Tom is Principal Cornet of the world famous Cory Band and is well-known as a brilliant cornet soloist. He began learning the cornet at the age of nine and joined his local brass band, Stannington. As an early teenager he joined Barnsley Building Society Band and quickly ascended to the position of principal cornet. Tom’s first taste of playing ‘top man’ in a championship section band happened a few years later, aged fifteen, when he joined the Rothwell Temperance Band. During these formative years Tom also played solo cornet with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain including two courses as Leader. It was the Band’s Associate Conductor, Dr Nicholas Childs, who noticed his talent and later invited him to join the world-famous Black Dyke Band. During his four year spell with ‘Dyke’ he also toured extensively across Europe and Australia. After his graduation from the Royal Northern College of Music studying under Richard Marshall, Tom was invited to join the mighty Cory Band as principal cornet. After leading the band in his first year to its hat-trick winning European title in 2010, he has since lead Cory to four British Open titles, six Welsh regional titles, six Brass in Concert Championship wins, three more European titles, and four National Final wins. A few highlights of his time so far at Cory have been receiving the band’s Player of the Year award on three occasions, releasing his solo CD’s ‘In Principal’ and ‘This Way’, and leading Cory to its historic Grand Slam achievements in 2016 and 2019. As a Besson artist Tom represents the Buffet Crampon Group across the world and over the past few years has performed as a soloist in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the USA.

Tom has played a Classic 4 Cornet Mouthpiece DW4881-4 for many years and uses the DW5504C Copper-Bottomed Straight Mute and DW5531 Cup Mute.

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