Team Horn
Emily Evans
Emily began playing the Cornet at the age of three before switching to the Tenor Horn at the age of seven. She played in her family band in Cornwall, the Lanner and District Silver Band, before moving to Cardiff to study at the Royal Welsh College of Music to be taught by Owen Farr. Emily was a member of both the National Children’s Brass Band and the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, becoming Principal Tenor Horn in both of the bands. Whilst at RWCMD, Emily won the Harry Mortimer Award at the British Open Championships and also the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble competition and the McGrenery Chamber Prize as a part of a quartet.
Since graduating from college, Emily has travelled with the Orchestra Revolutionnaire to London, New York and Paris to play a saxhorn as a part of their Berlioz tour. Emily joined the Flowers Band in 2017, after being with the Tongwynlais Temperance Band in Cardiff for three years. With the Flowers Band Emily has performed at all of the Major U.K. Contests and won several awards during this time. These include the Best Horn at BiC 2018, Best Instrumentalist at Butlin’s 2020, and Best Soloist at Brass in Concert 2023, becoming only the second tenor horn player to achieve this in the history of the contest.
Emily is an experienced Horn Tutor, having tutored on the North American Brass Band Summer School for several years, and tutoring on the National Youth Bands of Wales, Switzerland, and Great Britain.
Stephanie Binns
Steph’s love of brass began in her native Cornwall at the age of 8, when she started playing the cornet with the Mount Charles Youth Band. She quickly progressed through to the Principal Cornet chair of the youth band, whilst also playing in St Austell Town Band and the senior Mount Charles Band.
When aged 11, Stephanie successfully auditioned for the Cornwall Youth Brass Band (CYBB), where she remained for a further ten years; four as Principal Cornet for the band and subsequently as a tutor for the Cornet section. Steph returned to the band in 2019 to be guest soloist for their Christmas course.
In 2011 Steph joined Tongwynlais Temperance Band, before, in November 2011, joining the Cory Band where she enjoyed seven years as their Repiano Cornet and Flugelhorn player. Some of Steph’s notable highlights during this time were winning the ‘Grand Slam’ in 2016 and Australian and American tours in 2013 and 2015. This period of Steph’s musical journey coincided with her studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), where she gained a BMus (Hons) Degree. She achieved notable successes during her time at RWCMD, winning the Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble prize two years in a row, becoming a finalist for the Linda Mowat Brass Award and winning the Harry Mortimer Award for RWCMD’s Outstanding Brass Musician, which was presented at the British Open.
May 2018 saw Steph move to Greater Manchester, to live with her partner and she joined the Fairey Band as Principal Cornet. Highly regarded by her fellow band members she was awarded ‘Player of the Year’. In March 2020 she joined Grimethorpe Colliery Band on Repiano cornet, enjoying some innovative lockdown performances with the band. During 2020 and against the backdrop of the pandemic Steph accepted Prof. Nick Childs’ invitation to join Black Dyke and is thoroughly looking forward to her future within the band.
In 2026, Steph joined the the 2024 National Champions, Flowers and and immediately won the European Brass Band Championships!