Forget Harrison . . it's Indiana Johns and his temple of tunes

Published on Tuesday 24 October 2006 11:37

HE is more used to performing on the soundtracks to blockbuster movies such as Superman, Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

But now one of the world's finest French horn players has returned to his brass band roots to take up a post with the Penicuik Silver Band.

Veteran musician and composer Terry Johns has accepted the position of musical director and conductor for the Midlothian band.

Today, the 62-year-old, who began his career with a Welsh colliery band, told why he was happy to give up travelling the world with orchestras to return to his first love.

Mr Johns, who now lives in Liberton with his Edinburgh-born wife, Karin, said: "I'm very pleased about it and they seem very pleased about it, too. I've been there six weeks and it's great."

He added that, as he will only be working part-time with the band, he would continue to play the French horn.

"A lot of brass players go into conducting and bands when they get older," Mr Johns said.

"I'm a bit tired of all the international travel involved in working with bigger orchestras, and it's great to just jump in the car and do a concert in a local town hall."

Mr Johns, whose father was a miner, joined the local colliery band in his home town of Hirwaun in south Wales at the age of ten. He started out playing the cornet and later got a scholarship from his grammar school to play the French horn at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

At the age of 20 he joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, where his career blossomed and he got the chance to work with singing legends Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett and Peggy Lee.

During his time there, Mr Johns composed music for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Brass, and the incidental and theme music for TV show The Pretenders - conducting the orchestral sessions himself at EMI's Abbey Road studios.

The musician has recorded both classical and jazz albums and played on countless film soundtracks, including James Bond films Octopussy and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

He joined the London Symphony Orchestra where, as with the Royal Philharmonic, he composed and arranged music for the London Symphony Orchestra Brass, and arranged the final hymn for actor Richard Burton's memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in 1984.

The Welshman added that he was also looking forward to passing on the benefit of his experience to the younger players of the Penicuik band. The junior band has players as young as five, who will be able to benefit from his vast experience. "They have huge enthusiasm," Mr Johns said.

Penicuik Silver Band, which describes itself as "an ambitious fourth section Scottish band", rehearses in Penicuik High School twice a week.

It has also recently enlisted the services of Tony Laidlaw as bandmaster, who originally joined the band in 1972.

Mr Laidlaw, who plays soprano cornet, has just taken up an appointment as one of Her Majesty's State Trumpeters in Scotland.

Ian Forrest, secretary of the Penicuik band, welcomed both new members and said Mr Johns' appointment was the most prestigious in the band's recent history.

He said: "We are delighted to have someone with his background and experience. It's a step change for us to have someone of his calibre. We have the Scottish Challenge Cup coming up in November so we have high hopes for that. He is the most high-profile conductor we have had in living memory."