*
banner

Strong field prepares for high Wire challenges

There is a strong turn-out of contenders ready to test their early season form at the Brass in the Wire and British Open Youth in the Wire contests in Warrington later this month.

Parr Hall
  The competition will take place at Parr Hall and Pyramid in Warrington

There will be a fine turn-out of competing bands at the forthcoming 2020 Brass in the Wire 2020 & British Open Youth in the Wire Championships to be held at Parr Hall and Pyramid in Warrington on Sunday 26th January.

The event continues to enjoy generous support from R. Banks & Son (Funerals Ltd) under proprietor Brian Halliwell and marks a return to the venue that hosted the contest in 1983 and 1984.

British Open link

A new initiative in 2020 will see the Championship and First Section events combined, although separate prizes will be given to the 'Highest Placed' bands in each section. Qualification to the British Open Spring Festival remains the same.

Championship Section:


Parr Hall
Test Piece choices: A Tale As Yet Untold (Philip Sparke) or Legacy for Brass Band (Tom Davoren)
Adjudicator: Paul Andrews and Sandy Smith
Start: 1.00pm (approx)

City of Bradford (Lee Skipsey)
Crofton Silver (tba)
Flixton (Matthew Ryan)
Foresters Brass (Gareth Brindle)
Freckleton (Matt Shaw)
Harrogate (Leigh Baker)
Haverhill Silver (Paul Filby)
Hepworth (Ryan Watkins)
Lindley (Mike Golding)
Longridge (Mark Peacock)
Mossley (Duncan Byers)
Newstead Brass (Jim Davies)
Roberts Bakery (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
Shirebrook Miners Welfare (Jim Henson)
Thoresby Colliery (Mike Howley)
York Railway Institute (David Lancaster)
Yorkshire Imperial David Urquhart Travel (Garry Hallas)

Second Section:


The Exhibition Hall — Pyramid
Test Pieces: The Golden Sabre — Tales of the Hussar-Poet, Denis Davydov (Kit Turnbull)
Adjudicators: Ian Brownbill and Sara Groarke-Booth
Start: 2.30pm (approx)

BD1 Brass (Lee Skipsey)
Crewe Brass (Matt Pithers)
Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
Farnworth & Walkden (Dan Price)
Old Hall Brass (John North)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW B (Alistair Burrows)
Slaithwaite (Matt Hindle)

Third Section:


The Exhibition Hall — Pyramid
Test Piece: Endurance (Andrew Baker)
Adjudicators: Ian Brownbill and Mareika Gray
Start: 1.00pm (approx)

Audley Brass (Tom Hancock)
City of Chester (Matthew Birkett)
Pilling Jubilee Silver (Steve Hartly)
Thornton Cleveleys (Dave Houghton)

Fourth Section:


The Exhibition Hall — Pyramid
Test Pieces: Neverland (Christopher Bond) and A Bournemouth Suite (Benjamin Tubb)
Adjudicators: Ian Brownbill and Mareika Gray
Start: 10.30am

Brindle (Matthew Balson)
Dobcross Silver (Jason M Smith)
Golborne (Joshua Hughes)
Red Admiral Brass (Stuart Barton)
Skelmersdale Prize (Ben Coulson)
Stacksteads (Fred Bowker)

The British Open Youth in the Wire Festival


The Parr Hall
Own Choice 20 minute programme
Adjudicators: John Doyle and Sara Groarke- Booth
Start: 10.00am

Elland Silver Youth
Oldham Music Centre Youth
Pemberton Old Wigan DW Youth
St Helens Youth
Youth Brass 2000

The results and prize presentation will take place at the conclusion of each section.

Become a supporter and help make our future secure.

4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world. Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.

Support us    


NYGGB

National Youth Band opportunities

May 8 • The National Youth Band of Great Britain is looking to appoint new trustees and a librarian to help strengthen the organisation's heritage and future.


Albert Hall

Albert Hall tickets now on sale

May 8 • Tickets for the 2026 Championship Section National Final at the Royal Albert Hall are now on sale.


Band Supplies

Summer deals to grab at Band Supplies

May 8 • There are plenty of great deals to grab at Band Supplies on ex-demo and second hand instruments.


Emergency

BBE to host emergency planning webinar

May 8 • Make sure you have plans in place to protest valuable musical and memorabilia assets if potential disaster strikes.


Harlow Brass Band - SPRING CONCERT - AN ANIMATION SENSATION

Saturday 16 May • St Andrew's Methodist Church. The Stow. Harlow. CM20 3AF


Sherborne Town Band - Free-Music in the park

Sunday 17 May • Dorchester- Park Bandstand DT1 1RG


Newstead Brass - Mansfield MVC - Brass and Voices

Sunday 24 May • Forest Town Arena. Clipstone Road West,. Mansfield NG19 0EE


Contest: Whit Friday March Contests

Friday 29 May • Saddleworth & Tameside OL3


The Hepworth Band - Brassband Burgermusik Luzern

Saturday 30 May • Dewsbury Minster, Vicarage Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire WF12 8DD


Hathern Band

May 10 • Due to University placement we require a Bb Bass player- we are a First Section band based at our own band room in the village of Hathern LE12 5LJ Leicestershire (between M1 Jcts 23 & 24) and close to Lougborough and Nottingham Universities


Newstead Brass

May 10 • Newstead Brass are on the lookout for a talented 2nd BARITONE player to join our ambitious and hardworking Nottinghamshire-based Championship Section band.. A rare chance to become part of an ambitious brass band striving for even greater success together.


Ibstock Brick Brass

May 9 • Ibstock Brick Brass are looking for a Solo Cornet, 3rd Cornet, 2nd Horn, Bass Trombone and B Flat Tuba as we move into the second section from 2027. We are a friendly, ambitions and progressive band that rehearse at our own bandroom in Coalville.


Gary Davies


Conductor, Band Trainer, Adjudicator


               

 © 2026 4barsrest.com Ltd