Rosemary Mann
Born in Grays, Rosemary’s first musical venture was receiving piano lessons. She joined Grays Temperance Silver Prize Band in 1957 and was taught cornet by Ernie Merrick. She moved from cornet to tenor trombone and continued to play that instrument for a while when she joined The Tilbury Band in January 1967. In the mid 1970s, now a qualified teacher, Rosemary was instrumental in establishing a training band which developed through the coming years into a tiered training band with a ‘raw beginners’ group and ‘advanced learners’ ensemble and everything in between. In 1998, Rosemary left The Tilbury Band to help set-up Thurrock Spectrum Bass where she had remained ever since. In 2015 Rosemary took the decision to ‘step down’ as Musical Director of the TSB Main Band and now plays Tenor Horn in the Band, where her husband John also plays B-Flat Bass.
Gregory White
Greg started playing a brass instrument whilst a student at Gable Hall School, Corringham, having ‘discovered’ an unusual looking tatty box in the back of a stock cupboard. Following a school holiday, cleaning-up and polishing his find, Greg started receiving Baritone lessons with Bob Bearman. After a year of hard work, Greg transferred onto Tenor Trombone and has never looked back.
Following his studies at Palmer’s Sixth Form College, Greg went on to study Music at the Colchester Institute Centre for Music and Performing Arts. During his studies, Greg became interested in conducting and, following some basic practice with Grays Town Band, joined the conducting class, studying under Christopher Phelps (himself a student of Herbert Von Karajan). Greg conducted both the Brass Band and Symphonic Wind Orchestra whilst at Colchester, working for two years as Student Leader of the Symphonic Wind Orchestra, as well as studying Trombone with Helen Vollam and Piano with Francis Reneau.
Leaving college, Greg undertook teacher training at the Institute of Education, University of London. Greg kept his “hand-in” working as a freelance teacher for Thurrock Music Services, conducting & organising their own Concert Band and Brass Ensembles for just under a year.
Greg still plays and occupies the seat of Solo Trombone and Bandmaster (assistant MD) with The Tilbury Band and now works as Director of Music at the Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School, where he is actively involved in leading the music education of young people. He is also Bandmaster of the Essex Yeomanry Band.