Brighouse and Rastrick have competed at the National Finals each year with Professor David King since his first Royal Albert Hall appearance with the band in 2010 where the band won on Terra Australis. The band have won the National Championship title with Professor King on two other occasions since then, making B&R a force to be reckoned with each time Professor King is at the helm.

Unfortunately, due to the British Open contest being postponed, the Australian maestro is not permitted to travel to the UK with the Australian border force maintaining strict COVID rules on who can enter or leave the country. Instead, B&R must wait until January 2022 for their Professional conductor to return, as they prepare for the British Open (2021) and the Yorkshire Area Contest 2022 in March.

Whilst the band are saddened they must wait longer for Prof. David King’s return, they are excited to confirm they’ve been able to acquire the services of the highly respected and successful conductor, Arsène Duc of the Valasia Brass Band, Switzerland. With Valasia Brass Band, Arsène Duc has won the Swiss National Championships on 10 occasions, won the British Open and won the European Championships; a remarkable record.

Chairman Ste Cavanagh commented, “B&R haven’t prepared for a National finals without Professor David King for over a decade. It’ll be a new way of preparing for a major contest for the majority of the team, but it provides an exciting opportunity to work with Arsène Duc and Stig Mærsk in our Professional Conductor’s absence. We’re delighted this contest is still going ahead, and we’re hungry to compete for the famous trophy once again.”

Keep an eye out on the band’s preparations and other events by visiting their website on https://brighouseandrastrick.com/, or by visiting the band’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/brighouseandrastrick