Year Joined: 1991

Positions Held: Principal Cornet / Assistant Principal Cornet, Repiano, Solo Horn, Solo Eb Bass, Solo Bb Bass, Bass Drummer on Marches

Started playing cornet at the age of 12 in the neighbouring village with Seaham Town Band and moved on to Soprano Cornet after a year, a position he held for 4 years until the Tuba beckoned and he realised he was never going to make it as a Sop player.

Johnathan left Seaham to join Easington on Solo Eb Bass aged 19, he also played Bb Bass for 1 contest in the 1st section....which we won.

After several years, Jonathan started on Tenor Horn when the Solo Horn seat became vacant, an instrument he has excelled on.</p><p>Johnathan had to leave Easington for a couple of years in 1999 when he moved to Scotland with work, where he joined the Whitburn Band back on Eb Bass.

On moving back south, he rejoined the band on Solo Horn once again and it wasn't until a few years later that he took the decision to move on to Cornet as 2nd man to the legendary Dennis Todd. When Dennis left for health reasons, Jonathan took on the Principal chair for a year until our current principal cornet player (Danial Robson), joined.

Johnathan is now back on his treasured Solo Horn chair but still misses the cornet. He often switches back to cornet at Christmas time for the many carol playing engagements we have. He has also occasionally played Bb Bass but more regularly the bass drum for Durham Miners Gala and the Remembrance Day parades.

Johnathan Collins

Solo Horn