Thousands of brass fans are on the way

The Yorkshire Brass Band Champion-ships will see many of the UK's top bands pitched trumpet to trumpet to win the prestigious title.

About 1,800 brass band players will descend on the city for the event, at St George's Hall, on March 4-5. An audience of 1,500 are expected to turn out to see 59 bands compete in five categories.

Bradford's world-famous bands, The Black Dyke Band and Brighouse & Rastrick Band, will be judged on a 14-minute test piece called Journey to the Centre of the Earth against 12 bands in the championship category. The title for this is held by Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Each winner and runner-up from the five sections, will go on to the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain. Last year the Black Dyke Band came second in the national contest, and will automatically enter this year.

Administrator of Black Dyke Band, Geoffrey Whiteley, said: "We have a very busy calendar and we are building up to the championships now by giving it more time. Bradford has always traditionally been the centre for this concert in Yorkshire and the event attracts many people and a lot of talent."

The Yorkshire Brass Band Championships have been running since 1945 and Bradford has been the host city for 30 years.

Yorkshire Regional Brass Band Committee's regional secretary Peggy Tomlinson said: "We have a very high standard of playing. Some of the country's world class bands are playing and this is the strongest regional group in the whole of the country.

"Those bands are in the competition because they want to represent Yorkshire at a national level.

"The atmosphere is wonderful on the night and it is breathtaking. It's a closely fought contest and it can get very serious.

"Each band will live or die on that one piece of music on that one occasion. It's a very demanding piece."

The championship section will be judged by James Scott and David Read.

Tickets are available from St George's Hall box office on (01274) 432000.