Name:
James Chamberlain

Band Position:
Flugel

Playing Resume:
Jim Chamberlain was born and bred in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. He began playing trumpet in 1986 under the tuition of Rita James. Eventually Jim went on to study music at the University of Huddersfield, receiving tuition from Richard Martin (Northern Sinfonia), Chris Bacon and Murray Greig (Opera North) as well as gaining invaluable experience from Phillip McCann. Jim has played for Sharlston Colliery, Jayness (Queensbury), Wallace Arnold (Rothwell), Harlequin Brass (10-piece) and he has helped out many of the UK's leading bands. Jim joined Whitburn on 2nd Cornet when he moved to Scotland in 2000 to pursue his career as a music teacher. He moved on to Flugel a year later and soon became a leading exponent of the instrument, featuring as a Soloist on Listen to the Band, at the Brass in Concert Championships and on Whitburn's CD 'Reflections of Freedom'. Jim has won several prizes for his efforts including 'Best Horn/Flugel' at the 2004 Scottish Solo Championships, 'Best Soloist' award at the 2004 Carnegie Contest and 'Best Instrumentalist' at the Land o' Burns contest in 2007. He was also awarded Best Soloist at the Scottish Open last year.

Jim also teaches and conducts with the Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust (SScOT) and is the conductor of the Dalkeith & Monktonhall Brass Band, who he led to victory in the Scottish Third Section in March. Previously, he was the conductor of the Lochgelly Band, taking them to the National Finals in Harrogate after he led them to second place in the Scottish regional championships, 2005. Jim recently performed alongside Scotland's finest traditional musicians in the 'Celtic Connections' festival for Wendy Weatherby's musical adaptation of the Lewis Grassic Gibbon trilogy, 'A Scots Quair'.