Bill Hughes' Homepage




"Nothing evokes memory like music"
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Biography
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Trivia!
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DaSkipper Kennels Regd.
The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines
Burlington Teen Tour Band

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July 27th, 2003



Bill's Musical Biography


Born in Holywood, Northern Ireland, Bill started playing flute in local bands and was soon performing in open competition. Bill was Principal Flute & Piccolo with the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines for nine years, during which time he performed Solos for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and other Heads of State at many State Banquets and Official functions.

Freelance flute throughout Britain and Europe, Bill performed with many of the top London Orchestras as well as recordings for Television, Radio and Record. His list of accomplishments read like a Who's Who of music:

Flute Player of the year - 1972

Solo Performances - Switzerland, Germany, United States, Denmark, Netherlands, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brazil.

Featured Guest:

Bill has been Guest Soloist and featured artist with Concert Bands and Orchestras in Canada where he gives a dazzling virtuoso display and entertaining performance of flute showpieces.

Musical Director:

After settling in Canada, Bill was honoured to be asked to continue a long tradition of musical excellence and became Captain, Director of Music with the 48th Highlanders of Canada. As the Principal Director of Music for the 48th Highlanders of Canada, Bill recorded the first ever album with the Military Band & Pipes. Currently much sought after for his Solo skills Bill is also Musical Director for the Burlington Teen Tour Band in addition to which he also undertakes Guest conducting and Soloist performances across the province.

Judge & Clinician

Bill is a frequent adjuciator and has judged at the World Championships for Marching Bands (Calgary 2000, Germany 2001, Japan 2002), Rotary and Kiwanis Festivals. In addition to adjudicating Bill gives masterclasses and full band clinics.

For more information, or to engage Sir William to perform with your group as a soloist or as Musical Director - rehearsals, shows, concerts and lessons, you can contact him as follows:-

Sir William Hughes
RR# 1
Princeton
Ontario, NOJ 1VO
Canada
Tel:- (519) 458 - 4518

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HONOURS

Honours go to cousins as we see "Sieur" Bill, Chevalier with his cousin Brigadier General Gordon Hughes C.B.E. This photo was taken when Bill recently visited England with his daughter Melodie and they had some time to spend with Cousin Gordon whom Bill had not seen since they followed different careers when cousin Gordon joined the Royal Corps of Signals in 1969 and Bill joined the Royal Marines Band in 1970.

Sir William J. Hughes C.J.
(Chevalier de la Jarretiere de Lorraine)
Bill Hughes (left) and his cousin are seen here shortly after their respective knighthood and award of the CBE.

Although their lives took different courses (both starting at the bottom as Juniors) they seem to have joined together with royal honours being bestowed upon them both. After a tour in Bosnia cousin Gordon was invested with the C.B.E. and at the same time our very own Sieur Bill was bestowed with honours as he became "Chevalier de la Jarrietiere de Lorraine". Perhaps the easiest way to describe this for those who do not have the benefit of being fluent in french is "Knight of Lorraine".


Burlington Teen Tour Band on board U.S.S. Missouri,Pearl Harbour,Hawaii.



Playing Tips


" I hope these points will help you, but they are no substitution for the guidance of a good teacher."

A short note is always preceded by a shortened note.

After a long faded ending due to a phrase, begin again at the same strength you left off.

Top lip too tight will cause a whistle in the sound.

Move tongue more slowly when tonguing between lips on low notes.

Soft is short.

Use your lips, more than your chin, for flexibility.

Keep head up to slacken jaw.

Don't cover up a problem - expose it and fix it!

Don't advertise a breath.

No change in lips past G3.

Vocalize before playing.

Use vibrato - Sparingly!

Every note has a life of it's own.

Keep head up and blow downwards ..... NEVER FORCE!

"The one who takes care, in practising of every note, will be at the end a good player."
Theobald Boehm, March 1872



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Music Links

Burlington Teen Tour Band Canada's Musical Ambassadors

Canadian Parade of Champions

Etobicoke Community Concert Band

Dickie Valentine Multi-talented Musician Extrordinaire)

World Association Marching Show Bands

Vieri Bottazzini A must see for flute enthusiasts

James Galway New Homepage

Classicweb Music Page ( Music jobs and Performer Pages)

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Trivia!

Some fun and educational Trivia for the musically inspired among us. Music is an international language yet there are still some terminology differences, especially between North America and Europe. For example: In North America we say Quarter note but in Europe it is called a Crotchet. Here are some other musical terms!

Musical Terms
North America Europe
Whole Note Semi-breve
Half Note Minim
Quarter Note Crotchet
Eighth Note Quaver
Sixteenth Note Semi-Quaver
Thirty-second Note Demi-Semi-Quaver
Sixty-fourth Note Hemi-Demi-Semi Quaver (neat one eh?)
Measure Bar

Some fun definitions:

FLUTE: A sophisticated pea-shooter with a range of up to five hundred yards and deadly accuracy in close quarters. Blown transversly to confuse the enemy, it can be dismantled into three small pieces, for easy concealment.

FRENCH HORN: A brass instrument (belonging to the woodwind section) that resembles a snail, but sometimes moves more quickly. The complicated instrument of today is a direct descendant of the early horn used by hunters. It was originally long and straight but got its present shape when trod upon by a horse. The French Horn is actually German, and is not to be confused with the English Horn........which is French.

PIANO: A cumbersome piece of furniture found in many homes, where playing it ensures the early departure of unwanted guests.

It could have all been very different if...............

In 1814, an invading army sacked the town of Roncole in Italy. Many of Roncole's women and children hid in the town's church. But the invaders broke in and spared no-one. One mother escaped the carnage with her baby by climbing to the belfry. She stayed there until the terror was passed. Generations of opera-lovers would have missed a lot if the baby had shared the fate of the others below. His name was Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901)

If you have any true or amusing musicdotes then send them to: DaSkipper@sympatico.ca


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DaSkipper Kennels Regd.

A Gentle Giant among dogs, this breed are especially gentle with children. They are life-savers and a legend in poetry, painting, stories and history. Robert Burns: in his poem "The Two Dogs" written in 1786 refers to the Newfoundland as an aristocrat among dogs.

Lord Byron loved his Newfoundland dog "Bosun" so much that he penned the following epitaph:
"Near this spot are deposited the remains of one who possessed beauty without vanity, strength without insolence, courage without ferocity and all the virtures of man without his vices. This praise which would be unmeaning flattery if inscribed over human ashes is but a just tribute to the memory of Boatswain, a dog who was born at Newfoundland, May 1803, and died at Newstead Abbey, November 18, 1808.

The following famous people all owned Newfoundlands:

Humphrey Bogart, Bing Crosby, Sir Walter Scott, Lord Nelson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Queen Victoria, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Robert Kennedy, Lord Byron and many, many more.

The Newfoundland is a dog of great beauty, dignity and benevolence of character, showing sometimes human and super-human understanding. Of all the large breeds none possesses a kindlier disposition.

Newfoundland Dog Club of America

Newfoundland Dog Club of Canada

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