Paul Beaumont, President of Brighouse & Rastrick Band has taken the opportunity to thank their hardy supporters who really did show true ‘Yorkshire Grit’ to make it to their ‘Spring Spectacular’ concert with the Whitburn Band.
Not in the air
Spring certainly wasn’t in the air on Saturday night as the terrible weather conditions, with blizzards in many parts of the region, meant that some roads were impassable, whilst temperatures outside Huddersfield Town Hall had plummeted below zero.
Amazing
Paul (on left of picture) told 4BR: "It was the sort of night on which even Ranulph Fiennes would have opted to stay in watching TV with a takeaway!
However, we have the best band supporters in the world, so to get so many to come to listen on such a night was amazing. I really can’t thank them enough."
The newly crowned Scottish champions had set off at 9.30am from West Lothian on what turned out to be a six hour journey south, whilst Brighouse players battled through terrible local conditions to make it in time for a massed rehearsal under the baton of guest conductor Ray Farr.
Remarkable
Paul added: "More than 800 tickets had been sold for the concert, so to get an audience of around 250 on what was simply one of the coldest, most inhospitable nights for many a year was remarkable. It would have been so unfair on such wonderful supporters if we had cancelled on the night itself."
Paul revealed that if they had done that Brighouse would also have been out of pocket to the tune of around £6,000 as the event was self promoted and all costs were incurred by the band themselves.
...we have the best band supporters in the world, so to get so many to come to listen on such a night was amazing. I really can’t thank them enoughBrighouse President, Paul Beaumont
Spirit
He added: "With such a wonderful spirit shown by the audience, it came as little surprise that both bands played so well on the night.
Our thanks go to Whitburn of course, but most of all it goes to show that nothing stops Yorkshire folk from enjoying great brass band entertainment."