Vince Taber
Born into a Salvation Army family in Ipswich, Suffolk, Vincet started to learn the cornet at the age of 7. At 15, he was accepted as a student at the junior department of the Guildhall School of Music, London, and later studied trumpet and performance at the Birmingham School of Music. As a postgraduate he studied at the ‘National Centre for Orchestral Studies’, affiliated to Goldsmiths College, and performed under many professional conductors. He took up a freelance trumpet career which took him to many parts of Europe, including Tenerife with the Symphony Orchestra of Tenerife where he played 3 tours of Spain and undertook various recording projects.
In 1992, Vince moved into music education, joining the London Borough of Havering Music School as a peripatetic teacher of brass instruments. After 6 years of ‘learning the trade’, this appointment was followed by a move in 1998 to London Borough of Barking & Dagenham as Head of Brass where he gained his Post Graduate Certificate of Education.
In 2002 Vince moved back to Suffolk as Senior Brass Tutor with Suffolk County Music Service, where he also became musical director of Suffolk Youth Wind Band in 2005, with whom he completed 5 successful tours of Europe as well as piloting the new whole class ‘Wider Opportunities’ as well as piloting the new whole class ‘Wider Opportunities’ (now ‘Whole Class Ensemble Tuition’) brass programmes for Key Stage 2 pupils throughout Suffolk.
In September 2018, Vince became co-conductor of the Suffolk Youth Orchestra and conducted a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 at the Snape Proms in August 2019, following a successful summer tour of Italy. His final concert with the orchestra in August 2021 at Framlingham Castle..
Vince keeps up his piano playing skills with regular accompanying of his own pupils, exam candidates and ensembles. He still enjoys performing on the trumpet throughout Suffolk and the wider area, both classically, and on the lighter side. For the last couple of years, he has conducted the Suffolk Concert Band, including through socially distanced rehearsals during the pandemic and more recently for some long awaited concerts. He is now enjoying taking St Peter’s Band from strength to strength and already conducted successful concerts and outdoor engagements with the Band.