David Haines
Born in the Rhondda valley during an air raid in 1940, David was put on a piano at an early age, but fell off. He started playing the trumpet in the early 1950s trying to emulate the famous Eddie Calvert. After school attended the Welsh College of Music and Drama (at the same time as Anthony Hopkins).
Seeking a more regular income, he started a teaching post in Lincolnshire, staying for three years and enjoying it immensely. In 1965 he was appointed as Band Master to Repton School. This post also supplied a house that was very welcome with his impending marriage to Pam.
As luck would have it, Trumpet players were in short supply in the Midlands and there was no shortage of good class playing engagements. At one such event, David was booked to play the Obbligato in the Christmas Oratorio to the famous Bass singer, Gordon Clinton.
Gordon Clinton was also the head of the Birmingham School of Music,
In 1974 David left full time teaching (keeping on the part time post in Birmingham until 1988) to concentrate on his business interests. Normans Ltd and The Music for Schools Foundation, are respectively, the largest suppliers of band and orchestral instruments and the largest employers of music teachers in the U.K. David has now retired and is hoping to boost the Band's activities.
His interests outside Music are very diverse: he is a keen squash player and skier, and is one of very few private helicopter owner/ pilots.