Do you remember Eddie Calvert – the man with the golden trumpet?

Denis Sharp does because he was a personal friend for many years of the former brass band player from Preston who became one of Britain’s most famous musicians in the 1950s and 1960s.

Memories flooding back

Memories came flooding back for Mr Sharp when he attended the recent gala concert in Ilkley of the Wharfedale Festival of Performing Arts.

He was so impressed by a 16-year-old cornetist from Bradford he and his wife decided to buy the boy an engraved trophy to keep permanently to mark the occasion.

He was so impressed by a 16-year-old cornetist from Bradford he and his wife decided to buy the boy an engraved trophy to keep permanently to mark the occasion4BR

Presentation

Mr Sharp, 85, and his wife, Elizabeth, who is secretary of the Festival, live ain Menston. They planned to present the cup as a surprise to the boy, Mark Crisp, when he played with Clifton and Lightcliffe Band in a concert at Clifton, near Brighouse, last Saturday evening.

Friendship

"I first met Eddie Calvert when he was playing his trumpet at Blackpool Tower", Mr Sharp told 4BR. "A long-standing friendship followed until I lost contact when I had to work in Hong Kong for a while.

"He was known as the man with the golden trumpet and his most famous piece was 'Oh Mein Papa'. Listening to Mark playing at the Wharfedale Gala Concert cast my mind back to the quality of Eddie Calvert’s performances.

Great talent

"In view of the excellence of Mark’s playing, my wife and I decided to present him with a special trophy in recognition of his outstanding playing. He is clearly a boy with great talent."

Yorkshire Youth

Mark and his younger brother, Alex, 12, both attend Hanson School, Bradford. They are members of the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band.

Mark is also a member of the National Youth Brass Band and Alex, who plays the tenor horn, has recently been accepted by the National Children’s Brass Band.