Devon Youth Chamber Brass
2025-26 GATHERING DAY DATES – CLICK HERE!
Devon Youth Chamber Brass, founded in 2020, is an initiative devised by trumpet player, brass educator and composer Sam Massey designed to compliment the wide range of ensemble opportunities on offer for brass players within the county of Devon.
The aim is to offer innovative and exciting chamber brass ensemble opportunities to intermediate-advanced young brass players throughout Devon.
We meet approximately once a month for nine gathering days a year, working with specialist guest conductors as well as regular tutors Sam Massey (upper brass), Kathy Banks (percussion) and Matthew Hawkins (lower brass).
As a guide, the students need to be fairly competent sheet music readers and have a reasonable degree of proficiency on their brass instrument to get the most out of our activities – as a guide, we would recommend our students should be working at approximately ABRSM/Trinity Grade 4 or above.
All brass instrumentalists are more than welcome to participate, whether treble or bass clef reading.
What is a chamber brass ensemble?
A chamber brass ensemble is a relatively small group of brass instruments that play a diverse range of repertoire, but above all enjoy the excitement of the common bond between a small ensemble with a common goal.
This could be a brass septet, or dectet, or even just a quartet or quintet – there are many possibilities and configurations!
Here is a example to Mnozil Brass, one of the finest examples of a chamber brass ensemble on the international stage, performing ‘Goldfinger’ (all credits and copyright as stated in YouTube description)
Live Performance Opportunities & Collaborations
As well as our monthly gathering days, we like to perform live around the county and collaborate with other ensembles too.
Here are some pictures of our live performances:
Guest Tutors
Throughout the year, we like to work with a number of guest tutors working at the top of the brass performance and education fields.
In the last few years, we have worked with:
Remote Recording Opportunities 2021
In light of the challenges faced by the global pandemic, we began our 2020 provision by launching a number of online opportunities.
Our first, to be formally announced in January 2021, is the opportunity to perform a newly-commissioned work alongside some of the country’s finest brass players, learning ensemble techniques and honing your ensemble skills safely from the comfort of your home or school.
Please see this page for more information: Remote Recording Project 2021
Online Brass Skills Workshops
In September 2020, we launched a series of online brass skills workshops for aspiring young brass players.
On September 29th 2020, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dean Wright (professor of trumpet at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama) to deliver an excellent workshop focussed around breathing and exercises. Here is a link to the information pack if you couldn’t make the session:
Please visit and subscribe to his YouTube channel for some great tips on warming up as well as exercises and play-along duets, great resources for the aspiring musician in lockdown:
Stay tuned for an announcement of our next online workshop!
Devon Youth Chamber Brass 