Brighouse & Rastrick have always been prolific prizewinners at the Whit Friday March contests held annually in the Saddleworth area of Northern England. They are always popular participants in this unique event and easily recognisable dressed in their famous purple and gold outdoor uniforms. They have won more top prizes during this very special evening than any other band including in recent years the overall ‘Saddleworth Championship’ title.
In addition to having a first-class and formidable reputation for highly entertaining concerts of wide public appeal, the Brighouse and Rastrick Band has many other notable triumphs to its credit in the highly competitive contesting field – the major means bands use to match themselves against each other. Whilst obviously not winning every competition they enter, they are often amongst the prizes and their record of major championship victories since they first came to national prominence during the 1920s is impressive.
Aside the fine players and conductors, to achieve real success, the musical part of any band operation has to be underpinned by sound management of its business affairs. Brighouse and Rastrick have been very fortunate over the years in attracting many able, dedicated and often unsung administrators who have taken on band management roles. There are also players who in addition to their playing duties have also been deeply involved in administration work. From ‘working’ Presidents (not merely figureheads) down to the humblest tea-maker, the determination to do a task well for the ongoing success of B&R has been paramount. Many names could be listed, but Herbert Wood, Jimmy Squire, Charlie Badrock, Jack Lakey and latterly Eddie Noble MBE come easily to mind as examples of people who have given tremendous service through both good and bad times.
Over recent years the Band has been engaged in very successful music collaboration projects outside the brass band tradition. High profile appearances, on live-television at the BBC ‘Folk Music Awards’ with The Unthanks folk group, and at the very popular huge summer outdoor ‘Car-Fest’ ‘events organised by media personality Chris Evans, are just some of the ways that the Band has been expanding its audience and popularity. Refreshing new recordings have also resulted such as with classical actor Simon Callow reading Dickens “Christmas Carol”; performing with the award winning folk group, ‘The Unthanks’ , and popular singer Liza Pullman, have all followed alongside some really excellent band recordings.
Today, the band continues to make its mark on this century with all the promise that holds, whilst maintaining their great traditions and continued quest for musical excellence. With 140 years of proud history behind them, the band is still fiercely financially independent and beholden to no one else other than itself.”
It is still true to say that no other public subscription band has held such high status for as long as The Brighouse and Rastrick Band.
A new competition, the All England Masters Brass Band Championship, was established in Cambridge in 1989. This quickly gained prestige, attracting entries from the top English bands. Brighouse and Rastrick became the first Yorkshire holders in 1993 conducted by professional conductor, Allan Withington, and his first major contest success with the band.
A real ‘purple patch’ of contesting success followed in the late 1990’s. The National Championship was won again in the autumn of 1997, at the Royal Albert Hall. The following May, in Kerkrade, Holland, B&R won the European Brass Band Championship again, followed just three weeks later by another victory at the All England Masters. Allan and the Band had created a new unique entry for the record books, the ‘triple championship’, by holding concurrently the English, British and European Championships. The National was successfully defended in 1998 with a third National title in a row narrowly missed when they were runner’s up in 1999.
A more unusual and unique success came the bands way in 1977 when for nine weeks they were at No.2 in the British ‘pop’ charts with their recording of ‘The Floral Dance’. This was is a musical arrangement of the well-known Katie Moss song with strong Cornish associations, made by resident conductor, Derek Broadbent. Doggedly held off the top spot by Paul McCartney, they still achieved sales of over a million, earning both Gold and Silver discs and attracting fame well beyond the UK. ‘The Floral Dance’ has now become the band’s ‘unofficial’ signature tune, alongside the long established ‘official’ signature tune, the March ‘West Riding’ composed by Sam B. Wood and based on the famous Yorkshire anthem, ‘Ilkla Moor’.
Further National Championship titles followed, in 1973, conducted by James Scott and 1980, conducted by Derek Broadbent. In their centenary year, Brighouse and Rastrick were National ‘runners-up’, but the following day managed to triumph at the 1981 European Brass Band Championship.
The ‘World Championship’ was introduced in 1968 and B&R were the first victors, conducted now by Walter Hargreaves. They successfully retained the title a year later to become the only band to win this short-lived contest more than once.
Success in ‘media’ entertainment competitions has also been enjoyed over the years showing off the bands entertaining concert style. In 1968 B&R was the BBC Band of the Year, in 1975 the Granada Television Band of the Year. Their inaugural entry into the ‘Brass in Concert’ entertainment contest held in Gateshead in 2005 saw them achieve second place but a year later they triumphed becoming the ‘2006 Brass In Concert Champions’. Retaining the title a year later in 2007.
In 1945 the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain began superceding the ‘Great National Band Festival’ which had been held at the Crystal Palace and Alexandra Palace from 1900. These contests were just called the ‘Crystal Palace Contests’ prior to this. The new ‘National’ title was won a year later in 1946 for the first time by B&R, conducted by Eric Ball, one of many famous names to be associated with the band.
They consolidated their position in the top echelons when then won the September (today called the British Open Championship) again three years running in 1932-33-34 conducted by their professional conductor, the great William Halliwell. Barred from competing in 1935 they regained the title once again in 1936. They have remained in the top league of brass bands ever since, continuing to feature in the premier championship prize lists, but it wasn’t until 1978 that they managed to win the ‘Open’ again, led on this occasion by Geoffrey Brand.
Fred Berry, who had toured the world, playing euphonium, with the famous Besses O’ Th’ Barn Band, was appointed conductor. He was to be a great influence. During this period, ‘Temperance’ was dropped from the band’s name, the only name change the band has ever had. The hard work paid off in 1929. B&R broke into the highest level of brass banding when they won both the July and September Brass Band Contests at Belle Vue, Manchester, a feat achieved only once before, and not equalled since.
The local populace subscribed funds to found and maintain the band and it drew its players and officials from the local area. Until the 1920’s, B&R, as it is often affectionately known, could be described as ‘just another typical local band’.
It no doubt suffered occasional successes but probably had its fair share of disappointments. In addition to playing many concerts throughout the area, bands thrived on the spirit of competition regularly meeting each other at the host of local and regional brass band competitions of the time.
We don’t know what the particular catalyst was but during the 1920’s a much more determined effort was made by the then members to improve their status among the nation’s brass bands. Better players were attracted, probably from a slightly wider area.
It is known that during the mid to late nineteenth century, amateur music making, in all its forms thrived in the industrial areas of the North of England. In the wider Calder, Holme and Colne Valley areas of the West Riding of Yorkshire, various choirs, orchestras and bands of varying instrumentation were founded. The Brighouse and Rastrick Temperance Band, formed around 1881, was one such unit.
