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 David began his acting career back in the late 70s appearing in many productions for his local amateur and little theatre company. David enjoyed it so much he auditioned successfully for Mountview Theatre School, London. Three years later he was awarded his diploma from the late Sir John Mills and began a successful professional career as a jobbing actor. Performances ranged from touring America with Macbeth, playing Macduff, Captain Large in the tour of the successful children’s production of Button Moon. Walk on parts for television included Brookside, Emmerdale, Coronation Street etc. He even spent his honeymoon as an extra in the Granada TV production of Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett filmed in the Lake District. David was also successful in Pantomime, in his first panto he played an ugly sister alongside Arthur English as Baron Hardup and a soon to be discovered Ruthie Henshall who played Dandini. This is where David met his future wife and after several years of treading the boards David’s career diverted to allow for a more secure future for him and his family.
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Howard has lived in
Ashby with his family for the past 30 years and been actively involved with
the musical life of the town for the whole of that period. His family
originally came to the area when he was appointed to a post at the new Hind
Leys Community College in the late 1970’s but after studying for a Master’s
degree at Nottingham University he set up as a free lance music teacher based
in Ashby.
He has taught in several of the local primary and secondary schools as well as
developing a large private teaching practice. For 12 years he was Director of
Music at St. Helen’s Parish Church, Ashby, a position he tired from in Sept.
2007. As well as directing a thriving Church Choir he also ran several Choral
Workshops in which a large number of local singers participated performing
large scale choral and orchestral works.
Howard says, "For many years I was Musical Director of the junior theatre group ‘Act II’ which put on many performances in Ashby including the musicals ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Oliver’. It will be a particular pleasure to work on a production of ‘Oliver’ which incorporates both adults and children in its cast and I’m very excited about the theatrical opportunities which this will create and the experiences that will be shared by such a large body of people of all ages.
Music occupies a large part of our lives – my wife and I are both members of the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus which involves us in between 20 and 30 performances a year, sometimes in far flung parts of the world – but other interests include mountaineering, cycling, travel and books!!"