The Reg Vardy Band has announced a number of personnel changes ahead of their appearance at the British Open at Symphony Hall on the weekend.

Break

Tina Mortimer has relinquished her role as Principal Cornet due to the pending arrival of her first child later this year. Tina has taken the repiano chair and will perform at Birmingham and the forthcoming Doctor Martin contest before taking a break from banding.

A Band spokesperson told 4BR: "Tina has served Reg Vardy with distinction as Principal Cornet for the last three years both on the contest and concert platform. We wish her the very best and hope to see her return in the near future."

New top man

As a result of the move, Michael Lumsdon has been appointed as Principal Cornet.

Michael is a former Assistant Principal Cornet player who rejoined Reg Vardy last year on solo cornet just before the band claimed the Grand Shield title.

Michael told 4BR: "Having first joined the then Ever Ready Band as a 14 year old when Jim Shepherd was Principal Cornet, to come back and be offered the same seat is a dream come true and a fantastic opportunity."

Tina has served Reg Vardy with distinction as Principal Cornet for the last three years both on the contest and concert platform. We wish her the very best and hope to see her return in the near futureReg Vardy

New trom

The band also welcomes Kevin Chisholm as their new Principal Trombone.

Kevin is a highly respected player in the North East and returns following a break to concentrate on his young family.

Kevin added: "I’m pleased to be playing again and really enjoying being part of Reg Vardy. It’s a tremendous band and there’s a real buzz about the place. They’ve made me feel very welcome and I’m looking forward to the exciting challenges ahead."

Horn addition

To complete the trio of changes, David Hall has joined the horn section from the Westoe Band.

The Reg Vardy spokesperson added: "David has deputised with the band over the past year and is an extremely talented player who has impressed us greatly. We wish Mike, Kevin and David all the very best in their new positions with us."