Stuart started to play the trombone at the age of seven, following in the footsteps of his father who played the "G" trombone. He studied trombone at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester before commencing a military career with the Band of the Grenadier Guards.  Attending the Royal Military School of Music for a two-year intensive music course he studied trombone, string bass and piano.

 

During his nine years military career he took part in State Occasions and at public duties. Included the Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour), the daily Mounting of the Queen's Guard in the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Investitures, State Banquets and tours around the world.

For ten years (1990-2000) he was a member of the trombone section of the International Staff Band (ISB), the premier band of the Salvation Army, taking part in major events including London's Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Conference Centre and Royal Festival Hall.  With the band he has featured in national television and radio broadcasts including BBC Songs of Praise, Radio 2’s Sunday Half Hour, Listen to the Band, GMTV and numerous CD recordings.  During 2007 Stuart made some guest apperances with the ISB, taking part in the 85th birthday celebrations of RSA in the Fairfield Halls Croydon and in their latest CD, Supremacy.  From January 2008 Stuart was re-appointed permanently to the ISB.

With both military and Salvation Army bands he has undertaken numerous overseas tours to North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark and Holland.

In 1996 he was a member of one of the most popular musical groups in the history of The Salvation Army, Spiritual to the Bone, during their London concerts.  The group of professional jazz trombonists included Bill Broughton, Herb Bruce, Stephen Bulla and Eric Alexander.

 

Stuart has been Bandmaster of Maidenhead band since 1991 and has taken the band on weekend campaigns to various towns in the UK.  In 2003 he conducted the band on its first overseas tour to South Africa, in 2004 at the Royal Festival Hall, London and a tour of North Scotland in 2006.

 

He is the Managing Director of a computer services company and in his "spare time" raises money for cardiac research, based at the world famous children's hospital, Great Ormond Street, in memory of his son Richard.

 

He is married to Lorraine, who teaches English at Reading School, his son Adam is studying Music and German at Cardiff University and his daughter Charlotte is still at school and plays Eb horn in the junior band.