The Fairey Band, led by Garry Cutt, has claimed the overall Saddleworth & Oldham District Championship Whit Friday title for the first time since 1996.
Drama
However, on an evening of late night excitement, which soon turned into a weekend of intrigue and drama, the official result was left in the balance until the outcome of an objection, subsequently made on the Saturday at the Delph Contest, had been heard and decided upon.
It transpired that two bands (later confirmed on investigation by 4BR as Fairey and Brighouse & Rastrick) had entered written objections to question whether Black Dyke (who had initially been declared the winner) had broken contest rules on the Friday night.
Repercussions
A resultant meeting to consider the possible infringement, found that Rule 2 (that the competing band in question must be signed in and ready to play at the time of being asked by the contest officials) had been broken — and the objection was upheld.
The Delph contest organisers issued the following statement to 4BR the day after the event:
"Following two official objections on the following day, Delph contest has consulted and decided that Rule 2 has been contravened. Subsequently, Black Dyke Band has been disqualified and the overall result changed accordingly."
Subsequent statement
The full details of the decision were given in a subsequent statement issued on Monday evening:
"In the decision to disqualify Black Dyke at the Quickstep Contest, Rule No.2 was considered in the light of two formal complaints, which arrived on the Saturday, after the contest had finished.
Black Dyke readily admits to not being present when they were first called and Prof Nicholas Childs stated to the Booking in Steward that the band would not play if it was a problem.
There was an initial objection to their late arrival by a competing band, which was rescinded before either of them was due to march down. Therefore at that moment there was no problem.
The remaining bands were in agreement that Black Dyke could play on the understanding that they fully understood it was through goodwill. Hands were shaken and the situation thought to have been addressed.
Following the two complaints during Saturday, it has been necessary to uphold Rule 2, and Delph Quickstep Contest Committee will review their booking in procedures to ensure such an incident does not occur in the future.
Our apologies go to all bands in the competition, including Black Dyke, who in hindsight, should not have been allowed to play.
It is hoped that this incident will now be closed and will not mar the future of the Delph Quickstep Contest."
Rev'd John Rosedale
Mary Rodgers
31.05.15
Repercussions
The repercussions were far reaching:
Black Dyke was subsequently disqualified at the Delph Contest, with all other competitors moved up one place in the results — including Fairey, who was declared winner of the £1,000 first prize.
With additional victories at Lees & Springhead and Uppermill, as well as a trio of runner-up spots at Dobcross, Greenfield and Scouthead & Austerlands, it proved crucial in giving the North West Area champion their first overall Saddleworth Championship title by the narrowest of margins.
Fairey's also picked up a trio of third places courtesy of their consistent performances of 'Knight Templar' which following the official announcement of the results looks to have guaranteed them around £7,500 in prize money (which included the overall Saddleworth first prize of £2,500).
Consistency
With the final results not formally known, it wasn't until late on Monday that 4BR managed to catch up with Fairey's MD, Garry Cutt.
"To do well at Whit Friday you have perform to the highest level of consistency,"he said.
"You are playing against the very best bands on the Saddleworth circuit — so if you are not on the very top of your form, you won't feature in the prizes. I'm delighted at the way the band performed — and that we have once again won the overall title for the first time, we believe, in nearly twenty years."
Fairey was also followed on the day by a BBC broadcast crew for a feature to be shown later in the year. "I'm sure they enjoyed the occasion — especially when they found out how cold it can be at certain contest venues when the sun isn't shining!"Garry added.
Dyke second
The eventual outcome of the Delph contest mean that Black Dyke and Professor Nicholas Childs had to be content with second place overall, bagging an extra £1,000 from the central prize fund to go with prizes won with four victories on 'Knight Templar' at Denshaw, Dobcross, Greenfield and Lydgate
A second place at Lees & Springhead and a fourth at Grotton will see the European, Open and National Champion bank around £5,000.
Brighouse third
Third place overall went to Brighouse & Rastrick under Professor David King, with the Australian opting to forgo their usual Whit Friday selections of 'Ravenswood' or 'Knight Templar', by performing George Allen's 'The Wizard'.
What they did not forgo however was their splendid old-fashioned tunics as they secured victories at Grotton and Scouthead, a quartet of second spots at Delph, Denshaw, Lydgate and Uppermill and third place at Greenfield and Dobcross as they bagged around £5,000 for their efforts.
Milnrow local champion
Meanwhile, the battle for the local bragging rights saw Mark Bentham's confident Milnrow, fresh from their fine result at the All England Masters, come out on top after competing at nine venues that included podium finishes at Delph, Grotton and Lees & Springhead.
The runner-up spot went to Marsden Silver, led by Brian Grant, as they performed at all ten venues, whilst Oldham (Lees) with Cory's Chris Thomas and BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Award winner, Grant Jameson in their ranks, secured victory at Diggle and a fourth at Uppermill key to finish third under the baton of John Collins.
Wardle Academy Youth continued to have a 2015 to remember as the triple titles winners added a fourth to their name in the space of five months by being crowned Youth Champion.
Following the two complaints during Saturday, it has been necessary to uphold Rule 2, and Delph Quickstep Contest Committee will review their booking in procedures to ensure such an incident does not occur in the futureDelph Contest
Results:
Saddleworth & Oldham District Open Championship:
1. Fairey — £2,500
2. Black Dyke — £1,000
3. Brighouse & Rastrick — £750
Local Championship
1. Milnrow — £750
2. Marsden Silver — £600
3. Oldham (Lees) — £400
Youth Championship
1. Wardle Academy Youth — £250
Venues:
Delph:
(76 Bands)
Adjudicator: Mike Kilroy
1. Fairey — £1,000
2. Brighouse & Rastrick — £750
3. Milnrow — £400
4. Hepworth — £300
5. Asenhoga- £250
6. Haslingden & Helmshore — £200
7. Salvo Brass — £150
Black Dyke (initially placed first) disqualified for the contravention of Contest Rule 2
Highest Placed Band not in Championship Section: Brass Band Frutigen- £150
Highest Placed 3rd/4th Section before 9.00pm: Kingsway Printers (Cleethorpes) — £150
Highest Placed Local:
1. Marsden Silver — £150
Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Delph — £60
Highest Placed Youth:
1. Oldham Music Centre — £100
2. 2nd Rossendale Scout — £60
Solo Cornet: Brighouse & Rastrick — £30
Soprano: Fairey — £30
Euphonium: Fairey — £30
Basses: — £40
Trombones: — £30
Deportment: The Band of the King's Division — £35
Denshaw:
(66 Bands — record)
Adjudicator: Allan Holdsworth
1. Black Dyke — £1,000
2. Brighouse & Rastrick — £600
3. Fairey — £400
4. Hammonds Saltaire — £300
Highest Placed 1st Section:
1. Roberts Bakery — £150
2. Elland Silver
Highest Placed 2nd Section:
1. Flixton
2. Amersham
Highest Placed 3rd Section:
1. Stamford Brass
2. Stacksteads
Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Deepcar Brass
2. Oughtibridge
Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Diggle
2. Delph
Highest Placed Local:
1. Marsden Silver
Highest Placed non-UK:
1. City of Traralgon
Highest Placed Youth:
1. Tewit Youth
2. Wardle Academy Youth
Spot Prize: Chiltern Hills Brass
Best Soprano: Brighouse & Rastrick — £30
Best Basses: Black Dyke — £30
Diggle:
(63 Bands — record)
Adjudicator: Simon Kerwin
1. Oldham (Lees) — £800
2. Diggle — £500
3. Wantage Silver — £400
4. Elland Silver
5. Marsden Silver
6. Orterby Band
Highest Placed 1st/2nd Section:
1. Elland Silver — £150
Highest Placed 3rd/4th Section:
1. Boarshurst Silver — £150
Highest Placed Unregistered Band:
1. Orterby Band — £100
Highest 4th Section band who hasn't won any other prize:
1. East Coast Brass — £60
Highest Placed Youth:
1. 2nd Rossendale Scout — £100
Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Delph — £125
Holden Prize: Marsden Silver — £100
Best Band on the march: Detlingen — £30
Best Instrumentalist not in Championship Section: Diggle — £30
Best Bass Section: Elland Silver — £60
Best Solo Cornet: Diggle — £30
Best Soprano: Wantage Silver — £30
Best Euphonium: Oldham (Lees) — £30
Dobcross:
(69 Bands)
Adjudicator: David Childs
1. Black Dyke — £750
2. Fairey — £500
3. Brighouse & Rastrick — £400
4. Chav Brass
5. Hammonds Saltaire
6. Oldham (Lees)
Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Dobcross Silver
Highest Placed Local:
1. Oldham (Lees)
Highest Placed Youth:
1. Dobcross Youth
2. Rochdale Borough Youth
First Band:
Frutigen
Best Junior Soloist:
Principal Cornet (Dobcross Youth)
Best Junior Player:
Tenor Horn (Dobcross Youth)
Best Local Junior Soloist:
Principal Cornet (Dobcross Youth)
Best Youth Soprano Player:
Rochdale Borough Youth
Best Youth Trombone:
2nd Rossendale Scout Band
Friezland:
(41 Bands)
Adjudicator: Terry Newbigging
1. Golborne — £200
2. Rivington & Adlington — £100
3. Parr St Helens — £50
Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Celtic Brass
Highest Placed Youth:
1. 2nd Rossendale Scouts
2. Wardle Academy Youth
Best Cornet: Brindle Band
Best Basses: Oldham Music Centre Youth
Deportment: Wardle Academy Youth
Entertainment: Lancaster University
Greenfield:
(69 Bands)
Adjudicator: Chris Wormald
1. Black Dyke — £1,000
2. Fairey — £750
3. Brighouse & Rastrick — £500
Highest 1st Section:
1. Roberts Bakery — £400
2. Elland Silver — £200
Highest 2nd Section:
1. Greenfield — £150
2. Uppermill — £125
Highest 3rd Section
1. Boarshurst Silver — £100
2. Stamford Brass — £75
Highest 4th Section:
1. Allerton £70
2. Enfield — £60
3. Charles Church Camberley — £50
Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Greenfield — £50
Highest Placed Local 4th Section & Below:
1. Lees — £50
Highest Placed Local:
1. Oldham (Lees) — £50
Highest Placed Youth
1. Rochdale Borough Youth — £70
2. Wardle Academy Youth — £50
Cornet: Black Dyke — £100
Euphonium: Brighouse & Rastrick — £50
Deportment:
1. Band of the Kings Division — £100
2. City of Tralagon — £50
Entertainment:
1. Hope Youth
2. Thriller
Grotton:
(48 Bands)
Adjudicator: Stephen Tighe
1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £600
2. Milnrow — £300
3. Fairey — £150
4. Black Dyke — £100
5. Marsden Silver
6. Elland Silver
First Section:
1. Elland Silver — £100
2. Diggle — £75
Second Section:
1. Uppermill — £75
2. Emley — £50
Third Section:
1. Boarshurst — £75
2. Golborne
Local:
1. Marsden Silver — £100
2. Uppermill — £75
Youth:
1. Wardle Academy Youth — £100
2. Tewit Youth — £50
Deportment: Black Dyke — £30
Youth Deportment: Tewit Youth — £25
Best Cornet: Milnrow — £30
Best Soprano: Brighouse & Rastrick — £30
Lydgate:
(74 Bands)
Adjudicator: Derek Southcott
1. Black Dyke — £850
2. Brighouse & Rastick — £450
3. Fairey — £250
4. Hammonds Saltaire
5. Elland Silver
6. York Railway Institute
Highest Placed 1st Section:
1. Elland Silver
2. Hade Edge
Highest Placed 2nd Section:
1. Uppermill
2. Skelmanthorpe Prospect
Highest Placed 3rd Section:
1. Boarshurst Silver
2. Greenfield
Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Uttoxeter
2. Rode Hall Silver
Highest Placed Local:
1. Oldham (Lees)
2. Uppermill
Highest Placed Youth:
1. Wardle Academy Youth
2. 2nd Rossendale Scouts
Senior Deportment: Black Dyke
Junior Deportment: Tewitt Youth
Cornet: Black Dyke
Soprano Cornet: Black Dyke
Euphonium: Black Dyke
Basses: Brighouse & Rastrick
Trombone: Hammonds Saltaire
Horns: Brighouse & Rastrick
Lees & Springhead:
(39 Bands)
Adjudicator: Alan Fernie
1. Fairey — £500
2. Black Dyke — £250
3. Milnrow — £150
Highest Placed 1st Section:
1. Diggle — £75
2. Lindley — £50
Highest Placed 2nd Section:
1. Flixton — £75
2. Uppermill — £50
Highest Placed 3rd Section:
1. Boarshurst Silver — £75
2. Greenfield — £50
Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Lees — £75
2. Brindle — £50
Highest Placed Local:
1. Diggle — £100
Highest Placed within Oldham Metropolitan Borough
1. Boarshurst Silver — £50
Highest Placed Youth:
1. Wardle Academy Youth — £50
2. 2nd Rossendale Scouts — £30
Cornet: Fairey — £25
Euphonium: Black Dyke — £25
Deportment: Brass Band Detligen — £50
Youth Deportment: Wardle Academy Youth — £50
Scouthead & Austerlands:
(69 Bands)
Adjudicator: Jonathan Pippen
1. Brighouse & Rastrick- £800
2. Fairey — £400
3. Hammonds Saltaire — £300
4. Marsden Silver — £200
5. Foden's
6. Black Dyke
Highest Placed 1st Section:
1. Roberts Bakery — £125
2. Hade Edge — £75
3. Asenhoga — £50
Highest Placed 2nd Section:
1. Flixton — £125
2. Uppermill — £75
3. Skelmanthorpe Prospect — £50
Highest Placed 3rd Section:
1. Boarshurst Silver — £125
2. City of Traralgon — £75
3. Kingsway Printers Cleethorpes — £50
Highest Placed 4th Section:
1. Ratby Mid — £125
2. Deepcar — £75
3. Oughtibridge — £50
Highest Placed Local:
1. Milnrow — £125
2. Oldham (Lees) — £75
3. Dobcross — £50
Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Diggle — £125
2. Greenfield — £75
3. Lydgate — £50
Highest Placed Youth:
1. 2nd Rossendale Scouts — £125
2. Tewit Youth — £75
3. Hope Bank Youth — £50
Soloist: Brighouse & Rastrick (Cornet) — £25
Soprano Cornet: Hammonds Saltaire — £25
Best Basses: Roberts Bakery — £50
First Band to Play: East Coast Brass — £30
Deportment:
Winners: Brighouse & Rastrick — £50
Youth Winners: Tewitt Youth — £50
Uppermill:
(55 Bands)
Adjudicator: David Marshall
1. Fairey — £1,000
2. Brighouse & Rastrick — £300
3. Asenhoga Brass Band — £200
4. Oldham (Lees) Band — £200
5. Orterby Band
6. Enderby
Highest Placed First Section:
1. Enderby
Highest Placed Second Section:
1. Flixton
Highest Placed Third Section:
1. Greenfield
Highest Placed Fourth Section:
1. Holywell
Highest Placed Saddleworth:
1. Diggle
Highest Placed Local:
1. Marsden Silver
Highest Placed Youth:
1. Wardle Academy Youth
Deportment:
Best: City of Traralgon
Local: Boarshurst Silver
Best Euphonium: Brighouse & Rastrick
