HORNS

Solo Horn

Karen Squire

Karen has been playing since she was 8 years old when she learnt the cornet at primary school. After playing with the orchestra at Okehampton College she joined HSB in 1989. Most seats in the Cornet Section have been occupied by Karen but she has now settled on Solo Horn. Life is very busy as a Farmer and Financial Adminstrator for a local garage. Other hobbies include bellringing, quizzing and helping the local Scout group.

1st Horn

Val Isaac

l started playing at the age of eight years old on cornet with Okehampton Excelsior Silver Band, moving to tenor horn where she played in the solo seat for many years. After being married to Mike Isaac (Eb bass, Hatherleigh) for 24 years, she finally decided to join him in Hatherleigh playing 2nd Tenor Horn. Val is now enjoying a new challenge playing 1st Tenor Horn.

Val's other hobbies are tennis, walking on Dartmoor and reading.

2nd Horn

Janet Hopkins

Flugel Horn

Emma Heard

In 1986 Emma joined Crystal Palace Brass Band in South London, moving from cornet to flugelhorn. She later studied piano and trumpet at the Royal College of Music. After moving to the West Country, Emma joined RBL Crown hill Band (Sound house Brass) in Plymouth with her husband Ian in 2000. She won best player award (second section) at Bugle in 2006, and the best soloist award twice at Exmouth Entertainment contest in 2006 and 2010. She also gained a BA(Hons) degree in Band Studies under the tutelage of Richard Evans, Darrol Barry and Arthur Butterworth. With Soundhouse Brass, Emma took over as conductor of the junior band, and entered many contests, winning their section at the SWEBBA Autumn Contest in Torquay in 2011. Being a primary school teacher and brass tutor, Emma also had a school brass band which had five consecutive wins in their section at the Saltash Music Festival. After a sabbatical of nine years, Emma has returned to playing flugel at HSB, and has also taken over as MD of the training band. Out of many enjoyable performances with HSB, her most memorable occasions so far, have been playing in Reading Town Hall as part of the British Bandsmen Concert Series in 2024 and playing in many concerts and Bandamonium festivals.