The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band was formed in 1881. It is based in Brighouse, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
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The Brighouse and Rastrick Band is regarded by many as the best and most consistent ‘public subscription band’ in the world. In its time the majority of premier band championships have been held by ‘Briggus’ whilst the band has also attracted a formidable reputation for highly entertaining concerts for both the general public and brass band connoisseur.
The band was formed over 125 years ago through public donations given by the townsfolk of the adjacent villages of Brighouse and Rastrick that face each other across the River Calder in West Yorkshire, England.
Today, it still continues to be supported through public subscriptions and its own fund raising efforts. Its amateur members traditionally pride themselves on being financially independent, never having been beholden to any commercial interest, yet they are still regarded as one of the ‘elite’ on the contest and concert platforms.
Since January 1995, the band have practised at their purpose-built hall and music library called West Ridings at Brighouse High School on Finkil Street in the north of Brighouse near the A644.
In 2009 (when conducted by Richard Evans), Brighouse and Rastrick achieved "Most Entertaining Band" at Brass in Concert. In 2010 (when conducted by Professor David King) they won the Regional Championship in Yorkshire, regarded as the strongest region for banding in the world[1] and the National Championships of Great Britain, a competition held at London's Royal Albert Hall.[2]
"Briggus" have since retained their Yorkshire Championship title in 2011 and National Championship title.
The band's current resident conductor (since October 2010) is Sandy Smith, a horn player who toured internationally with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. He is also a professor of tenor horn and has taught at Huddersfield University and elsewhere.
In November 1977, the band reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart with their recording of "The Floral Dance", where they stayed for nine weeks, only surpassed at the time by "Mull of Kintyre" (the first UK single to sell more than two million copies, and third best selling UK single of all time).[3] It was arranged for the band by Derek Broadbent. The b-side was a version of Girl With The Flaxen Hair, although some copies had a composition by Broadbent entitled Bachelor Girls as its B-side. The corresponding album, The Floral Dance, reached to Number 10 in the UK Albums Chart.[3]
In July 2011, starting with concerts at Durham Cathedral and at London's Barbican Hall, they began a UK tour with The Unthanks, performing new brass arrangements of songs from all four Unthanks albums, as well as new material.