News

Black Dyke won the Yorkshire Regional Championships in Bradford on Sunday 2nd March playing Eric Ball's Festival Music. It was a long day for the band who were drawn last and played on stage at 9.30pm. Richard Marshall won the Best Soloist Award and David Thornton picked up the Best Instrumentalist Award. The band had already qualified for the finals at the Albert Hall in London in October by virtue of a top four placing last year, and they will be joined from Yorkshire by Grimethorpe Colliery, Carlton Main Frickley and Rothwell Temperance bands.

Dr. Nicholas Childs commented "I was delighted with the quailty of performance from Dyke which had the hallmarks of a special event with Richard Marshall and David Thornton expressing themselves beautifully."

Black Dyke Band will once again present an open rehearsal at Morley Town Hall, this time for the Yorkshire Regional Final test piece Festival Music by Eric Ball. The rehearsal will start at  7.30pm on Thursday 28^th February and, as well as the open rehearsal and a full performance of the test piece, Dr Childs will put on a short concert programme. 

Admission is free and doors open at  7pm

Black Dyke Band is proud to announce the inaugural Brass Festival which will take place at the Gandhi Hall, Leeds Metropolitan University, Headingley Campus over the weekend of April 4^th to April 6^th 2008. 

The Festival Administrator, Alison Childs, explained "The concept comes from the creative team of Professor Philip Wilby and Dr. Nicholas Childs to showcase the band and its music and we are thrilled that Elgar Howarth has accepted to be our Inaugural Artistic Director." 

Nicholas Childs commented "We are delighted to have a musician of Howarth's stature to be Artistic Director and it seemed fitting that we should commission him to write a major new work for our star cornet soloist, Richard Marshall with the world premiere in the Gandhi Hall." 

Philip Wilby enthused 'The whole concept of a Black Dyke Festival is rich with possibilities. As the band's horizons widen, we need new opportunities to develop our individual visions, building on the work that we have started in recent years. This first Festival, with Elgar Howarth at the helm, will showcase major initiatives from David Thornton, and Joe Cook, as well as premiering Howarth's new work for cornet and band, and using the combined talents of our own in-house writers as well. It will be a pleasure to take part.' 

The event starts on Friday with an ensemble of the Black Dyke Band playing compositions from some of the Young Composers of the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band, where Elgar Howarth and Philip Wilby will be offering their experience to the composers. 

On Saturday afternoon, there is an opportunity for any players of "lower brass", including euphoniums, baritones and basses, to join in a "Spotlight" workshop to enjoy a few hours of tuition and music making with David Thornton and Joseph Cook, concluding with a recital at the end of the afternoon. 

Saturday evening will be the Festivals first Gala Concert at 7.30pm preceded by a talk by Elgar Howarth, Professor Philip Wilby and Dr Nicholas Childs who will explain more about the programme. The Gala Concert, by Black Dyke Band, includes Walking With Heroes by Paul Lovatt-Cooper, and a performance to a projected film of the exciting chariot race from Ben Hur as well as the World Premiere of the new cornet work commissioned by Elgar Howarth.   

The conclusion to the Festival will be on Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm, when the Black Dyke Band and the Yorkshire Youth Brass Band will perform a concert conducted by Elgar Howarth and Nicholas Childs which will include Howarth's Fireworks, Wilby's Paganini Variations and Paul Lovatt-Cooper's Dream Catchers. Again there will be a pre-concert talk by Elgar Howarth, Professor Philip Wilby and Dr Nicholas Childs starting at 1.45pm. 

Free admission to the Saturday afternoon Lower Brass Spotlight event can be arranged by emailing David Thornton thorntoneuph@hotmail.com or by calling Joseph Cook on 07773 374064. Admission to the Friday evening Composers Collective in the Jubilee Room at 8pm is also free. Tickets for the Saturday evening concert, or the Sunday afternoon concert, priced £10 each, are available from Leeds Town Hall Box Office, telephone number 0113 224 3801. 

All enquiries about the Festival should be directed to the Festival Administrator Alison Childs on 01457 820138

A video preview of the new Elgar CD, including an exclusive interview with Sir Colin Davis by Professor Philip Wilby and a clip of Sir Colin conducting the band at Cadogan Hall in London earlier this month, has been posted on YouTube by World of Brass. It can be seen by clicking on this link http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=B-60nRY1qnE

We have plans in place to include similar video footage for all our future CD releases which will be published on our own website. To read more about the recording of Elgar’s Severn Suite with Sir Colin Davis, click on our new Musical Associates page to see the article by Professor Philip Wilby.

A new page has been added to the web site to featrure the constributions from our Musical Associates, Professor Philip Wilby and Paul Lovatt-Cooper.

The first article to be published here is Philip Wilby\'s account of the recording at Cadogan Hall, London, of Elgar\'s Severn Suite conducted by Sir Colin Davis on January 5th 2008.

Please let us have your feedback (secblackdykeband@btinternet.com), and watch this space for more changes to the website coming soon.

During the final concert of Black Dyke Band's 2007 concert season at Huddersfield Town Hall on Sunday 23rd December, three presentations were made to members of the band.

The Pondasher Award was given to Solo Tuba player Joseph Cook, and the Bandsman Of The Year was the Principal Cornet player, Richard Marshall. Also during the evening, a presentation was made to the Administrator Emeritus Geoffrey Whiteley who was presented with a carriage clock from Mike Shenton, with the inscription "Presented to Geoffrey Whiteley from the Members and Trustees of Black Dyke Band at Huddersfield Town Hall on 23rd December 2007 in grateful thanks for many years of service as Administrator, and in celebration of the 50th anniversary of his British Open win playing Helen Perkins' Carnival".   

Richard Marshall's Solo CD Eminence has scooped all of the awards this year, winning the Best Solo CD of the Year from British Bandsman, Brass Band World and 4Barsrest. 4Barsrest also voted Vienna Nights as the Best CD of the Year. Both of these recordings are available from our online shop, and are also on sale at concerts. 

Now available - under the Shop section of this website - is a free ringtone. When your phone rings you can choose to have the Black Dyke Band play Queensbury to alert you (and those around you!) that a call is waiting.

We are sorry that we can not offer technical asistance to you to help you download this, but we are confident that you will either have the knowledge yourself or somewhere within your family to help you do this. Please give us feedback by writing to our secretary Mike Shenton at secblackdykeband@btinternet.com

Those who use the band’s website will have noticed that a new, improved site was launched on November 27th. The new website, still located at www.blackdykeband.co.uk , is easier to keep up to date and so will include more news, published more frequently to make it worthwhile to check the site on a regular basis.

One major change is that merchandise, including CDs, will no longer be despatched from the band room but by our distribution partners, World of Brass, who are far better equipped to maintain high service levels and will offer a wider choice of branded products over the coming months. This will unfortunately mean that the Friend’s discount will only be available at concerts and not on CDs or merchandise purchased from the website.

Contact with the band will be easier than before, as Friends and supporters will now be able to write emails to our secretary at the address secblackdykeband@btinternet.com.

All of the sections in the previous website are included in the new site, but the section about the band will soon feature biographic details about all of the players rather than just the Principal players.

Plans for the future development of the site are already being made, and we will soon launch a section with contributions from our Music Associates, Professor Philip Wilby and Paul Lovatt-Cooper.

We look forward to receiving your feedback about the new website.

The Black Dyke Band is pleased to announce that Sandy Smith is welcomed back to the band on Solo Horn.

Nicholas Childs commented “Sandy is a wonderful player and a terrific musician, both of which will be a perfect partnership in our exciting schedule planned for next year.”

Sandy commented " I am thrilled to have been asked back to play at Black Dyke. They remain at the very forefront of banding, both musically and from an organisational point of view. I was obviously aware of how good the band are but have been equally impressed by the array of skilled background staff which Nick has assembled and look forward to another successful time with the band".

Peter Roberts, the impresario and legendary soprano player, has confirmed his intention to retire from playing, at Christmas.

Peter commented “I have had the most amazing time at Black Dyke, the highlights being winning both sections of the European and back to back wins at the British Open, along with numerous memorable concert performances”

Nicholas Childs commented “Peter is a special player, he has a fantastic legacy and the total respect from his fellow bandsmen.

Everyone at Black Dyke wishes Peter well in his new direction within the brass band movement, as he still has so much to offer.

Peter's last concerts with the band will be at Dewsbury on 14th December at Sheffield on 15th December.

Arfon Owen, the talented Solo Horn of Black Dyke, has decided to relinquish his position with immediate effect.

Arfon has just completed his PGCE course at the Royal Northern College of Music and has taken up his new position as Music and Drama Teacher at Wardle High School.

'It has been a difficult decision for me but with consultation from Nick Childs, I have decided to concentrate and give priority to my first professional position at Wardle High School. I look forward to developing my teaching career and to also ensure my tenor horn playing continues to reach its highest possibilities.'

Nicholas Childs commented “Arfon has risen through the ranks of Black Dyke, from 2nd to Solo Horn and now needs time to express himself as a new teacher and develop, as I know he can, as a great soloist. We all, at Black Dyke, wish him the very best and hope that he will be able to help out, when time allows.”

After intense review involving their principal players, The Black Dyke Band are pleased to announce the appointment of York Instruments, the brass division of Schreiber & Keilwerth Musical Instruments GmbH as 'Instruments of Choice' for the future replacement of their Cornets, Tenor Horns, Euphoniums, Baritones and Basses.

For Schreiber & Keilwerth, Managing Director Dr. Armin Eckert said: "We are delighted with the co-operation with The Black Dyke Band. The musicians from the Black Dyke Band will provide a rigorous test bed for our York instruments and also provide us an invaluable research and development source. We are looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership."

John Rogers who has been heavily involved in the York project and has been instrumental in brokering this agreement added: "I am very happy to renew my contact with the Black Dyke Band. The bands worldwide reputation for excellence fits perfectly with York's brand and product development plans."

The Black Dyke Band are please to announce the selection of Michael Rath Brass Musical Instruments Limited, as 'Instruments of Choice' for the replacement of Trombones.

Michael Rath, Managing Director of Michael Rath Brass Musical Instruments said: " We have been working with Brett Baker, Principal Trombone of The Black Dyke Band on instrument research and development over the past year, and are thrilled that the band have now selected our instruments for their Trombone section."

Additionally the band are pleased to announce that they have appointed Band Supplies Limited as their 'Dealers of Choice' for the provision and maintenance of their instruments.


Dr. Nicholas Childs

Director of Music