Captain Andrew Porter takes the baton at Friary

Captain Andrew Porter

Friary Brass Band is pleased to announce Captain Andrew Porter as its new Musical Director. A euphonium player who enlisted in the British Army in 2003, Captain Porter graduated from Kneller Hall in 2011, earning awards for academic excellence and conducting. He has since served as Bandmaster of the Band of the Irish Guards and Director of Music for British Army Band Tidworth. Now Director of Music to the Grenadier Guards, he has led performances for state visits by Presidents Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelensky, among others. Career highlights include designing and delivering large-scale performances for the FA Cup Final and the British Grand Prix. This year is a Grenadier Guards Trooping the Colour at the King's Birthday Parade and Andrew has been pivotal in the selection of music, including arranging a piece himself.

''I am thrilled to be taking on the baton with Friary,” he said. “From our very first conversations, it has felt like a perfect match. There is a shared vision and ambition that makes this an incredibly exciting opportunity.”

Looking ahead, he is eager to begin work with the band as they prepare for the next chapter. “I’m very much looking forward to working closely with the band as we build towards competing at major contests and achieving our full potential together.” Friary Chairman David Wicks added: ‘We were impressed with the level of interest we received for the role, and after a detailed interview and audition process which involved all Friary players, we considered that Andrew was the best candidate overall. He particularly impressed us with the programmes he devised, and his military music credentials speak for themselves. We are looking forward with great excitement to working with Andrew after the Regionals contest in this new chapter in Friary’s history.

''I am thrilled to be taking on the baton with Friary. From our very first conversations, it has felt like a perfect match. There is a shared vision and ambition that makes this an incredibly exciting opportunity.”