Nigel Simmons - Bb Bass

About Nigel: Nigel was born and bred in East Sussex, England. Having started piano lessons at the age of 9, he then took up the Tuba at the age of 13 with the Hastings Youth Band. It obviously agreed with him! He was promoted into the senior band, Sussex Brass within 4 months. Almost immediately, he started composing and arranging for band, a pastime which he has continued to the present day. He spent three years at the Royal College of Music, from 1974 – 1977, and then returned to the south east, as a freelance semi-pro Tuba player, as well as returning to Sussex Brass , this time in the capacity of Musical Director. Other spells as Musical Director followed, taking Handcross Brass to the Championship Section, and Uckfield Concert Brass to the First Section. In addition to his brass band activities, and his freelance tuba playing, he is also well known throughout the south east as a jazz tuba player (a rarity nowadays). He produces arrangements for Harvey’s Brass, a ten piece ensemble based on the same instrumentation as the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, run by Peter Harvey of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sussex Trombone Ensemble, also directed by Peter Harvey, which utilises between 8 and 15 trombones. He now lives in High Wycombe, and plays with the Friary Guildford Brass Band, but still continues to play with LGB Brass (Lewes, Glynde & Beddingham), and Ipswich Co-op Band, often standing in as Musical Director, when required. He is arranger-in-residence for the Sussex Symphony Orchestra, as well as producing music for all sorts of differing ensembles, including brass quintets and Tuba sextets. Well known for being able to produce arrangements at the drop of a hat, his fastest achievement was producing a complete arrangement, in less than one hour, of “The Star Spangled Banner” for a German Symphonic Wind Band who had mislaid their copy!!! Although music is a hobby, it is a way of life to him, and the advent of music writing programs has finally meant there is more room in the house, without manuscripts all over the place!