Conductor

Dean McGain-Harding BMus LRSM AMusTCL DipMus(Open) RM

Dean McGain-Harding began his musical career at 6 years old singing in choirs and playing classical guitar in his native Rugby in Warwickshire. At the age of 12 he began lessons on trumpet and cornet, and joined Dunchurch Silver Band on soprano cornet. During this period he was a regular in pit orchestras for the local theatre, as well as playing in local county youth bands.

In 1987 Dean joined the Royal Marines Band Service at Deal in Kent. After 2 years and 8 months, Dean was initially drafted to Deal Band and then shortly afterwards to Dartmouth, where he was to spend most of the next ten years.

It was during this period that Dean began singing with the dance band, enjoying many years touring the country professionally (and privately) with a number of bands. Dean was also Musical Director for a local amateur dramatic society, conducting them in choral and stage performances. As well as conducting, Dean was a keen performer in many productions, including Little Shop of Horrors and Oklahoma. Brass band still featured heavily in his musical output as a member of Totnes Brass Band under the Bandmaster Clive Sproston who sadly died in 2005.

Dean took up serious composition in 2000 and was shortly afterwards selected for the Bandmasters Course in 2001, achieving his LRSM and AMusTCL. After completing the course, Dean was drafted to HMS Invincible as a Volunteer Band Instructor where his duties included, Mess Manager, Postman, Bandmaster, and ships driver! During his draft, Dean was lucky enough to have some of his wind band compositions published by Studio Music in London under composer Martin Ellerby.

After leaving HMS Invincible, a short draft to Portsmouth was followed by 2 years in Plymouth Band where he successfully completed his Batchelor of Music Degree with Honours. Dean moved away from the more traditional Dance Bands and formed a successful Irish band called the “Rumbling Gussets”. Specialising in risqué nautical songs, as well as more traditional folk music, the band was utilised on many occasions, with audiences ranging from local pubs, to the entire Basra Air Station in Iraq.

Dean is currently serving at the Royal Marines School of Music at Portsmouth. Dean, who has three daughters from his previous marriage, has recently married his childhood sweetheart Rachel. Dean is a keen sailor, and fitness enthusiast, and continues to write and perform. His arrangement of “Children of Sanches” was used on both the 2006 Mountbatten Festival of Music as well as the Royal British Legion Parade in the Albert Hall.