Welfare Officer & Co-ordinator - Rachel Batten

Tutor - Amelia Commons

Amelia is a qualified music teacher who has taught from ages 6-18 in schools as well as holding some adult education classes. She is currently taking a break from school teaching after having two children. She started playing the horn aged 8 and has taken an interest in musical theory and many different instruments since then.

In 2006 Amelia graduated from The University of Exeter with a Bachelor of Arts degree, BA (Hons), after studying music at the university. During this time Amelia began to develop an interest in conducting. This led her to take a conducting role leading St.Dennis learners and youth band where she was also a playing member at the time. In 2007 Amelia qualified as a music teacher from the Open University and has since began a masters in education with University Bath.

After a short break from work, due to starting her family, Amelia's new challenge is creating a learner group to become part of the Roche Brass organization. This we hope will follow in the footsteps of our senior band, developing into one of Cornwall's leading youth bands.

Tutor - Rachel Hawkey

Rachel started playing at the age of 5 with St Pinnock Youth Band on cornet and soon moved into the senior band.

After only a couple of years, she moved onto bass where she stayed for another few years and played with St Dennis Youth Band until she herniated a disc in her spine from sporting activities. For this reason she moved to a smaller instrument, the euphonium, where she held the principal euphonium seat for St Pinnock until 2013.

Whilst at St Pinnock, Rachel helped them to achieve promotions from the 3rd section up to the 1st section. From the age of 16 to 19 Rachel also played with the Mount Charles Youth Band and won various solo prizes at local contests.

Rachel left St Pinnock at the beginning of 2013 to concentrate on her studies, and joined Roche Brass where the commitment suits her and her busy lifestyle well, and is now a qualified Midwife.

Tutor - Gavin Knowles

Gavin began his playing career in 1993 with Camborne Youth Band and returned to his roots at Camborne Town Band after a few years playing for Bodmin Town.

In 1996 he was awarded the Albert Chappell Memorial Shield for his talents, becoming the first and only baritone player to have won it.

Gavin spent many successful years at Camborne before first joining Roche Brass in 2016 on Solo Baritone. After taking a 4 year break from playing in 2017, Gav was eventually persuaded to make a return on Euphonium in 2021. 

Tutor - Andy Mitchell

Andrew’s musical career began with Carharrack & St Day in 1988 at the age of six from where he moved to Camborne Youth and then to Redruth Town where he was Principal Cornet.

He joined Camborne Town Band in 1998, initially playing cornet, taking the Principal role for a while, but now has a reputation as a fine flugel player and soloist.

After many successful and happy years with Camborne, 2012 saw Andrew relinquish his position to take up a new challenge with Roche Brass.

Tutor - Mike Saville

Unusually for a student, Mike spent his time at the Royal College of Music actually practicing the trombone. This meant opportunities for playing at the highest level presented themselves on an all too regular basis.

Never one to be considered a 'one trick pony’, Mike found himself invited to play all styles of music. Some examples include: Early period music (Gabrieli Consort), Orchestral (LPO), Opera (British Touring Opera), Shows (various west end), Light Music (John Wilson Orchestra), Big Bands (Glenn Miller UK) . . . . . and even in the occasional brass band. Of course all taking place in the obligatory major concert halls and on radio & TV.

Having discovered what 15 years playing the same show/music can do to the mind of a sane person Mike decided the best way to buy his own shed was to get a ‘sensible’ job and move out of London. A new (and definitely more lucrative career!) in IT has followed working for IBM, Deutsche Telekom and BT.

Mike has taught trombone at Universities and colleges and therefore over the past 20 years lots of trombone students have had the pleasure (!!) of Mike’s view on the tromboning world, many going onto to study at conservatoires and having careers in their own right.

In keeping with the more traditional brass band biographical style it is probably correct to mention here that Mike first played with Chichester band aged 13 and with lots of others since, won some contests, a few solo prizes and played in National Finals at the Albert Hall.

Tutor - Katie Wenmouth