College of Music Professor of Euphonium, David Childs, has been awarded the Worshipful Company of Musicians Iles Medal in a recent ceremony in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall (England). The Worshipful Company of Musicians has a 500-year history and the current Master, Richard Lyttelton, is shown here presenting the award.

The Iles Medal is named for John Henry Iles (1871-1951) who was the founder of the National Brass Band Championships in 1900. He was also Master of the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 1932 and was responsible for enlisting leading composers of the period to write music for brass bands – including Edward Elgar, Arthur Bliss, Gustav Holst and Herbert Howells. The Iles medal was established in 1947 and is awarded annually in recognition of a significant contribution to the brass band movement. Previous recipients include Harry Mortimer CBE, Eric Ball OBE, Leonard Lamb, Roy Newsome, James Shepherd, Major Peter Parkes, Robert Childs and Nicholas Childs.