Here Comes the Big Parade

Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and television host. He has sold over 28 million albums worldwide. Connick's best-selling album is his Christmas album When My Heart Finds Christmas (1993). He has won three Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards. Connick began his acting career as a tail gunner in the World War II film Memphis Belle (1990) and played a serial killer in Copycat (1995) before being cast as a fighter pilot in the blockbuster Independence Day (1996). Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, his mother was a lawyer and judge and his father was a district attorney. His parents also owned a record store. Connick started learning keyboards aged three, playing publicly aged five, and recording with a local jazz band aged ten. When he was only nine years old, Connick performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra. His musical talents were developed at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts under the tutelage of Ellis Marsalis Jr. (father or Wynton and Branford). After moving to New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music, he soon acquired a strong reputation in jazz after releasing his first solo record, Harry Connick Jr. With Connick's reputation growing, film director Rob Reiner asked him to provide a soundtrack for his romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally, starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. Consisting mainly of standards, the soundtrack earned double-platinum status in the US and Connick won his first Grammy Award for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance for his work on the soundtrack.

Jock McKenzie studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he was a joint recipient of the college’s concerto prize. Since 1987 Jock has based his musical career in Hampshire, working as a freelance trumpeter, conductor, composer, arranger and brass teacher. Currently Jock holds the position of Professional Leader (Brass) for Hampshire Music Service and is the Director of the Hampshire County Youth Band. It is the mix of all of these musical roles that has led to Jock establishing a reputation as a leading creator of brass music resources, particularly in the field of education and brass ensemble music. In 2020 Jock was awarded an “Honorary Fellowship of the University of Winchester” for services to music education. Currently Jock is working part-time for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; providing tuition for their Brass Teaching Module. In 2024 Jock was given the award for “Services to Youth” by Brass Bands England.