Introduction

Robert Chalke is a native of Salisbury. He has an interesting musical background having played a variety of instruments.

Robert is available for weddings, special events and private functions around the South/South-West including Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, Sussex and Wiltshire.

He learnt piano at six and moved on to church organ and cornet/trumpet at ten. He played organ at his village church, trumpet in his school orchestra and cornet/euphonium in brass bands. He bought his first saxophone at seventeen and clarinet a year later playing dance bands at eighteen, originally on tenor saxophone and, later, as lead alto/clarinet. Robert has played with several big bands including Ken Mackintosh when he was resident band on the QE2; as a session musician; and as clarinet and saxophone soloist.

Robert is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and runs a QS practice with offices in Somerset and Sussex. He has travelled widely and worked in Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia. He is particularly drawn to other countries’ cultures and has an affinity with Spanish/South American, French and Italian music. He plays clarinet and saxophone as soloist and busker for special events and private functions, usually playing three or four tunes on one instrument and then changing over.

For the clarinet, Robert plays in the style of Acker Bilk and his earlier mentor Sydney Bechet; and for the alto saxophone, the pre-war/post-war soloists/band leaders Freddy Gardner and Ken Mackintosh – the classic saxophone sound. For the cognoscenti, Robert plays Selmer Mark VI alto and tenor saxophones and a Buffet RC Prestige clarinet.