Under the direction of Professor Nicholas Childs, Black Dyke returned to the Whit Friday circuit to regain the Saddleworth & Oldham District Championship.

Knight Templar

Their bi-annual appearance saw the Queensbury outfit compete at eight venues, with their performances of ‘Knight Templar’ propelling them to victories at Diggle, Dobcross, Grotton and Lydgate.

With a brace of runner-up spots at Denshaw and Lees & Springhead, along with a third place at Delph, where the band completed its competitive business just a minute or two before 1.00am, the band recaptured the overall title they last held in 2012 from rivals Brighouse & Rastrick, with Fairey in third.

The septet of podium successes saw Dyke pocket around £4,100 in prize money with the additional £2,500 as overall champion giving them a hefty Whit Friday cash payday of £6,700, with a couple of individual awards left to confirm.

Two year gap

Not surprisingly then, Professor Childs was satisfied with a very solid Friday night’s competition work. "With our two year gap, it was once again a real pleasure to be competing at the Whit Friday contests," he told 4BR.

"We started at 4.00pm in Diggle and played our last contest in Delph after midnight. I know everyone felt tired but we were also elated with another great contest day; with four wins, two seconds, a third and the added bonus of a deportment prize."

Not to be

That final podium finish just gave Dyke the edge over defending champion, Brighouse & Rastrick under guest conductor, Allan Ramsay, who missed out on retaining the title by the narrowest of margins.

A trio of ‘Knight Templar’ victories at Delph, Greenfield and Lees & Springhead was complimented by runner-up spots at Grotton, Scouthead & Austerlands and a fourth at Denshaw.

With the addition of the Saddleworth central prize of £1,000, the Yorkshire Area Champion picked up £4,400 from their podium places, which was enhanced further by another £275 in solo and sectional awards.

Fairey sparkle

‘Knight Templar’ was also the choice of Garry Cutt, who led North West Area champion Fairey into third place overall, thanks to victories at Denshaw and Scouthead, three seconds at Delph, Dobcross and Greenfield, a third at Lydgate and fourth at Uppermill.

Hirst's Knight

In what is always a hard fought local battle for honours, it was Marsden Silver who retained the Saddleworth bragging rights after they competed at eight venues under guest conductor, David Hirst to pick up an estimated £1,800 for their efforts.

Although they were not victorious at any of the contests, the consistency of Milnrow secured second place with the emerging talents of Oldham (Lees) in third.

Glorious

With glorious sunshine heralding the Procession of Witness on Friday morning, the day remained warm and balmy well into the evening, much to the delight of the 133 bands that took part (with record entries at Delph and Greenfield) and the packed crowds that squeezed in venues.

The organisers at Greenfield later confirmed that they had an estimated 4,000 people on the streets watching the bands.

Unlucky 13th

However, Friday 13th proved to be a touch unlucky and lucky in Delph, with organisers having to halt the contest on three occasions after the emergency services were called whilst a film crew from BBC North West Tonight featured the contest live between 6.30 and 7pm interviewing Chairperson, Bob Rodgers, regular attendee, Black Dyke trustee, Ian Thompson and members of Delph Band which was recorded earlier in the day.

Unfortunately, there were at least a couple of occasions when the traditional competitive spirit of the event was called into question.

4BR was informed that due to objections, West Coast Brass has had its prize money rescinded by Denshaw, Diggle, Lydgate and Lees & Springhead contests, after it emerged that they were alleged to have registered as a Fourth Section band instead of the appropriate scratch outfit.

Contest organisers have since expressed their disappointment to 4BR that as a result, such a course of action had to be undertaken.

Polite request

Flookburgh and Huddersfield & Ripponden were therefore promoted in the prize lists at Denshaw, Golborne at Diggle and East Coast Brass at Lydgate. Greenfield & Friezland were the beneficiaries at Lees & Springhead.

4BR has also been advised that another band was disqualified before playing a note, due to a polite request which was made by Greater Manchester Police and subsequently, rudely ignored!

BBC North West Tonight Featur:

To view the Whit Friday feature from Delph click on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5gmSjA2Wvw&feature=youtu.be

I know everyone felt tired but we were also elated with another great contest day; with four wins, two seconds, a third and the added bonus of a deportment prizeProf Nicholas Childs

Official Results:
Saddleworth & Oldham District Championship:

1. Black Dyke — £2,500
2. Brighouse & Rastrick — £1,000
3. Fairey — £750

Local Championship:

1. Marsden Silver — £750
2. Milnrow — £600
3. Oldham (Lees) — £400

Youth: 2nd ROssendale Scouts £250

Contest Venues:

Delph:
84 Bands (Record)

Adjudicator: Mike Kilroy

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £1,000
2. Fairey
3. Black Dyke
4. Hepworth
5. Leyland
6. Salvo Brass

Highest Placed Band not in Championship Section: Kirchenmusic Fluel
Highest Placed 3rd/4th Section before 9.00pm: Boarshurst

Highest Placed Local:
1. Wardle Anderson Brass — £125
2. Diggle — £75

Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Uppermill — £60

Highest Placed Youth:
1. 2nd Rossendale Scouts — £80
2. Tewit Youth

Solo Cornet: Black Dyke — £30
Soprano: Brighouse & Rastrick — £30
Euphonium: Brighouse & Rastrick — £30
Basses: Brighouse & Rastrick — £40
Trombones: Hepworth — £30
Deportment: The Band of the King's Division — £35

Denshaw:
65 Bands (Record)

Adjudicator: Allan Holdsworth

1. Fairey — £1,000
2. Black Dyke — £600
3. Hammonds Saltaire- £400
4. Brighouse & Rastrick — £200

Highest Placed 1st Section:
1. Whitworth Vale & Healey £100
2. Hade Edge £75

Highest Placed 2nd Section:
1. Skelmanthorpe — £100
2. Marple — £75

Highest Placed 3rd Section:
1. Greenalls — £100
2. Golborne — £75

Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Flookburgh — £100
2. Huddersfield & Ripponden — £75

Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Diggle — £150
2. Friezland — £125

Highest Placed Local:
1. Milnrow — £100

Highest Placed non-UK:
1. DeSpijkerpakken

Highest Placed Youth:
1. Wardle Academy — £100
2. Tewit Youth — £75

Spot Prize: Enfield & Potters Bar £100
Best Soprano: Fairey
Best Basses: Black Dyke — £40

Diggle:
59 Bands

Adjudicator: Simon Kerwin

1. Black Dyke — £800
2. Wardle Anderson Brass — £550
3. Milnrow — £400
4. Leyland
5. Fairey
6. Hepworth

Highest Placed 1st/2nd Section:
1. Oldham (Lees) — £150

Highest Placed 3rd/4th Section:
1. Golborne — £150

Highest 4th Section band who hasn't won any other prize:
1. Deepcar Brass — £60

Highest Placed Youth:
1. 2nd Rossendale Scouts — £100

Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Diggle — £125

Highest Placed Local:
1. Marsden Silver — £100

Best Band on the march: 2nd Rossendale Scouts & Risch Rotkreuz
Best Instrumentalist not in Championship Section: Oldham (Lees) (solo cornet) — £30
Best Bass Section: Leyland — £60
Best Solo Cornet: Black Dyke — £30
Best Soprano Cornet: Milnrow — £30
Best Euphonium: Black Dyke — £30

Dobcross
64 Bands:

Adjudicator: David Horsfield

1. Black Dyke — £750
2. Fairey — £500
3. Hammonds Saltaire — £400
4. Kirchenmusik Fluehli
5. Hepworth
6. Marsden Silver

Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Diggle — £200

Highest Placed Local:
1. Marsden Silver — £200

Highest Placed Youth:
1. Tewit Youth — £250
2. 2nd Rossendale Scout Group — £150

Friezland:
44 Bands

Adjudicator: Terry Newbigging

Highest Placed 3rd Section:

1. Constantyn Huygens (Holland) — £150
2. Greenalls
3. City of Chester
4. Darwen Brass
5. Slaithwaite
6. BMP Europe Goodshaw

Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Shrewsbury Brass

Highest Placed Youth:
1. 2nd Rossendale Scouts
2. Tewit Youth

Best Cornet: Brindle Brass
Best Basses: Wardle Academy
Deportment: Wardle Academy
Entertainment: Bramley Brass

Greenfield:
69 Bands (Record)

Adjudicator: Chris Wormald

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £1,000
2. Fairey — £750
3. The Band of the King's Division — £500

Highest 1st Section:
1. City of Bradford — £400
2. Oldham (Lees) — £200

Highest 2nd Section:
1. Elland Silver — £150
2. City of Bristol — £125

Highest 3rd Section
1. City of Chester — £100
2. Littleborough Public — £75

Highest 4th Section:
1. Greenfield £70
2. Frodsham — £60
3. Enfield & Potters Bar — £50

Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Uppermill — £50

Highest Placed Local 4th Section & Below:
1. Greenfield — £50

Highest Placed Local:
1. Oldham (Lees) — £50

Highest Placed Youth
1. Dobcross Youth — £70
2. Delph Youth — £50

Cornet: Brighouse & Rastrick — £100
Euphonium: Brighouse & Rastrick — £50

Deportment: Kings Division of British Army — £50
Entertainment: Bramley Brass — £50

Grotton:
48 Bands

Adjudicator: Ian Brownbill

1. Black Dyke — £600
2. Brighosue & Rastrick — £300
3. Leyland — £150
4. Milnrow — £100
5. City of Bradford
6. Rainford

Highest Placed First Section:
1. City of Bradford — £100
2. Oldham (Lees)

Second Section:
1. Risch- Rotkereuz — £75
2. Delph — £50

Third Section:
1. Chiltern Hills — £75
2. Berlin Concert Brass — £50

Local:
1. Marsden — £100
2. Oldham (Lees) — £75

Youth:
1. Tewit Youth — £100
2. Dobcross Youth — £50

Deportment: Black Dyke — £30
Youth Deportment: Tewit Youth — £25
Best Cornet: Black Dyke — £30
Best Soprano: Black Dyke — £30

Lydgate:
66 Bands

Adjudicator: Derek Southcott

1. Black Dyke — £800
2. Hepworth — £400
3. Fairey — £200
4. Marsden Silver
5. Leyland
6. Milnrow

Highest Placed 1st Section:
1. Roberts Bakery — £150
2. Oldham (Lees) — £75

Highest Placed 2nd Section:
1. Skelmanthorpe — £150
2. Pemberton Old DW 'B' — £75

Highest Placed 3rd Section:
1. Greenalls — £150
2. Littleborough Public — £75

Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Stacksteads — £150
2. East Coast Brass £75.00

Highest Placed Local:
1. Oldham (Band) — £150
2. Lydgate — £75

Highest Placed Youth:
1. 2nd Rossendale Scouts — £150
2. Tewit Youth — £100

Senior Deportment: Sandhurst Silver
Junior Deportment: Tewit Youth

Cornet: Black Dyke
Soprano Cornet: Black Dyke
Basses: Hammonds Saltaire
Trombone: Hepworth
Euphonium: City of Bradford

Lees & Springhead:
45 Bands

Adjudicator: Alan Fernie

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £500
2. Black Dyke — £250
3. Marsden Silver — £150

Highest Placed 1st Section:
1. Brassband Kirchenmusik Fluehli — £75
2. Oldham (Lees) — £50

Highest Placed 2nd Section:
1. Old Silkstone — £75
2. Delph — £50

Highest Placed 3rd Section:
1. Greenalls — £75
2. Boarshurst — £50

Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Greenfield — £75
2. Friezland — £50

Highest Placed Local:
1. Milnrow — £100

Highest Placed within Oldham Metropolitan Borough
1. Oldham (Lees) — £50

Highest Placed Youth:
1. Oldham Music Centre — £50
2. Wardle Academy — £30

Cornet: Marsden Silver — £25
Euphonium: Brighouse & Rastrick — £25
Deportment: — £25

Scouthead & Austerlands:
71 Bands

Adjudicator: Tom Davoren

1. Fairey — £800
2. Brighouse & Rastrick — £400
3. Oldham (Lees) — £300
4. Leyland- £200


Highest Placed 1st Section:
1. Roberts Bakery — £125
2. De Spijkerpakken — £75
3. Longridge — £50

Highest Placed 2nd Section:
1. Marple — £125
2. Besses O' th' Barn — £75
3. Old Silkstone — £50

Highest Placed 3rd Section:
1. Boarshurst Silver — £125
2. Stamford — £75
3. Slaithwaite — £50

Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Flookburgh — £125
2. Greenfield — £75
3. Huddersfield & Ripponden — £50

Highest Placed Local:
1. Marsden Silver — £125
2. Milnrow — £75
3. Wardle Anderson — £50

Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Diggle — £125
2. Dobcross — £75
3. Uppermill — £50

Highest Placed Youth:
1. Tewit Youth — £125
2. Oldham Music Centre — £75
3. Wardle Academy — £50

Soloist: Solo cornet of Oldham (Lees) — £25
Soprano Cornet: Fairey — £25
Best Basses: Brighouse & Rastrick
First Band to Play: Southampton University — £30

Deportment:
Joint winners: Brighouse & Rastrick and Sale Brass (£25 each)
Youth: Joint winners: Tewit Youth and Wardle Academy (£25 each)

Uppermill:
51 Bands

Adjudicator: David Marshall

1. Leyland — £1,000
2. Marsden Silver — £300
3. City of Bradford — £250
4. Fairey — £200
5. Constantyn Huygens (Holland)
6. Wardle Anderson

Highest Placed First Section:
1. Flixton — £100

Highest Placed Second Section:
1. Delph — £85

Highest Placed Third Section:
1. Constantyn Huygens (Holland) — £75

Highest Placed Fourth Section:
1. Oughtibridge — £65

Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Boarshurst Silver

Highest Placed Local:
1. Diggle — £175

Highest Placed Youth:
1. Dobcross Youth — £150

Local Deportment: Diggle — £100
Deportment: MusikGesellschaft Risch-Rotkreuz

Best Soloist: Marsden Silver — £30