Claire began playing cornet at the age of 9 when she became involved with her local brass band Fauldhouse Miners Youth, and also the West Lothian Schools Brass Band conducted by Nigel Boddice.  Following the departure of the bands regular soprano cornet player Claire found herself in the soprano chair.  This move was not as a result of any particular ambition on Claire’s part to be a Soprano Cornet player, but largely due to the reluctance of anyone else to take up the chair!  The soprano cornet was hung up for a few years while studying trumpet at Napier University in Edinburgh with Peter Franks where she gained an A.L.C.M Diploma.  Claire then moved to Colchester studying for her BSc Hons with George Reynolds where with three fellow brass students, in the shape of a brass quartet, won the Ivor James Brass prize awarded by Philip Jones.  At this time Claire played soprano cornet with Hatfields of Colchester.

Claire took a break from her playing while completing her postgraduate studies in Newcastle, but following a move to Kent returned to banding joining the Crystal Palace Brass Band again on soprano cornet.

She has played trumpet for the Colchester Chamber Orchestra, Hadleigh Choral society and numerous other groups around the Kent and Essex area and played soprano cornet for the KM Medway band in the southern counties.

A move north from Kent to Sheffield has brought many new banding opportunities and Claire has recently played with Stocksbridge and Yorkshire Imps.  Having joined CMFCB in November 2006 she is looking forward to the numerous contests and concerts that the band has planned.Claire began playing cornet at the age of 9 when she became involved with her local brass band Fauldhouse Miners Youth, and also the West Lothian Schools Brass Band conducted by Nigel Boddice.  Following the departure of the bands regular soprano cornet player Claire found herself in the soprano chair.  This move was not as a result of any particular ambition on Claire’s part to be a Soprano Cornet player, but largely due to the reluctance of anyone else to take up the chair!  

The soprano cornet was hung up for a few years while studying trumpet at Napier University in Edinburgh with Peter Franks where she gained an A.L.C.M Diploma.  Claire then moved to Colchester studying for her BSc Hons with George Reynolds where with three fellow brass students, in the shape of a brass quartet, won the Ivor James Brass prize awarded by Philip Jones.  At this time Claire played soprano cornet with Hatfields of Colchester.

Claire took a break from her playing while completing her postgraduate studies in Newcastle, but following a move to Kent returned to banding joining the Crystal Palace Brass Band again on soprano cornet.

She has played trumpet for the Colchester Chamber Orchestra, Hadleigh Choral society and numerous other groups around the Kent and Essex area and played soprano cornet for the KM Medway band in the southern counties.

A move north from Kent to Sheffield has brought many new banding opportunities and Claire has recently played with Stocksbridge and Yorkshire Imps.  Having joined CMFCB in November 2006 she is looking forward to the numerous contests and concerts that the band has planned.