Cunductor & Artistic Director

Mark Williams took on the job as Conductor and Artistic Director for the Spokane British Brass Band as of the Summer of 1999. He cunducted full time until the fall of 2007 when his family moved to Bellingham to be closer to his graqndchildren. He was a longtime resident of the Spokane area, having studied music at Shadle Park High School under the tutelage of John R. Harris and earned the B.A. in Ed. and M. Ed. degrees from Eastern Washington University. For many years, Mr. Williams was a traveling elementary band specialist for the Spokane School District. He performed with numerous groups including the Spokane Symphony, Spokane Civic Theatre, Spokane Jazz Society and the 560th Air Force Band. In recent years, Mark spent most of his time composing and arranging music for school bands and orchestras, which was published by Alfred Publishing Company, one of the world's leading publishers of educational music. Mr. Williams was also co-author of Accent on Achievement, a series of method books used for band instruction by many school districts worldwide. He conducted All-State bands in three states, and toured Australia conducting his music. Mark was a member of the Spokane British Brass Band since its inception, and was proud to have had a hand in shaping its musical growth.

Mark Williams was the soul of the Spokane British Brass Band for the past eight years. He was part of the original group formed by Michael Warner in 1995. For the first four years Mark played tenor horn, cornet, and soprano cornet. He became conductor and artistic director in the fall of 1999, and was the inspiration for the band’s participation in several NABBA competitions, initially at Little Rock in 2003 and most recently in Chicago in 2005. Additionally, Mark directed the band at five Northwest Brass Band Festivals in Bellevue. He was slated to conduct at the sixth festival on January 26, 2008.

Mark spent countless hours writing arrangements for the band to accompany vocal soloists or other pieces for which no arrangements were available. He wrote arrangements of “Granada”, “O Sole Mio”, and “Come back to Sorrento” for three (vocal) tenors and a “Dance of the Sugar Plum Tubas” to feature the tuba section. The band features young brass players in the “Masters of Brass” series each May. Mark would arrange accompaniments for soloists when no Brass Band accompaniment was available. For a concert with soprano Ann Fennessy, he arranged accompaniment for “International Rag”, “I’d give a Dollar for a Dime”, “Sister Kate”, and “Blues, Why don’t you Leave Me Alone.”

Mark possessed a talented musical ear and had tremendous knowledge of music composition. He could pick out a wrong note from anywhere in the band and know who played it and what note it should be. Many times this enabled us to find transcription errors that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. He helped us improve the breadth and depth of our performances by shaping the music with dynamics and stretching phrases at just the right place. His skill made the performances more enjoyable and meaningful for players and listeners alike. Mark’s quick wit and vast knowledge of musical trivia made the introductions between pieces a joy to hear. I always left these concerts with more knowledge than when I arrived.

Mark’s love of Brass Band Music was also evidenced by the vast number of Brass Band CD’s he collected, especially at the first NABBA contest in Little Rock. During his association with the Brass Band, he generously shared his collection of CD’s by lending selections to fellow band members. One of Mark’s characteristics beloved by band members was his tendency to conduct “outside the box.” Band members enjoyed teasing him about this anytime he would do something unusual. It originated from a scolding by the clinician at the first Bellevue “Northwest Brass Band Festival”, who thought Mark was moving around too much as he conducted.

In the words of Grant Williams, brother of Mark, he died doing what he thought was an act of love, taking care of his son Brian at home, even after he was diagnosed with a mental illness. Brian didn’t show many signs of aggression, and was actually a very compassionate person most of the time. With the medication, Mark and Connie felt like they were doing the right thing and that Brian was being given the best chance at achieving whatever success was possible.

Mark Williams passing has left a gaping hole in the hearts of all Spokane British Brass Band members, both past and present. He gave us so much in the eight years that he conducted and helped us all grow as musicians. Shoes like his will take a long time to fill.

Kit CutlerManager, Spokane British Brass Band