THE CONDUCTOR / MUSICAL DIRECTOR
MR DESMOND GRAHAM
Des Graham was appointed Director of Music of the Third Carrickfergus Band
in February 1986 and took the band to instant success by winning the
Belfast Music Festival Open Brass Band Class in March 1986. Prior to that he played Soprano Cornet for the band for 10 years. He
has also played Solo D Trumpet at various venues throughout the province,
and in the early sixties was Principal Trumpet of the Studio Symphony
Orchestra in Belfast. Des studied conducting under Dr Windsor Hylands and Major Peter Parkes,
and arranging and composition with Philip Wilby. He is also Director of the well known Instrument Repair Business, Peter
Gray Instruments, and was accepted as a professional member of the National
Association of Musical Instrument Repairers in 1996. He is also a member
of the Guild of Master Craftsmen. As a former Musical Director of the internationally famous Friendship
Band he has conducted in various venues in Ireland, America and Europe.
