Major David B. Hammond
grew up in Cornwall and studied at the London College of Music and York and Cambridge Universities, playing horn, as well as jazz and rock guitar with various groups. In 1986-7, while in London, he played French horn with NYJO, regularly performing the horn feature April Fool. In 1990 he moved to Southern Africa to work for the Bophuthatswana Arts Council for four years as a musician and teacher in schools, music centres, and for the local Defence Force.

Returning to the UK he joined the British army, spending four years in Germany as a horn player and later two years in Gibraltar as a Bandmaster. After deploying several times on operations to the Balkans and Afghanistan, and several positions as an army Director of Music, David led the mounted bands on the Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) in 2014. Promoted to the rank of Major he currently holds the position of Director of Music, The Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra, performing for Royal and State events.