Keith hits his 50th brass anniversary

8:39am Friday 10th February 2006

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WITH the blood of several generations of brass band musicians flowing through his veins, it's no wonder that Keith Green has clocked up 50 years playing with South West Trains Woodfalls Band.

Keith joined the then Woodfalls Band at the tender age of seven and has remained with the champion brass outfit ever since, becoming its longest continuously-serving member.

Brass band music is well and truly in Keith's blood. His father, Jack, was a veteran member of the band, which one of his ancestors actually helped to form in 1874, while several of his relatives have also joined it as musicians over the years.

Keith, who will be 57 in June and lives in the Old Granary, Downton, began his playing career on the soprano cornet. He later switched to the B-flat cornet and went on to complete 25 years as a cornet player.

He then took up the horn, followed by the baritone, becoming principal baritone player in the band for several years.

Latterly, he moved on to the "big boys" the B-flat and the E-flat bass, his current instrument.

Keith, who works as an engineer at Downton-based Mikina engineering, on the Batten Road industrial estate, will be keeping his fingers crossed that his 50th anniversary year will also be the one in which the Woodfalls Band clinches its highest place in the national championships, at the Royal Albert Hall, in October.

During his playing career, Keith has seen the band climb to ninth in the national rankings and 26th in the world.

It has also been crowned West of England champion, in 1967, 1998 and 2002, and come fourth in the All England Masters in 2004 and third in the Scottish Open last year.

In March, Keith will be with the band in Torquay, when it attempts to qualify for this year's national championships.

He said: "It would be nice if we could finish in the top six.

"That'll do for me."