The Hammonds Band has entered the new contesting year with a brace of exciting signings.

Toby Brazier has joined the Huddersfield based band on the solo cornet bench with Helene Missioux coming in on second euphonium.

Jazz man

Toby joins after relocating to Thornton near Bradford and having just completed a Masters degree in Jazz performance at London's Guildhall School of Music.

He also served five years in the Royal Artillery Band and is no stranger to Yorkshire banding, having helped Wakefield Metropolitan win the First Section title back in 2009.

Bienvenue

Meanwhile, Hammonds welcome Helene, who is currently studying with Steven Mead for a Masters degree at the RNCM in Manchester.

She hails from the village of Villebret in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region of France, and having completed her undergraduate degree at Strasbourg Academie Superieure de Musique, Helene gained first hand experiences of brass bands playing for Brass Band du Grand Est and then the Strasbourg Brass Band.

We'd like to welcome Toby and Helene. We are thrilled to have two top quality players with such fine pedigree join the team for what promises to be an exciting yearHammonds Band

Top quality

A Hammonds spokesperson told 4BR: "We'd like to welcome Toby and Helene. We are thrilled to have two top quality players with such fine pedigree join the team for what promises to be an exciting year.

They've already slotted straight in as if they had been here for years."