Welcome to the Kings Band members
The members of the Kings Band may vary and we may add guest members from time to time.
Dave Williams – a founder of the band - started out with the Biggest Trio in the World back in 1968. He has called and played with a number of bands including the Bursledon Village Band, the Kings Hat Band &c &c. A seasoned morris man he plays the button melodeon. His musical styles borrow from the English traditions as well as the French Auvergne and Brittany cultures. Dave is also one the experienced callers on which the Kings Band depends.
Allen Mornington-West – a founder of the band - had been playing folk music to guitar accompaniment from early days whilst at Durham. A late arrival to the fiddle (via the mandolin) which he plays more often these days. He started up the Kings Hat Band in the late 70s - a band which borrowed style elements from Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention and Hedgehog Pie amongst others. Allen followed a career move in the north and rejoined the Kings Band a couple of years ago. These days he aslo plays the mondolin and doubles up on fretless bass as occasion demands.
Dick Gurney – a founder of the band - has been with King Johns Morris for over 25 years and, in addition to calling, he plays the button melodeon. Dick is also the guardian of the band's electronics - a role he shares with Allen. Dick is also the prime contact point for band bookings and has the hazardous task of co-ordinating all the band members to put gig dates in their diary.
John Miller – a founder of the band - is one of the band's callers and, together with Dave, he researches new dances and brings them into the repertoire. John's experience with King Johns Morris goes back more than 30 years and his passion for dance and folk tunes has led him to nearly all of the festivals. His drumming keeps the band on time and he never misses a beat.
Henry Pugh - a founder of the band, star gazer and great family man – is a virtuoso on bones - he says it keeps us regular - and he doubles up on melodeon when the band goes for the full wall of sound. Henry joined King John's Morris not long after it formed and is still an active member.
Nigel Colebrook has been playing trombone in jazz bands since a youth. He's keeping up the family musical tradition as his father was a well known pianist in the Hampshire area. In addition to the Kings Band he has played with Southampton All Stars, Marchwood Orchestra, Winchester Chamber Orchestra, Solent Brass Jazzaholics, Turktown Troupers and quite a few others. With the Kings Band he is most often playing fretted and fretless bass. But the addition of the trombone with Ferd's playing of the tenor sax allows the band to explore new musical textures in some of our arrangements.
Ferd Schwausch – a founder of the band - started his playing career touring Europe whilst at University and he's not stopped since then. He's a master of eclectic musical styles on the accordion and together with Dick, Dave and Allen he checks out new tunes for old and new dances or perhaps just for the fun of playing - the repertoire of the Kings Band is ever evolving. He often pairs on tenor sax with Nigel on trombone.