Sid, the Quintet's First Trumpet, is from Newfoundland (Grand Falls) and has the personality to prove it! He played professionally in the RCMP band for 22 years. Now, in addition to the Polished Brass, he plays in the Maple Leaf Brass Band and the Stevens-Kennedy Band. Sid is an experienced piano technician and also very active in Tai Chi.
Paul, our trombonist, has been playing with Polished Brass since 1997. He took up trombone early in life, playing with a dance band in Pembroke, Ontario throughout his high school years back in the late '40s and early '50s. But 38 years of military service as a fighter pilot cut deeply into his playing time, and it was only upon his retirement from the Canadian Forces in 1989 (as Chief of the Defence Staff) that he again took up the trombone seriously. Today, in addition to the Polished Brass Quintet, he plays in a concert band and a jazz band.
(Editorial note: We must surely be the only brass quintet in the world which includes a four-star general!)
Bob, the Quintet's Second Trumpet, spent his working life as a naval officer and engineer, and only took up the trumpet seriously at about age 40. Now making up for lost time, he plays in this Quintet, a concert band, two swing bands, and substitutes in a dixie group and a symphony orchestra. Clearly Bob's wife is a woman of unusual patience!
Alan was brought up in the coal-mining, steel-making, brass-banding area around Sheffield in England. He was taught to play trumpet by his grandfather, and while in high school he led a Dixieland ("Trad") band that played in pubs on weekends and did a three-week summer tour of the south coast of Devon. At university he switched to french horn, playing in symphony orchestras and the Brian Priestley Big Band. Since leaving university, Alan hasn't changed much: he still cycles to work, earns a living as a geologist and mining engineer, and plays the horn as frequently as possible.
After studying bass trombone at Humber College, Steve joined the Central Band of the Canadian Forces and, as a military musician, played across Canada, in Europe and the U.S. He is now retired from the Air Force, but certainly not from music. In addition to "Polished Brass", he plays or has played with the Foot Guards Band, Ottawa Wind Ensemble, the Centralaires, Ottawa Firemen's Band, Cathedral Brass, Maple Leaf Brass Band, the Mark Ferguson orchestra, and leads other ensembles, including "Superband". Over his career, Steve has performed with Gladys Knight, Carol Channing and Rob McConnell.
Steve is very knowledgeable on brass instruments, and repairs trombones at Musicare. In addition to tuba, he also plays trombone, euphonium and sousaphone. The lighter side of Steve can be seen at: http://www.hollylarocque.com/profiles_steve_guerin.php
