Yokshire Area Champions 2006 4th Section__________Tameside Open Champions 2006 4th Section__________National Champions 2006 4th Section__________Yorkshire Area Champions 2007 3rd Section__________Tameside Open Champions 2007 3rd Section

 

Eliot J. Darwin

Eliot was born in the village of Stannington in Sheffield in 1982 starting to play the cornet at the age of 10 soon joining his local brass band - Stannington. Within a year or so of playing, he had already won his first competition with many other successes soon followed. He attained his grade 8 on cornet at the age of just 14. Continuing with his educational learning he studied Music, Business, Information Technology and Economics ‘A' level at High Storrs School in Sheffield after which accepting a place to study for a BMus degree at the University Of Huddersfield under the watchful eye of his Cornet tutor the famous Phillip McCann.

Eliot was a founder member of the Raging Horns – a funk/jazz band he formed while at secondary school. He has also been a member of Soul Stone Funk Project, was a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain often appearing in the Harry Mortimer solo final and conducting sectional sessions, and the City Of Sheffield Youth Orchestra where he played principal trumpet.

Not only is he a talented cornet player he also plays piano. Eliot has performed extensively in many countries, with many bands and in many concert halls, Spain, Switzerland, France, Austria, Belgium and closer to home the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham's Symphony Hall, Sage centre Gateshead and Manchester's Bridgewater Hall – to name but a few! As well as numerous television and radio broadcasts and cd recordings.

Recent highlights for him were leading Dodworth Colliery Band to become Yorkshire Area Champions and gain a place in the National finals. Eliot's conducting career has flurrished during his time with Dodworth, the results speaking for themselves. Eliot is still playing having led Sellers Engineering Band, Ransome and Old Silkstone bands on principal cornet whilst guesting with many of the countries other elites whilst often working with local community groups, orchestras.Eliot is in great demand as a conductor, player and brass tutor all over the world.

Eliot enjoys performing as part of a group but especially enjoys his solo work. He says his biggest highlight of all playing/performing is teaching, what he calls the “people of tomorrow”. His next ambition being to launch a youth scheme to ensure continued success for Dodworth well into the future.

In 2006 conducting Dodworth he has taken the titles: Yorkshire Area Champions, Lancashire's Tameside Open Champions, and National Champions of Great Britain and also achived a second place at The Pontins Championships.

Eliot was also nominated for Conductor of the Year Award 2006 which was run by the foremost Brass Band web based magazine 4barsrest.com, where he was voted into third place.

Together Eliot and Dodworth also rounded off the year of 2006 by performing at the recording of The BBC Radio Sheffield Christmas Carol Service which was broadcast on Christmas Eve and Day, recieving very favourable comments for the performance.

The year of 2007 saw Eliot leading Dodworth to take the Yorkshire Championship title for the second year running this time in the 3rd section securing promotion to the 2nd section in 2008 and also enabling Dodworth to compete once again at the National Championships in September - returning with Dodworth for the second year in succsesion he and the Band are currently working hard on the test piece in a bid to add another National title to the one they won in 2006.