Further signings at Friary

With eyes on a return to the National Finals next year, Friary has further strengthened its ranks with the signing of Alice Godfrey on repiano cornet and Tom Steer on solo Eb bass.  The couple married this June.

Originally from Norwich, Alice is a trumpet graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music.  She has played with some of the country’s top bands including Grimethorpe and Brighouse & Rastrick and performed the Arutunian trumpet concerto with the Mozart Orchestra.  A member of Fulham Brass Band for nine years including seven years as principal cornet, Alice helped the band secure promotion to the Championship in 2019 and won the Derek Stillwell Best Cornet award as part of the band’s winning performance at the 1st Section Areas in 2026. 

Alice is passionate about diversifying brass band repertoire by featuring more music by underrepresented composers, particularly women, and by day is Senior Gallery Events Manager at the National Gallery in London.

“Having performed with the band at the Grand Shield in May and seen the progress made under the new MD, I’m delighted to be joining full time,’ enthused Alice.  “It’s great being pushed by the standard and repertoire while also being warmly welcomed by the band, and I am looking to forward to helping the band succeed, especially at the London and Southern Counties area contest which I have been competing in since I was 15!”  she added.

Growing up in southeast London, Tom was a long-time member and short-time principal Eb bass of the National Youth Brass Band.  He attended Junior Guildhall and then remained at Guildhall to complete his BMus under Patrick Harrild, before, as Tom put it, “retiring from the tuba to pursue a career with better prospects for me.”  Tom was also a member of Fulham Brass Band, for seven years which included a long stint as Band Co-Manager.  Tom is a programme manager in the Civil Service and achieved his MBA in 2026.

“I’m delighted to be joining Friary after first helping the band at Whit Friday aged 17,” said Tom. “ I’m looking forward to leading the bass section and being reunited with old friends.  Most of all, I’m privileged to be joining a band with my incredible wife Alice,” he concluded.

Friary Chair Andy Singleton commented: “Having known both Alice and Tom for a while, we are immensely privileged to welcome two such talented players to Friary and look forward to the contribution they will undoubtedly make to the band.”  

His comments were echoed by Friary MD Captain Andrew Porter: “I am delighted to welcome Tom and Alice into Friary Brass Band.  They are both top quality musicians and are brilliant people to have around the band room.  It has been amazing having them both in rehearsal through the summer and I look forward to working with them toward our future performances.”