and trumpet and viola in the orchestra. His time at Woolwich included active service in the first Gulf War, before leaving the band in 1998 to become an instructor at Kneller Hall and then attending the three-year Bandmaster's Course at Kneller Hall.
Chris completed the Bandmaster's Course in August of 2002 armed with a first-class honours Degree in Music and was subsequently posted to the Minden Band of the Queen's Division as Bandmaster. During his very happy time with the Minden Band, Chris toured Pakistan twice, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq, and all the other great tourist destinations!
Chris was posted back to Kneller Hall in 2006 as the staff appointment of Training Development Team Warrant Officer. This is when Chris began his relationship with the Friary Guildford Brass Band as Musical Director. During his tenure, the band has had repeated contest success including victory at the 2010 First Section National Championships and the 2014 Senior Trophy, L&SC champions in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 as well as qualification for the National Brass Band Championships in the Royal Albert Hall on the last six (seven after COVID) successive years.
As well as conducting Friary Brass on a regular basis, Chris has worked as a conductor in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. He has judged recently at Brass in Concert, SIDDIS, Wychavon and the L&SC and Midlands regional championships.