There is no doubt that the Brighouse & Rastrick Band is one of the most popular and well known brass bands in the world. In addition to having a first class formidable reputation for performing highly entertaining concerts of wide public appeal, the Brighouse & Rastrick Band has many other notable triumphs to its credit in the highly competitive contesting field – the means bands match themselves against each other. Although not always winning, they are often amongst the prizes and their record of major victories since they first came to national prominence during the 1920s is certainly impressive.
Since formation B&R has always been a ‘public subscription band’ still receiving some income from its Patrons and Supporters. Relying wholly on its own efforts to operate, it remains very proud of its financial independence and is beholden to no commercial sponsor or supporter.
As Covid eased, B&R were able to fulfil a very special request. B&R were asked by ‘Brass Band England’ to put a small band of players together to greet some VIP guests visiting the area. Amid much security, the group assembled in Batley to meet the VIP’s. They were the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Princess Catherine who were visiting a full time carer, Len, who Kate had been phoning and supporting during Covid. So accompanying the visitors, a small B&R group marched down the street to Len’s home playing ‘Jingle Bells’ to greet him. Several extra carols were enjoyed before the couple left. It was a real privilege for B&R to be asked to play for the Royal couple and Len on this occasion.
B&R retained the National Championship but also added the All England Masters Championship and the European Championship - a unique ‘’treble’ not equalled!
Formal photograph above of the ‘Triple Champions’ in the Bandroom.
Trophies left to right - European Championship, National Championship of Great Britain, and All England Masters. (Also note the ‘Floral Dance’ Gold and Silver Presentation Recording discs behind.)
Conducted again by Alan Withington
The All England Masters Championship was established in Cambridge (1989) attracting the country’s top bands. B&R were the first Yorkshire Band to win the title in 1993 led by Professional Conductor Alan Withington, his first major contest success with the band.
A new home for B&R was once again being sought. Rydings Hall was increasingly needing greater maintenance. Fortunately a nearby doctors practice was looking to expand its services so after negotiations, a deal was eventually struck to sell the hall to the doctors for re-development. After several months of frustrating searching, a site was finally found on the campus of Brighouse High School to build a new bandroom to wholly match the band’s full and exact requirements. This went ahead so that in 1995 B&R proudly moved into its own new ‘West Ridings’ building which has been a very successful base ever since.
During this period , as usual B&R was kept busy with concert engagements, often numbering up to thirty concerts a year spread across the UK plus contest work and maintaining their fine record at Whit Friday contests.
Qualified and won the 1981 European Championship conducted by James Scott.
In 1980 B&R won the National Championship of Great Britain with conductor Derek Broadbent.
Amongst the general public B&R is perhaps most popularly known for its famous 1977 hit parade success, ‘The Floral Dance’, for which it won both Silver and Gold Discs for massive record sales. Remaining at number two in the ‘hit-parade’ for six weeks, the initial single, an arrangement of the well known song, was conceived by B&R Musical Director, Derek Broadbent. It received tremendous national and international acclaim leading to a busy period of extra appearances including several TV shows and the BBC’s ‘Top of the Pops’.
The story of how the B&R FLORAL DANCE came about and became so successful can be found found here.
Once again the National Championship of Great Britain was won at the Royal Albert Hall led by James Scott.
B&R had to move out of their Oddfellows Hall bandroom as it was to be demolished to make way for a new bypass road in the town.
Fortunately they were able to buy and move into the town’s former St Martin’s Parish Hall and Institute, renaming it Rydings Hall. In addition to rehearsal space and library etc.., it also had a sizeable concert hall where the band could perform its own concerts, and also record music for several 12” vinyl LP music albums.
In 1968 and 1969 B&R once again hit the heights by winning both the ‘National Championship of Great Britain’ and the short lived ‘World Champion’ titles under Professional Conductor Walter Hargreaves.
They also won the 1968 knock-out ‘BBC Band of the Year’ contest with their entertaining music programmes broadcast ‘live’ on the radio.
The B&R Brass Quartet, comprising David Horsfield and Peter Teal (cornets) Jeff Hirst (horn) , Bob Davidson (euphonium) conducted by Fred Spencer, won the National Quartet Championship of Great Britain.
B&R playing their winning performance at the 1948 North East Area Championship contest conducted by Professional Conductor, Eric Ball. B&R Players posing semi-formally afterwards.
During 1947, B&R, as ‘National Champions’, were in very great demand. They had a week playing daily concerts in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Later they had a month playing daily concerts in Eastbourne, Guernsey and later, London’s Hyde and Regents Parks.
B&R boarding the Dakota aircraft to fly from Guernsey to Croydon for their London engagements.
Such was the interest in brass bands in 1946 that the popular Fox Movietone News company made a Newsreel film of B&R returning home to Brighouse in triumph as ‘National Champions’! This newsreel featured in cinemas across the whole country, creating a certain B&R ‘celebrity status’ and increasing demand for them to perform concerts nationwide.
Above is a photograph recording the massive crowd of local folk in Thornton Square, Brighouse, welcoming home their ‘National Champions’.
Note the ‘Movietone cameraman’ based on a car roof filming the proceedings. A copy of the resulting film remains in the Band’s Archive today.
In 1946 B&R won its first National Championship of Great Britain in London conducted by Eric Ball. Since then it has won this National Championship on nine occasions, the last time being in 2017.
The 1946 Brighouse & Rastrick - National Champion Band of Great Britain.
The Players featured along with President, Herbert Wood (centre) with Conductor Eric Ball behind, the Mayor of Brighouse, and several B&R Band Vice-Presidents and Officials.
As the country transformed back to a more optimistic normality and future after war, B&R was searching again for new rehearsal facilities. When the town centre Oddfellows Hall was released from military use, B&R were able to buy it, so owning their own bandroom headquarters for the very first time.
1945 was a very significant year for B&R. Such was their popularity aided by their radio broadcasts that they were increasingly engaged to perform their brand of high quality music across the country. Often performing to raise funds for charities, during 1945 they undertook a six day tour of Cornwall, and a tour of the West Country raising funds for wounded soldiers.
During the war, massed brass band concerts had become very popular locally, often raising money for soldiers ‘comfort funds’.
With the always continuing need to raise its own funds, in 1945 B&R started to promote its own bi-annual Massed Band Concerts in Huddersfield Town Hall. The series still remain popular continuing today after over eighty years.
Having been banned from competing at the 1935 September Belle Vue contest, B&R competed again in 1936, winning the Belle Vue title once again, so firmly establishing themselves as a force to be respected. During this period B&R also became a regular and popular broadcaster on the growing BBC radio network.
B&R competed in and won the September Belle Vue contests for three successive years creating their ‘famous triple’ success. They also attracted large audiences when and wherever they played.
(Left to right)
Mr. J Henry Iles, Belle Vue Manager makes presentations to B&R Band Secretary, Mr. Alfred J. Cooper, whilst Professional Conductor Mr William Helliwell and B&R Bandmaster Milnes Wood look on.
The Brighouse & Rastrick Band of 1932, the September Belle Vue victors taken in Rydings Park, Brighouse with Bandmaster Milnes Wood.
The highlight of a successful contesting year was winning first prize at the then famous Hardraw Scar Contest held near Hawes, North Yorkshire, beating some top bands of the day including local rivals Black Dyke Mills. This event is seen as the point when B&R, as a public subscription band, joined the premier ranks of brass banding competing against and sometimes beating other top mainly sponsored works bands of the day.
Brighouse and Rastrick Temperance Band playing to the huge crowd during ’Peace Celebrations’ following the end of World War 1. The platform is sited in Thornton Square, the place where many future band successes would be celebrated over the coming decades.
Brighouse and Rastrick Temperance Band in Rydings Park, Brighouse.
The trophy displayed is the ‘Halifax Courier’ Cup won at a local contest held at Sunny Vale, Hipperholme that year.
Brighouse & Rastrick Temperance Band lead the Brighouse Industrial Children’s Festival parade up the Huddersfield Road.
A more formal 1913 photograph of the Brighouse & Rastrick Temperance Band (top photo).
An early days picture showing the early band uniforms (bottom photo).
Brighouse & Rastrick Temperance Band in the 1890’s, the photograph taken outside the cabinetmaker’s work-shop being used for rehearsals.
The first known B&R photograph taken possibly following their Liverpool competition success.
The Band, still following the Temperance ethos, had its first competition success when it was placed first at a Liverpool Temperance Fete winning £10,10s and a Besson cornet valued at £9, 9s. Soon afterwards reed instruments were dropped in favour of being a wholly brass band, so being able to enter many more competitions.
