Sound of brass draws crowds (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Sound of brass draws crowds

12:22am Monday 9th March 2009 in

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Music lovers from around the world descended on Bradford last night to see Yorkshire’s top brass bands fight it out in one of the most prestigious contests of the year.

Queensbury-based Black Dyke was the first to take to the St George’s Hall stage in the top section of the Yorkshire Brass Championships.

But the defending Yorkshire champions were up against strong opposition in the shape of reigning English Champions, Grimethorpe Colliery, of Barnsley, Brighouse and Rastrick and Hammonds Saltaire, formerly YBS.

About 2,000 brass followers, including a large number from across the Atlantic, flocked to the championships to watch the top musicians compete.

Yorkshire holds an enviable seat in the brass world – of the 12 bands that competed in the Championship Section, seven were in the top 20 of the world rankings.

Peggy Tomlinson, Yorkshire Regional Brass Committee’s regional secretary and contest controller, said: “We had people in the audience who had come from the US, Switzerland, Norway and Ireland.

“They came all that way just to listen to the Championship Section, which is the equivalent of football’s Premier League.”

The start was delayed as large crowds queued to get into the historic hall. All 12 bands who entered the Championship section played the same test piece – Salute to Youth by Gilbert Vinter. The top two positioned bands in the competition will now go forward to the prestigious National Championships at the Royal Albert Hall.

Black Dyke’s previous achievements meant they had already qualified for the nationals before last night’s contest. But the evening was to end in disappointment as the band was placed fourth with Brighouse & Rastrick in fifth.

A surprise win went to Rothwell Temperance, with Hepworth second and Grimethorpe third.

Earlier in the day, Drighlington had enjoyed a third place finish in the First Section, with Wakefield Metropolitan taking top spot and Hade Edge finishing second.

e-mail: will.kilner @telegraphandargus.co.uk