Christopher Bond (born

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

1992) is a British composer particularly noted for his brass band compositions.

Early life and education

Christopher grew up in the town of

Camborne Camborne ( kw, Kammbronn) is a town in Cornwall, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 20,845. The northern edge of the parish includes a section of the South West Coast Path, Hell's Mouth and Deadman's Cove. Camborne was formerl ...

. There, he started his education in music, learning the piano and cornet from a young age. Christopher attended

Camborne Science and International Academy Camborne Science and International Academy (formerly Camborne Science & Community College) is an academy school and sixth form in Camborne, Cornwall, England, UK. The school teaches 1,803 11- to 18-year-olds. School When the school opened on ...

before undertaking his A-Levels at

Truro and Penwith College Truro and Penwith College is a Tertiary College and Further Education College in Cornwall, United Kingdom. History Truro College was founded in 1993 as a new college in Gloweth near Threemilestone, Truro, Cornwall, to replace the Truro Sixt ...

. At the age of 18, Christopher moved to

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

and studied composition at the

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama , image_name = Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.jpg , image_size = , motto = , established = 1949 , type = Public , staff = , vice_chancellor = , students = 779 (2017/18) , undergrad ...

from where he graduated in 2014.

Career

Christopher is Composer in Residence to the number one ranked brass band in the world,

Cory Band Cory Band is one of the oldest and best known brass bands in the world, formed in 1884 in the Rhondda Valley. History and origins Cory Band is from the Rhondda Valley in Wales. They were formed in 1884 and originally bore the name ‘Ton Temper ...

. In addition to his work with Cory Band, he has written for many of the world's leading brass bands, including

Grimethorpe Colliery Band The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band, based in Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, England. It was formed in 1917, as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery, by members of the disbanded Cudworth Colliery Band. Along with the Blac ...

Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band is a British brass band formed in 1881. The band is based in Brighouse, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. The band is known across the world, and is regarded by many as the best and most consistent "p ...

Leyland Band The Leyland Band is a brass band based in Lancashire in the UK. History The Leyland Band was established in 1946 in the heart of industrial Lancashire as the Leyland Motors Band,Lancashire Post https://www.lep.co.uk/whats-on/music/leyland-b ...

and Brassband Willebroek. Solo commissions include Owen Farr, Stephen Sykes, Brett Baker, Tom Hutchinson, Steve Stewart, Lode Violet, and a work for Eminence Brass Quartet, comprising members of the

Black Dyke Band Black Dyke Band, formerly John Foster & Son Black Dyke Mills Band, is one of the oldest and best-known brass bands in the world. It originated as multiple community bands founded by John Foster at his family's textile mill in Queensbury, West ...

and

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

. His work has been performed at many locations in the United Kingdom, including at

Wales Millennium Centre Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 an ...

, Regent Hall, Durham International Festival of Brass, the

RNCM The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is a conservatoire located in Manchester, England. It is one of four conservatoires associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In addition to being a centre of music education, ...

Festival of Brass and during the BBC Welsh Proms at

St David's Hall St David's Hall (Welsh: ''Neuadd Dewi Sant'') is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff, Wales. St David's Hall is the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales. It hosts the annual Welsh Proms and the bienni ...

as well as radio broadcasts both locally and nationally on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

and Classic FM. In 2012, his work 'Islands in the Sky' was premiered at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference in Linz, Austria. In the same year, 'The Diamond Jubilee Fanfare' was commissioned and performed in the presence of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

and

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from El ...

. More recently in 2015, his work 'Aristotle's Air' won the Composition Prize at Brass in Concert, held at

Sage Gateshead Sage Gateshead is a concert venue and musical education centre in Gateshead on the south side of the River Tyne in North East England. Opened in 2004 and occupied by North Music Trust it is part of the Gateshead Quays development which incl ...

. The same work was performed by Brassband Willebroek and the National Band of New Zealand at the 2017 World Music Contest in

Kerkrade Kerkrade ( Ripuarian: ; li, Kirkraoj; german: Kerkrade or ''Kirchrath'') is a town and a municipality in the southeast of Limburg; the southernmost province of the Netherlands. It forms part of the Parkstad Limburg agglomeration. Kerkrade is the ...

. Christopher wrote and compiled the soundtrack for 'Magic in the Skies', the annual summer season of firework displays held at

Land's End Land's End ( kw, Penn an Wlas or ''Pedn an Wlas'') is a headland and tourist and holiday complex in western Cornwall, England, on the Penwith peninsula about west-south-west of Penzance at the western end of the A30 road. To the east of it is ...

, featuring the voice of

Miriam Margolyes Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The Tora ...

. The music has been used since 2014. His first commission came at the age of sixteen, when he won a competition to write a fanfare for the Cornwall Youth Brass Band to open their fifty-year course anniversary concert. Since then, he has written a further work for the same band, in dedication and performed in the presence of Cornish composer, the late

Goff Richards Goff Richards (18 August 1944 – 25 June 2011), sometimes credited as Godfrey Richards,Cory Band Associate Composer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Christopher 1992 births Living people English composers People from Camborne