A brand new award will be presented at the Royal Albert Hall Championship Section National Final this weekend in memory of one the greatest cornet players in the history of the brass band movement.

James Shepherd

The James Shepherd Memorial Award, in the form of the echo cornet he played on, has been donated by his daughter, Claire Chalk, and bears the name of the legendary former Black Dyke principal cornet on its base. It will be presented to the principal cornet of the winning band.

It is fitting that the award will be made at the Royal Albert National Final, the venue that saw him lead Black Dyke to the 1972 'Double' on Eric Ball's 'Kensington Concerto' — a work that opens with its famous cornet solo.

The former hat-trick winning Champion Soloist of Great Britain he was principal cornet of Black Dyke for 10 years, a period that saw the band not only become National Champion but also British Open winners and World Champion.

High Peak

His renowned solo playing saw him gains accolades and fans across the world — his famous image found on the cover of the 'High Peak' LP album. He later set up the famous James Shepherd Versatile Brass ensemble which gained further legendary status, but was also an inspirational teacher.

He died in June 2023, aged 86, with The Daily Telegraph newspaper describing him as: 'The outstanding cornet player of his generation.'