Aldbourne Brass Band

Aldbourne Band, based in the picturesque village of Aldbourne in Wiltshire, is one of the UK’s premier brass bands. With a history dating back to 1860, the band has grown from its local roots into a nationally recognised ensemble, consistently performing at the highest levels of brass band competitions. Aldbourne is the current West of England Regional Champions for 2025 and regularly features at major events such as the National Finals, the British Open, and Brass in Concert.

Under the musical direction of Glyn Williams, the band is known for engaging performances, musical versatility, and a commitment to excellence. Aldbourne maintains strong community ties while also embracing innovation and fresh musical ideas. Proud of its heritage and driven by ambition, the band continues to build on its success both on the contest stage and in concert performances across the country.

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Brass Band Schoonhoven

Brass Band Schoonhoven, founded in 1921, made its debut in the Championship section in 1998. Under renowned conductors such as Benny Wiame, Anno Appelo, and Alex Schillings, the band quickly rose to prominence, winning the Survento Brass Festival (1999), the French Open Championships (2002), the KNFM Topconcours (2003, 2004), and the Euro Brass Contest (2003, 2006).

In 2008, Erik Janssen returned as conductor, marking the beginning of a golden era. Highlights included third place at the All England Masters (2010), three consecutive Euro Brass victories (2011–2013), a Flemish Open title (2012), and four successive wins at the Dutch championships (2010–2013).

In 2011 the band made a dream debut at the European championships ending fourth, followed by a spectacular 3rd place at the 2012 Europeans in Rotterdam where the band won the own choice test piece series with a unique score of 99 points. The band debuted at the Brass in Concert Championships in 2014, winning the Entertainment Section, and achieved top-6 finishes in 2016 and 2019.

After delayed centenary celebrations due to COVID, Erik Janssen was reappointed in 2022 for a third term and awarded ‘honorary conductor’. This reignited the band’s success, beginning with a Dutch National title and a top-5 finish at the 2024 European Championships in Palanga. It was a successful springtime for the band in winning both the Flemish Open as well as the Dutch Open Championships 2024.

As in 2025, the band feels enormously honored to be invited to the Brass in Concert festival again and to return to the beautiful stage of the Glasshouse, Gateshead.

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Brighouse & Rastrick Band

Brighouse and Rastrick Band is regarded by many as the finest ‘public subscription band’ in the world, and are the current Brass in Concert Champions. The band was formed in 1881 through public donations given by the townsfolk of the adjacent villages of Brighouse and Rastrick, which face each other across the River Calder in West Yorkshire, and captured the hearts of the British public in 1977 when The Floral Dance spent six weeks at No. 2 in the UK singles charts. Today, the band still continues to be supported through public subscriptions and its own fundraising efforts.

The majority of premier band championships have been held by ‘Briggus’. The band became the National Champion Band of Great Britain for the tenth time in 2017, whilst it has also attracted a formidable reputation for highly entertaining concerts for both the general public and brass band connoisseur.

After a 44-year wait, Brighouse and Rastrick were delighted to be crowned the 168th British Open Champions in September 2022 at Symphony Hall in Birmingham and will subsequently represent England at the European Championships in Palanga, Lithuania in May 2024.

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Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band

Founded in 1884, Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band boasts a rich musical legacy, including titles as National, British Open, and European Champions. In 2024, the band marked its 140th Anniversary and honoured 40 years since the Miners’ Strike, which is deeply rooted in its history, finishing in the Top 10 at both the British Open and National Brass Band Championships.

Renowned for dynamic concert performances, the band has featured on the BBC and collaborated with the world-famous Rambert Dance Company. Since 2015, it’s proudly partnered with the Gary Clarke Company, performing in the award-winning shows COAL and Wasteland. 

In 2023, the band became the first brass band to release a best-selling children’s book, Albertrom Flies to the Moon, inspiring young readers and even appearing on World Book Day! Firmly established as one of the UK’s top brass bands, Carlton Main continues to innovate and inspire on stage and beyond.

Have a look at their website. 

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the cooperation band 

The cooperation band are a community brass band, based at the moment in North Lanarkshire. Founded in 1918 as the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society Band, at the SCWS factories in Shieldhall, Glasgow. The band have also been known as the Scottish Co-op Band, The CWS (Glasgow) Band and the Co-op Funeral Care Band. The band are the most successful brass band in Scotland with 35 Scottish Championship titles to its name. The band are also the only Scottish band to win the prestigious National Champions of Great Britain title, something they have done two occasions  1990 & 1996.

The band lost its sponsor of 100 years in 2018 when the Co-op Group  moved away from sponsoring the band. At this point the future of the band was looking bleak but with the help of a few current and former players as well as band supporters, support was given in 2019 by the Scotmid co-operative an independent society based in Scotland.

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Cory

Cory regularly wins both domestic and international brass band competitions and performs a widely varied repertoire of music at home and abroad to a professional standard. The band seeks to grow its artform with powerful and inspiring experiences for its artists and its audiences.

Proud of its roots, this ensemble also dares to step out of the traditional brass band genre to deliver a tantalising mixture of both blockbusting and beautiful music that amazes and captivates its audiences wherever it performs.

Cory Band, whose home is in Treorchy in the Welsh Valleys, comprises both male and female performers of mixed ages and backgrounds, hailing from near and far, but with one thing in common – the drive to do whatever it takes to keep Cory at the top of its game.

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The Fairey Band 

The Fairey Band is one of the most successful contesting brass bands in the world. Founded in 1937 by a group of employees at the Fairey Aviation Works in Stockport, the band achieved many musical successes under the brilliant direction of Harry Mortimer, their Musical Director for over thirty years. The band has won every elite band event on the contest calendar, including the National Championships of Great Britain on nine occasions and the British Open an incredible 16 times. In the early-mid 1990s, the band enjoyed the most successful period in its history, winning both the British Open and National titles in 1993, before going on to become the first band ever to complete the ‘treble’ when they were crowned European Champions in 1994. 

The band is renowned for its innovation and has enjoyed further recognition outside the confines of the Brass Band movement, with its involvement in the ‘Acid Brass’ project. Under this banner, the band has been able to display its versatility in adapting to a very different musical concept and consequently, has performed in rock/pop festivals in the UK and overseas, bringing brass bands to a new audience. 

The band has always maintained its association with the ‘Fairey’ company and still rehearses at the factory in Heaton Chapel. After various name changes, including Williams Fairey and Williams Holdings among others, these days the band is proud to revert to its roots and be known as the KNDS Fairey Band or as is more commonly used in banding circles, Fairey’s.

You can follow news of the band on The Fairey Band Facebook page and on twitter/instagram @TheFaireyBand

Flowers Band

Flowers Band, from Gloucestershire, is now in its 55th year of outstanding musical excellence. Flowers is the leading band in the West of England and consistently in the top 10 in the world rankings.

The band was formed in 1968 as a result of the disbandment of the Royal Gloucester Hussars (Territorial Army) Brass Band. After negotiation with the Ministry of Defence, the instruments were purchased and most of the former R.G.H. bandsmen, together with other local players, formed the City of Gloucester Band. The band has held a variety of names via generous sponsorship, including Whitbread in the Community, PolySteel, and most famously Flowers Brewery. In 1998, the brewery closed, but the band kept the name under which it had become so well respected.

Paul Holland is the band’s current Musical Director, and together they continue to re-write their own record books, achieving their highest ever results at the National Championships of Great Britain, British Open and Brass in Concert Championship.

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Foden's Band

Foden's Band were formed in 1902 by Edwin Foden, originally named 'The Foden’s Motorworks Band.' From these humble beginnings few would have thought they would go on to win 13 British Open titles, 16 National Championships of Great Britain and an unparalleled double hat-trick in 1932, 33, 34 and 1936, 37 and 38. 

The band currently holds the record for the number of Area Contest wins with an unprecedented 27 North West Area titles. Since 1902 they have maintained their position as one of the World's leading bands on and off the contest stage. In 2012 Foden’s won the ‘Double’ being crowned the 2012 British Open / National Champions and in 2018, 2021 and 2022 were once again crowned the National Champions. 

In September 2023 they became the British Open Champions at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham and in November 2023 where crowned BIC Champions. In Summer 2024 Foden’s completed a very successful seven day tour of South Korea where their opening concert was broadcast on National TV. The band are heavily involved in their local Community where they work with a large number of Youth organisations. Foden's also run their own 65 strong Youth Band as well as a Community Band with ages ranging between 65 and 95!

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GUS Band

The GUS Band celebrated its 90th Anniversary in 2023, having been formed in 1933 by Fred Felton at his small Northamptonshire shoe factory. The band quickly established itself as a high-class outfit, winning the National Championship of Great Britain for the first time just two years later. In the intervening decades, this was an achievement repeated five times along with wins at the British Open Championship and World Championships. Under the names of Munn and Felton, GUS (Footwear), The GUS Band, Rigid Containers Group Band, Travelsphere Holidays Band, the Virtuosi GUS Band, then finally the GUS Band, the sound of the band has rung throughout Britain, Europe and America in concert halls, on television, radio and on records and CDs.

The GUS Band has remained at the forefront of banding in Britain and around the world, winning the Midlands Regional Championships in 2025 and returning to the National Championships of Great Britain later this year for an impressive 59th time. The band made their first appearance at Brass in Concert in 1982 and are looking forward to returning in 2025 for what will be the band’s 20th appearance at the championships, working with Musical Director Christopher Bond to deliver a spell-binding performance once again.

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Kleppe Musikklag

Kleppe Musikklag was founded in 1965 and is based on Askøy, an island just outside of Bergen on the Norwegian west coast. The band is a young ensemble with the average age of just 21, and aims to be a gathering point for local talents, students, and established musicians alike. Kleppe Musikklag has firmly established itself in the Norwegian Elite (championship) division, with strong results from both national and regional competitions.

Kleppe Musikklag strives to combine high musical quality with a strong social community. The band is committed to contributing to local cultural life, especially through a long-standing tradition of workshops and summer courses for local youth.

In 2025, Kleppe Musikklag is honoured to be attending Brass in Concert for the very first time. The invitation is a great recognition for the band, and its members are proud and excited to represent western Norway and the Norwegian Brass Band community.

“We can, we will, and we dare!”

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Elland Silver Youth Band

Elland Silver Youth Band was formed in 1995 by the bands current conductor Miss Samantha Harrison as a way of sustaining Elland Silver Band into the future.  The band is based in Elland, a small town, close to Halifax in the Calder Valley and is one of the longest established community organisations within the district.

Today the youth band has some 40 members aged from 11 – 18 years, and is considered one of the countries leading youth ensembles. With a successful Training, Starter and Beginner Band and Percussion Academy it offers music tuition some 90 children per week. Many alumni have progressed to study at Chetham’s School of Music and other leading Music Conservatoires, along with some of the countries finest brass bands.

The band have had renowned success in numerous local & National Competitions and became European Champions in 2017. Building on this success the band has qualified for an invitation to the European Youth Championships for six successive competitions. They have also been formerly recognised locally and nationally for the opportunities presented to young people, gaining a Community Spirit Award for Arts & Culture and the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2012.

In May 2023, the band competed in European Youth Brass Band Championships in Malmo, Sweden, where they were placed 3rd against some of Europe’s finest youth bands and in March 2024, placed 3rd in the National Youth Brass Band Championships. 

The band are excited to be taking part again in the Brass In Concert Youth Championships.

Houghton Area Youth Band

Houghton Area Youth Band was formed in September 1973 for children aged between 6 – 21 years old to meet on a weekly basis to provide opportunities for young people to make music. This is still their main aim; however, they also feel that they provide a safe, happy, responsible well organised 'community' in which the children can learn, rehearse and be valued as an individual, regardless of their background.  They don’t have a minimum standard that players must achieve before being able to join the band, everyone is welcome, regardless of their level.  New starters are always encouraged to join, and they receive free lessons from the band tutors, the loan of an instrument if needed and a uniform.

They currently have over 35 members in the band who rehearse and perform various concerts around the Northern region, helping fundraise for not only themselves but also for other organisations. 

On the contest front, they are were youth champions at the Beamish Museum March and Hymn Contest, the DBBCA Festival of Brass, and the Stanley Entertainment Contest.  In the 2023 Brass in Concert Youth Championships, they were runners up, and were also deemed the most entertaining youth band on the day.

Lancashire Youth Brass Band

Lancashire Youth Brass Band was formed in 1960 with the aim of offering young musicians throughout Lancashire the opportunity to develop their skills under the direction of experienced tutors and conductors. Band members come from schools and colleges all over Lancashire, and the age range is currently 6 – 18.

Members of the band often progress to study music in higher education, leading to musical careers. Many former band members can now be seen playing with some of the country’s finest bands and orchestras.

The Musical Director Helen Minshall has led the band for the last 9 years. Supporting tutors are Gareth Crane, Neil Raisbeck, Trevor Bartlett, Olivia Hurst and Alex Barron. 

The band rehearses on alternate Saturdays at St Michael’s School in Chorley. There is an exciting programme of concerts and events throughout the year, including an annual residential course, and the band aims to go on tour every 2 years, most recently to Jersey in July 2024.

The band is developing excellent working relationships with bands of all standards throughout the North West, and in the last few years has performed jointly with Leyland Band, Freckleton Band, Rivington & Adlington Band and Lostock Hall Memorial Band. These events pave the way for young players to progress to adult bands, and to keep this fine British tradition alive for future generations.

Lions Youth Brass

Lions Youth Brass, a vibrant youth organisation located in Sandbach, Cheshire, takes its name from Lions International, a group of clubs the band works closely with to raise funds for various charities and worthy causes.

Dedicated to nurturing the musical talents of young people, Lions Youth Brass offers an exceptional opportunity for aspiring musicians to develop their skills and create lasting memories. Their comprehensive three-tiered system accommodates players of all abilities, providing a supportive environment for learning, performance, and personal growth. This structure not only aims to inspire the next generation of musicians but also fosters lifelong friendships and memorable experiences.

Renowned for their commitment to youth development, Lions Youth Brass has been lauded as “The beacon of youth player development in the UK,” a testament to their impactful work and dedication. 

This year the organisation will commemorate its 35th anniversary with a celebratory tour to Belgium and a special reunion concert. This event will feature performances from all three Lions bands, as well as a reunion band composed of former members, highlighting the enduring legacy and community spirit of Lions Youth Brass.

Shepherd Youth Band 

The Shepherd Youth Band is a key ensemble within the Shepherd Banding Organisation, based in York. Operating through its Monday Night Brass Academy, the organisation is dedicated to delivering high-quality brass and percussion education, while providing young musicians with valuable performance opportunities across a range of ensembles. Rehearsing weekly, the band maintains a vibrant calendar of concerts and competitions throughout the year. 

Their performance history includes prestigious venues such as Birmingham Symphony Hall, York Theatre Royal, York Barbican, Halifax Minster, and even Disneyland Paris. In 2023, the band was honoured with the title of ‘Best Youth Band’ at the Wetherby Drovers March Contest. More recently, they were crowned champions of the Brass Bands England Yamaha Performance Section Youth Championships. This achievement has secured them a coveted invitation to participate in the esteemed Youth Brass in Concert Championships, taking place this November. 

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Wardle Academy Youth Band

Wardle Academy Youth Band has been in existence for over 30 years and has always been at the forefront of music making at the Academy. The current band is made up of students from years 7 to 13. 

The band have enjoyed performing at a vast range of high profile public concerts and events, both locally and internationally. Locally, the band are at the forefront of the community by continually performing for Remembrance Sunday and the Christmas Eve service, an event where they have raised thousands of pounds every year for the Spring Hill Hospice. In June 2022, the band travelled to London to represent the North of England by taking part in the parade for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

Competitions have always been very important for the youth band and have seen them win numerous titles over recent years. These titles include Brass in Concert, National Youth Brass Band Championships, European Youth Brass Band championships and Saddleworth Youth Brass Band championships. None of these titles could be achieved without the hard work of the Performing Arts team, parents and members of our band association who all work tirelessly to raise money for all of the bands in school. They will be returning as reigning champions of Youth Brass in Concert. 

Youth Brass 2000

Youth Brass 2000 is a brass band for young people aged 19 and under. Our band is completely independent, in that we have no close association with any adult band, nor do we have any financial sponsors. We welcome players of all standards, from beginner to Grade 8 and beyond. New starters enjoy our warm friendly atmosphere, and very soon find themselves swept along in the tide of fantastic music! 

Our band creates a love of music making within its players, and brings out the very best each player can achieve. Several of our former players have gone on to perform with “big name” bands and orchestras, and reflect warmly on their time with Youth Brass 2000. 

We are a very busy band, performing many concerts throughout the year, and participate in many contests. In 2023, we pulled off a “hat trick” of being crowned Champion Youth Band for 3 years in a row! We are delighted to have been invited to perform at The Glasshouse and are very much looking forward to the event. 

If you would like to know more about us, take a look at our website at www.youthbrass2000.com – there is lots to see!