Brass bands hit all the right notes

Photo: Paul Sterritt

Whit Friday brass band contest at Grotton. Polly Hallas, aged 4, from Oldham, beats her drum to the music.

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iT RAINED on the parade - but that didn't stop play at the Saddleworth Band Contests.

Musicians and fans flocked to the annual Whit Friday extravaganza which was full of fun but also tinged by sadness as people mourned the death of well-known bandsman Mark Rodgers.

There was a cornet player dressed as Harry Potter, Scots in kilts, a conductor from Leicester wearing a Premier League-winners' scarf, foreign entries to rival the Eurovision Song Contest and top class outfits such as Fairey and Brighouse and Rastrick.

Bands marched through the villages playing everything from Star Wars and the Match of the Day theme tune to pop songs before performing their competition pieces for the adjudicators.

But some of the biggest cheers of the day went to the youngest band ever to play at the contests.

Wardle Junior Blast, competing for the first time, is made of up children aged from seven to 11 from Rochdale primary schools. They carried a pennant proudly declaring they were the best beginners band at the Junior Youth Band Championships 2016 before playing an impressive version of Slaidburn - from memory without a score.

Conductor Lee Rigg said: "They are the youngest ever band to play but I knew they were good enough and they are holding their own."

At Dobcross, Irish visitors enjoying a drink in the Swan Inn before the start of the contests included a group from Arklow Shipping Silver Band, County Wicklow. They spectate every year and band member Stephen Smith said: "It's God's country, look at it. It's the atmosphere and the friendliness."

Friend Dick Lyons added: "It's great to get so many brass bands together in one space."

The first of 70 bands to march down Platt Lane in Dobcross at 4.05pm were MG Dietwil from Switzerland, resplendent in their blue/green blazers. The first-timers then played Marches des Conderes on Church Fields - beating the rain by more than two hours.

Conductor Matthias Kieffer, who has played at the contests with other bands, said: "I enjoyed it so I asked my band to come. It's the atmosphere, the villages - Saddleworth is the home of brass band music."

They were followed by another Swiss band - Oberburg - and among those watching was Professor Nicholas Childs, the world-renowned conductor of Black Dyke Band which did not play this year.

He explained that Black Dyke - runners up at the European Championships in April - competed at the band contests and gave a local concert on alternative years: "Players in the band also conduct local bands. It gives them the opportunity to conduct them here which is nice."

But asked whether he preferred playing or competing at the contests, he added: "There's no doubt - you've got to play and we will definitely be back back next year."

The predicted rain eventually fell at Dobcross at 7.25pm as Alexander Brass Band - the Norwegian Champions - marched through the village. But it didn't dampen the smoke from garden barbecues or the spirits of children who proudly followed the musicians waving flags and wiggly fabric snakes on sticks.

And it didn't stop the swagger of the ever-popular - and talented - Chav Brass whose bling and tracksuit-clad members posed for selfies and leapt about after a rousing rendition of Knight Templar.

A total of 11 contests took place and the international flavour continued at Delph where those who stayed late into the night were treated to performances by Swedish and French champions, Windcorp Brass and Atout Vent. Others included the immaculately turned out Band of the Kings Division.

Delph Band was among the last to play in their home village and members held a short silence before their performance for former member Mark Rodgers, who died this month aged 40. Mark played for several bands and many left floral tributes, including Brighouse and Rastrick who included the message "remembering a true bandsman".

Marsden were the 80th and final band to perform under the lights at Delph at 12.10pm. They closed the contest with the National Anthem

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