A number of leading English bands have agreed to help towards the costs of the English representative band attending future European Championships.

Welcome initiative

Speaking about the welcome initiative, Foden's Band Manager, Mark Wilkinson told 4BR: "Last month Brighouse & Rastrick Band held a collection at one of their events to help contribute towards the costs of Foden's attending the 2020 European Championships in Palanga.

Following this very generous offer we thought it would be a great gesture if a number of the country's leading bands, including ourselves would consider making a financial contribution to future English representative at the event."

Agreement

Mark revealed that following constructive conversations with representatives from the management teams at Black Dyke, Brighouse, Grimethorpe, Fairey and Leyland prior to the National Championship in London, it was agreed that each would in future make a financial contribution to the qualifying English representative to help support the costs involved.

It was hoped that it would help reduce the individual costs to each player involved, enabling the bands to secure their attendance at future events, which in the coming years will include, Malmo in Sweden, Innsbruck in Austria and Stavanger in Norway.

Heartening

He added: "This has been a heartening collective approach that puts aside traditional rivalry and instead emphasises the pride we all have in being the English representative at the foremost brass band Championship in the world."

The current qualification process for English bands is based on the invitation being made to the highest placed English band at the National Championship of Great Britain.

Black Dyke's runner-up finish at the Royal Albert Hall this year means that they will represent the nation in Malmo in 2021.

This has been a heartening collective approach that puts aside traditional rivalry and instead emphasises the pride we all have in being the English representative at the foremost brass band Championship in the worldFoden's

Consider joining

Mark added: "The qualification process for English bands means that any band that enters the regional championships and qualifies for the Albert Hall could become the nation's representative.

We would therefore like to think that other bands would consider being part of this initiative. In 2010 it will be Black Dyke, but it could well be them in future who could benefit from the support of their rivals."