BBC Radio 2 has announced its season of programmes celebrating brass music, which will include a special 'Radio 2 Loves Brass' concert to be held at St George's Hall in Bradford, on Friday, April 11th.
The concert will be broadcast on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds on Sunday, April 20th (8.00pm).
City of Culture
Bradford is the 2025 UK 'City of Culture', with its rich history of brass banding also being marked with a concert introduced by broadcaster Jeremy Vine on April 11th from noon to 2pm featuring performances by Hammonds Band as well as the Bradford City fans' Bantam of the Opera choir.
Presenter Zoe Ball will host a variety of performers in 'The Big Brass Blowout', a weekend-long festival celebrating Bradford's brass music scene, including performances from Yorkshire champion Black Dyke Band, alongside pop star Marti Pellow, soprano Carly Paoli, the Punjabi Roots Academy, and the Bradford Cathedral Choir.
It will include a new commission from composer Peter Graham, celebrating Bradford's 19th-century ties with the 'New World' of America.
In addition a programme entitled 'Bradford, Brass and The Beatles' will see presenter Tony Blackburn look back at a 1963 concert in the city that, supposedly, marked the start of Beatlemania4BR
The Beatles
In addition a programme entitled 'Bradford, Brass and The Beatles' will see presenter Tony Blackburn look back at a 1963 concert in the city that, supposedly, marked the start of Beatlemania. The programme has been mentioned in the latest edition of the Radio Times magazine.
James Morrison's 'Top Brass' series will also return, whilst Black Dyke will be in concert at St George's Hall again on 12th April alongside musician Richard Hawley.
