Brighouse & Rastrick made sure that it was once again the colour purple that adorned the honours board for the Saddleworth & Oldham District Whit Friday contests as they secured their fourth consecutive overall title success.

Led by Dr David Thornton and resplendent in their high-collar Whit Friday tunics, the Yorkshire champion secured six victories on 'Knight Templar' at Delph, Dobcross, Greenfield, Grotton, Lees & Springhead and Lydgate to bag a prize fund of around £8,170 — one that may be further boosted once all the individual awards are accounted for.

It saw the West Riding band beat off the strong challenge from podium finishers Oldham Band (Lees) and Fairey, with Leyland, Hepworth and the popular scratch band, Chav Brass making up remaining top six places.

Happy

No wonder the MD (who also notched up a personal hat-trick of conducting wins at the event) was a happy man when 4BR finally managed to catch up with him after a busy weekend.

'Whit Friday is always a highlight of the year for the band,"David Thornton said. "The atmosphere on the night was fantastic and the players responded superbly. The concentration was there from the very first note — just like any concert or contest performance."

He added: "I have nothing but pride for their achievements and it sets us up nicely for the coming weekend at the Band of the Year contest and an imminent CD recording with Steven Mead. Now it's back to the bandroom for more hard work."

David's comment were reinforced by a very proud President, Lyndon Stacey who added: "First of all we would like to thank all the contest organisers for their tireless work in making Whit Friday one of the most important community events in the UK.

Win or lose, the band feels the contests provides us with a perfect opportunity to reach out to audiences and fans, make new friends and meet up with old ones. We respect the tradition — and it also enables to give those famous uniforms an airing. I'm very proud of the achievements of the band and the way they performed under David's baton."

In response, trombone player Ryan Watkins added; "It's always a great feeling to perform around the circuit with Brighouse. We get a wonderful welcome and to be crowned Saddleworth Champions for the fourth time in a row means a great deal to us."

Rising credentials

The rising contesting credentials of Oldham Band (Lees) were once again displayed as they came runner-up (they were third in 2018), taking the spoils (and over £4,000) thanks to victories at Denshaw and Scouthead & Austerlands with their thrilling accounts of 'The Wizard' under John Collins.

It meant that Fairey's under Garry Cutt had to be content with third overall, with just one victory at Diggle and podium finishes at Delph, Dobcross, Greenfield, Grotton and a fourth at at Scouthead & Austerlands pocketing them around £3,500 in prize money.

Local Championship

In the Local Championship battle it was Milnrow led by Dennis Hadfield who produced excellent performances of 'Mephistopheles' to take the title, as they edged out Marsden Silver who had to be content with runners up.

There was great delight though for Uppermill with the band gaining a financial boost of an extra £400 ahead of the National Finals at Cheltenham in September by coming third.

Youth winners

The keenly fought Youth championship eventually went to Wardle Academy who can now boast a CV that includes the current European, Brass in Concert and National Youth Championship titles. The band, along with the youngster of Wardle Junior Blast, received rapturous ovations wherever they played throughout the evening.

As always there was media interests in the contests with BrassPass.tv streaming live from Denshaw, whilst there was a warm welcome offered to the contingent of overseas bands, including the Icelanders of Brass Band Reyjavik, the Swedes of Lund University and the Canadians of Weston Silver. It was wonderful to see all of them also take part in the traditional Whit Walks before competing in the contests.

They were joined by the Norwegian quartet of Alexander Brass Band, Krapfoss Hornorkester, Rong Brass and Skeie Brass who added to the internal flavor of the event alongside the carnival fun and games of the great scratch band outfits.

March prize

A new prize for the performance of a new march by Mode For....Publishing Director Tabby Kerwin who was judging at Diggle, proved to be a great success. Tabby announced on social media that the winner was 'P.W.B.B.' written for the Putney & Wimbledon Brass Band by Derek Broadbent.

Over the course of the weekend, some amendments were made with the results (all met with good grace by the competitors) with the organisers reporting a good rapport with bands on what was a Whit Friday of variable weather conditions.

The atmosphere on the night was fantastic and the players responded superbly. The concentration was there from the very first note — just like any concert or contest performanceDavid Thornton

Results:

Saddleworth & Oldham District Open Championship:

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £2,500
2. Oldham Band (Lees ) — £1,000
3. Fairey — £750

Local Championship

1. Milnrow — £750
2. Marsden Silver — £600
3. Uppermill — £400

Youth Championship

1. Wardle Academy — £250

Delph:

(81 Bands)
Adjudicator: Mike Kilroy

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £1,000
2. Hepworth — £750
3. Milnrow — £400
4. Aldbourne — £300
5. Leyland — £250
6. Fairey — £200
7. Chav Brass — £150

Best non-Championship Section Band:
1. Alexander Band — £150

Best Third/Fourth Section Band:
1. Whitworth Vale & Healey — £150

Best Local Band:
1. Oldham Music Centre — £150
2. Uppermill — £80

Best Saddleworth Band:
1. Diggle — £60

Best Youth Band:
1. Wardle Academy Youth — £100
2. Rochdale Borough Youth — £60

Deportment:
1. Tewit Youth — £35

Best Cornet: Brighouse & Rastrick — £30
Best Euphonium: Brighouse & Rastrick — £30
Best Soprano: Hepworth — £30
Best Basses: Brighouse & Rastrick — £40
Best Trombones: Brighouse & Rastrick — £30

Denshaw:

(59 Bands)
Adjudicator: Allan Holdsworth

1. Oldham Band (Lees) — £1000
2. Brighouse & Rastrick — £600
3. Chav Brass — £400
4. City of Bradford — £200
5. Hepworth
6. Haslingden & Helmshore

Best First Section:
1. Haslingden & Helmshore — £100
2. Weston Silver — £75

Best Second Section:
1. Allerton Brass — £100
2. Tyldesley — £75

Best Third Section:
1. Krapfoss Hornorkester — £100
2. Greenalls — £75

Best Fourth Section:
1. Richmond — £100
2. Loxley — £75

Best Saddleworth:
1. Delph — £150
2. Uppermill — £125

Best Local:
1. Marsden Silver — £100

Best Non-UK Band:
1. Brassband Rejkjavikur (Iceland) — £100

Best Youth Band:
1. Wardle Academy — £100
2. Tewit Youth — £75

Best Soprano: City of Bradford
Best Bass Section: Brighouse & Rastrick — £40
Spot Prize: City of Chester — £100

Diggle:

(57 Bands)
Adjudicator: Tabby Kerwin

1. Fairey — £800
2. Foden's — £500
3. Leyland — £400
4. Oldham Band (Lees) — £250
5. Aldbourne
6. Chav Brass

Best First/Second Band:
1. Hebden Bridge — £150
2. Skelmanthorpe Prospect Brass — £150

Best Third/Fourth Section Band:
1. Uppermill — £150

Best Saddleworth Band:
1. Diggle — £125

Holden Prize: Milnrow — £100

Best Unregistered Band:
1. Chav Brass — £100

Peter Blacker Prize: Skelmersdale — £60

Best Newly published march: Putney & Wimbledon — £100.00
Best Youth Band: Oldham Music Centre — £100

Best Bass Section: Fairey — £60
Best Solo Cornet: Leyland — £30
Best Youth Soloist: Solo Cornet, Tewit Youth — £50
Best Soprano: Foden's — £30
Best Euphonium: Leyland — £30
Best Instrumentalist (not in Championship Band): Bad Ass Brass — £30
Best Band on march: 2nd Rossendale Scouts and Uppermill — £50

Dobcross:

(68 Bands)
Adjudicator: Brian Rostron

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £750
2. Oldham Band (Lees) — £500
3. Fairey — £400

Best Saddleworth Band: Boarshurst Silver — £200
Best Local Band: Oldham Band (Lees)
Best Local Band Whit Friday morning: Boarshurst Silver — £75

Youth:
1: Wardle Academy Youth — £150
2. Rochdale Borough Youth Band — £150

Friezland:

(37 Bands)
Adjudicator: Tim Newbigging

1. Eccleston Brass
2. Uppermill
3. City of Chester
4. Hawk Green
5. Greenalls
6. Rochdale Borough Youth

Best Fourth Section Band:
1. Skeie Brass

Youth:
1. Rochdale Borough Youth
2. Oldham Music Centre Youth

Best Cornet: Friezland
Best Basses: 2nd Rossendale Scout Group Band
Best Deportment: 2nd Rossendale Scout Group Band
Best Entertainment: Oldham Music Centre Youth
Best University: University of Sheffield

Greenfield:

(69 Bands)
Adjudicator: Chris Wormald

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £1,000
2. Fairey — £750
3. Leyland — £500
4. Longridge

Best First Section:
1. Longridge
2. Boarshurst Silver

Best Second Section:
1. Allerton Brass — £150
2. Rochdale Borough Youth — £125

Best Third Section:
1. Uppermill — £100
2. Hawk Green — £75

Best Fourth Section:
1. Penrith Town — £70
2. Wardle Academy Youth — £60
3. Putney & Wimbledon — £50

Best Youth Band:
1. Rochdale Borough Youth — £70
2. Wardle Academy — £50

Best Overseas Band: Skeie Brass — £50
Best Local Band: Oldham Band (Lees) — £50
Best Saddleworth Band: Boarshurst Silver — £50
Best Local Fourth Section: Friezland — £50
Best Youth Solo: Rochdale Borough Youth
Best Saddleworth Youth Band: Saddleworth Youth Band

Best Deportment:
1. Barnton Silver — £100
2. Fairey — £50

Best Entertainment:
1. Chav Brass — £100
2. Greatest Show Band

Grotton:

(50 Bands) Record*
Adjudicator: Christopher Bond

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £700
2. Fairey — £350
3. City of Bradford — £150
4. Oldham Band (Lees) — £100
5. Hepworth
6. Milnrow

Best First Section:
1. Weston Silver — £150
2. Hebden Bridge — £50

Best Second Section:
1. Delph — £150
2. Greenfield — £50

Best Third/Fourth Section:
1. Uppermill — £150
2. Eccleston Brass — £50

Best Local:
1. Milnrow — £150
2. Marsden Silver — £75

Best Youth:
1. Wardle Academy Youth — £150
2. Rochdale Borough Youth — £50

Deportment: £30
Youth Deportment: £25
Best Cornet: Oldham Band (Lees) — £30
Best Soprano: City of Bradford — £30

Lees & Springhead

(43 Bands)
Adjudicator: Alan Fernie

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £500
2. Milnrow — £250
3. Hepworth — £150
4. Oldham Band (Lees)
5. Leyland
6. Boarshurst Silver

Best First Section:
1. Boarshurst Silver — £75
2. Flixton — £50

Best Second Section:
1. Pemberton Old DW Wigan 'B' — £75
2. Hade Edge — £50

Best Third Section:
1. Krapfoss Hornorkester — £75
2. Eccleston — £50

Best Fourth Section:
1. Skelmersdale Prize — £75
2. University of Warwick — £50

Best Youth:
1. Wardle Academy — £75
2. Rochdale Borough Youth — £30

Best Local:
1. Oldham Band (Lees) — £100

Best Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council:
1. Boarshurst Silver — £50

Best Cornet: Brighouse & Rastrick — £25
Best Euphonium: Brighouse & Rastrick — £25

Best Deportment: Brighouse & Rastrick — £50
Best Youth Deportment: Wardle Academy — £50

Lydgate:

(77 Bands) Record*
Adjudicator: Sam Fisher

1. Brighouse & Rastrick — £850
2. Leyland — £450
3. Chav Brass — £250
4. Fairey
5. Hepworth
6. Oldham Band (Lees)

Best First Section:
1. Bodmin Town — £150
2. Longridge — £100

Best Second Section:
1. Pemberton Old Wigan — £150
2. Epsom & Ewell — £100

Best Third Section:
1. Uppermill — £150
2. Whitworth Vale & Healey — £100

Best Fourth Section:
1. Penrith Town — £150
2. Putney & Wimbledon — £100

Best Local:
1. Oldham Band (Lees) — £150
2. Uppermill — £100

Best Youth:
1. Wardle Academy Youth — £150
2. Rochdale Borough Youth — £100

Best Unregistered: Chav Brass — £75
Best Deportment: Milnrow Band — £100
Youth Deportment: Tewit Youth — £60
Best Cornet: Milnrow Band
Best Youth Soprano: Wardle Academy Youth
Best Euphonium: Leyland
Best Bass Section: Brighouse & Rastrick
Best Trombones: Brighouse & Rastrick

Scouthead & Austerlands:

(63 Bands)
Adjudicator: Jonathan Pippen

1. Oldham Band (Lees) — £800
2. Leyland — £400
3. Hepworth — £300
4. Fairey — £200

First Section:
1. Boarshurst Silver — £125
2. Prospect Brass Skelmanthorpe — £75
3. Longridge — £50

Second Section:
1. Hade Edge — £125
2. Delph — £75
3. Epsom & Ewell — £50

Third Section:
1. Whitworth Vale & Healey — £125
2. Kropfoss Hornorkester — £75
3. Hawk Green — £50

Fourth Section:
1. Skelmsdale Prize — £125
2. Penrith Town — £75
3. Diggle B — £50

Highest Placed Overseas Band: Lund University (Sweden) — £100

Best Local:
1. Milnrow — £125
2. Marsden Silver — £75
3. Greenfield — £50

Best Youth:
1. Wardle Academy — £125
2. Rochdale Borough Youth — £75
3. Tewit Youth — £50

Best Saddleworth:
1. Uppermill — £125
2. Diggle — £75
3. Dobcross Silver — £50

Deportment: Boarshurst Silver — £50
Junior Deportment: Tewit Youth — £50

Best Soloist: Solo Cornet, Oldham Band (Lees) — £25
Best Soprano: Oldham Band (Lees) — £25
Best Bass Section: Bad Ass Brass — £50
First Band to Play: Chav Brass — £30

Uppermill:

(54 Bands)
Adjudicator: David Marshall

1. City of Bradford — £1,000
2. Chav Brass — £300
3. Foden's £250
4. Milnrow — £200
5= Leyland
5= Oldham Band (Lees)

Best Euphonium: Foden's — £30

Highest Placed Local: Oldham Band (Lees) — £175

Best First Section:
1. Rong Brass — £100

Best Second Section:
1. Allerton Beass — £85

Best Third Section:
1. Valley Brass — £75

Best Fourth Section:
1. Skei Brass — £65

Best Saddleworth band not in prizes:
1. Boarshurst Silver — £65

Best Youth Section:
1. Wardle Academy Youth — £150

Deportment: Diggle — £65
Local Deportment: — Uppermill — £50