Kevin Donaldson, Soprano Cornet
Kevin Donaldson started his playing career at the age of 5 playing soprano for his local church brass band in Salford.
At the age of 8 he joined the infamous Windsor band of Salford and played there for four years then moved to Besses’ Boys Band.
Kevin aged 13 then joined the Swinton Band and a year later saw him meet for the first time Professor David King.
Kevin stayed with the Swinton Band throughout Professor King’s tenure where under his eaching and guidance emerged
as one of an exciting group of young players to enter the brass band scene.
Kevin then joined the Williams Fairey Band under Major Peter Parkes and enjoyed success at contest and concert level, including tours to Germany, Belgium and Holland. After 2 years Kevin had to reluctantly vacate his position with the band due to work and family commitments. After a short break Kevin joined the Besses o' th' Barn Band and enjoyed some spectacular festival concerts under the baton of Paul Hindmarsh.
After 2 years with “Besses” Kevin had a phone call from the great Brian Evans telling him of an opportunity to join one of his old bands, the infamous Hammonds Sauce Works Band, because great things were about to happen there. So Kevin went to rehearsal and became the first soprano cornet player of the Yorkshire Building Society Band, a position he held for four and a half years, enjoying numerous CD Recordings, prestigious concerts and some electrifying contest performances and successes.
Kevin started his own signmaking business and again decided to take time out of banding. Although busy with his business though Kevin couldn't resist the temptation of the brass band and when the Fairey Band and their new conductor Mr. James Gourlay called he rejoined the Fairey Band and returned to top flight banding once again, culminating in a sparkling winning performance of Philip Wilby’s Jazz at the All England Masters.
After a break from top flight banding Kevin has helped out bands such as Leyland, Brighouse and Rastrick, Wingates, Besses, Carlton Main, Stocksbridge, Ever Ready, Sellars Engineering and Llanrrug but has never committed to top flight banding for the last six years due to his family and business commitments.
After 33 years and with numerous CD recordings and guest appearances with all the top bands in Britain and you would think he would have had enough brass bands for a lifetime. Yet again though Kevin agreed to come out of his early retirement and again play for YBS band under his mentor and friend of 25 years Professor King. Sadly the distances travelling from Filey to the new bandroom in Slaithwaite became a problem and after 7 months Kevin felt he could no longer give the commitment that was required for the YBS band and decided to relinquish his position with the band.
Kevin went on to join the Stocksbridge band and helped them to win the area and senior trophy a time he immensley enjoyed under the baton of Dave Nesbit, however the challenge of top flight banding and playing at the highest level on the concert and contest fronts has become too hard to resist. After leaving the Stocksbridge band and getting a call from YBS MD Morgan Griffiths he could not resist the challenge of a third spell at YBS. Kevin feels that this is the only place he really feels at home in a band being one of the founder members of the YBS band, and hopes to help the band in their quest for quality music making of the highest standards, and to keep the name of YBS at the forefront of the brass band movement.