To start our new season of “From The Bandroom” programmes, we’ve travelled to the Belle Isle Working Men’s Club in South Leeds, the new home of the Lofthouse 2000 Brass Band.
The organisation is relatively young in brass band terms. It was started in 1999 and has had great success competing in the third section in recent years, with a first and a second place in the Yorkshire areas and two trips to the national finals in Cheltenham, in just the last four years.
The band’s musical director is Lee Whitworth, a former military musician who studied at Kneller Hall. We’ll be talking to Lee. to band chair, Heather Field and to other players and members of the band But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
From The Bandroom with Lofthouse 2000 Brass Band, 10pm, Friday 27th September on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
This edition of “From The Bandroom” is our last before the summer break. So, for a change, we’re bringing you not one band, but four, as we give you a taste of a series of programmes we’re going to broadcast next year.
This year, we’ve been involved in a project with Kippax Band to stream live video and audio from the concerts from their band club. Each concert will be made into a radio programme, and we’ll put these out as a series on East Leeds Community Radio in 2025.
This preview features performances from Hammonds, Kippax, West Yorkshire Police and the Hatfield and Askern Colliery band
From The Bandroom with a preview of our new ‘From The Band Club’ series, 10pm, Friday 26th July on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
In this edition of “From The Bandroom” we’re having a day out at the Wetherby Drovers March and Hymn contest.
This annual event started last year and this time it’s grown bigger and better. We had four crews out recording the deportment march, hymn, entertainment march and bandstand march contests,
We’ll be talking to contest organiser Rob Gray and hearing from the adjudicators, but, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on the day, and we’ve managed to include something from every band that took part.
From The Bandroom at the Wetherby Drovers March and Hymn contest, 10pm, Friday 28th June on East Leeds Community Radio.
And afterwards visit our website at https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom for even more music recorded on the day.
Listeners in the Wetherby area can also hear the programme on Tempo 107.4FM at 8pm on Sunday 7th July.
From The Bandroom, 31st May 2024, Kippax Band
In this edition of “From The Bandroom” we’re very much on home territory about six miles away from our radio station. We’re in the former mining village of Kippax, at the bandroom and social club of the Kippax Brass Band.
The band is one of the oldest in the world, and celebrated its 200th anniversary back in 2014.Over forty years ago, the band moved to its current location after buying an old Working Mens Club, and so it has a fine venue which hosts monthly Sunday band concerts as well as providing a social function in the villages catering for everything from line dance lessons to wedding receptions.
We’ll be talking to MD, James Beecham, chairman Colin Moss and to other players and members of the band community. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
From The Bandroom with Kippax Brass Band, 10pm, Friday 31st May on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
In this edition of “From The Bandroom” we travel to York to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the York Railway Institute Training Band rebranding themselves as the Golden Rail Band.
Older listeners may remember British Rail’s Golden Rail package holidays in the 1970s and 80s, where all inclusive holidays by rail to UK resorts were at the height of their popularity. That operation was run from York, and history doesn’t recall whether the name change was because of a sponsorship deal, or if it was just because of the band’s railway connections. Whatever the reason, the name lives on in the form of the Golden Rail Band, a non-contesting outfit with a very full programme of indoor and outdoor concerts and events.
We’ll talk to musical director, Nick Eastwood, and to players and officials from the band. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
The band would like to dedicate the programme to cornet (and sometime euphonium) player, Terry Suthers, who passed away after the recording was made. Terry was able to listen to a preview of the show in his hospital bed, which he was delighted by. Terry had been an active member of Golden Rail since 2012, as well as running brass band events and festivals with fellow players Kate Lock and Bruce Jackson. He is much missed by all.
From The Bandroom with York Railway Institute Golden Rail Band, 10pm, Friday 26th April on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
In “From The Bandroom” this month we head out towards Malton to meet the Swinton & District Excelsior Band. In fact, we meet the senior band, the training band and even get them all playing together!
Based in the small village of Swinton, between Malton and Slingsby in North Yorkshire. the band was founded by a group of bandsmen in 1936 with a series of engagements around Christmas that year to raise funds for instruments and music. Nearly ninety years later, the senior band competes in the fourth section of the North Of England area, and has a full complement of players. The organisation also runs a training band with about twenty members and a beginners' group.
In 2023, the band was given the Kings Award for Voluntary Services to recognise the hard work of the volunteers, and the free membership, lessons and loan of instruments, as well as for the good work done in the local area.
We’ll talk to both musical directors, and to players and officials from the bands. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit.
From The Bandroom with Swinton & District Excelsior Band, 10pm, Friday 29th March on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
EDIT: Programme now available on our Radio Player at https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
In this edition of “From The Bandroom” we drive down to Armthorpe near Doncaster to visit the Markham Main Colliery Band as part of their centenary celebrations this year.
The band was formed in 1924 as the Markham Main Colliery St. John’s Ambulance Brigade brass band. Though the pit has gone, the band have retained the name as a mark of respect to all the miners and ex-miners who have supported the band over the years.
We’ll talk to musical director, Len Hodgkiss, and to players and officials from the band. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
From The Bandroom with Markham Main Colliery Band, 10pm, Friday 1st March on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
EDIT: programme now available at https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
In our first “From The Bandroom” for 2024 we venture not too far from home to hear the Wetherby Silver Band.
Formed in 1878 the band celebrated its centenary in 1978 with the opening of a fine new bandroom in the centre of Wetherby, suspiciously close to the New Inn pub! The band competes in the Third section of the Yorkshire region, and pulled off a fine third place result at Huddersfield Town Hall last year.
We’ll talk to musical director, Craig Ratcliffe, and to players and officials from the band. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit.
From The Bandroom with Wetherby Silver Band, 10pm, Tuesday 23rd January on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
Our Christmas Day programme this year comes once again from the Kippax Band Club, just down the road from our radio station. Kippax Band is in fine form under James Beecham was appointed as the band’s musical director in May this year.
As usual, because it’s Christmas we’ve been allowed to overrun our normal one hour slot and to broadcast the entire concert. So for a fine festive feast of brass, please grab a mince pie and join us.
From The Bandroom with the Kippax Band, 11am Christmas Day, on East Leeds Community Radio, or at any time over the Christmas Break on the Radio player.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
In “From The Bandroom” this month we’re in Marton, halfway between Macclesfield and Congleton in the bandroom of Silk Brass, the aptly named ‘Resurgam House’.
As brass bands go, this one was formed fairly recently, in 1997 with just ten players, but quickly grew into a full sized band, and now competes in the first section of the North West area..
We’ll talk to musical director, Tony Wyatt, and to players and officials from the band. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
From The Bandroom with Silk Brass, 10pm, Tuesday 28th November on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
In “From The Bandroom” this month we’re in Normanton near Wakefield with the West Yorkshire Police Band.
The band was formed in 1974 as a merger between the Bradford and Leeds City Police bands when the forces amalgamated into the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police. As well as the usual brass band jobs, they’ve played fanfare trumpets for Queen Elizabeth, and have an annual engagement at the Remembrance Day Parades in Ypres.
We’ll talk to musical director, Stephen Wood, and to players and officials from the band. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
From The Bandroom with the West Yorkshire Police Band, 10pm, Tuesday 24th October on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
In “From The Bandroom” this month we’re in a village near Malton with the five piece group, Yorkshire Wolds Versatile Brass.
We first visited them over 5 years ago at the village hall in North Newbold. During our recording session, the ‘Beast from the East’ was raging outside, and a large dump of snow made our journey home a bit of an adventure!
Since then, some of the band members have retired from work, and this has given them time to rejoin various larger musical ensembles and to hone their playing skills in other areas.
It’s not often we can say this, but for once, we’ll be talking to everyone in the band! As always, though, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
From The Bandroom with Yorkshire Wolds Versatile Brass, 10pm, Tuesday 26th September on East Leeds Community Radio.
https://elcr.org.uk/from-the-bandroom
In “From The Bandroom” this month we’re in Huddersfield with the Huddersfield and Ripponden Brass Band. The band are riding high, with a first place in the third section of the Yorkshire Area Contest in March winning a chance to represent Yorkshire at the national finals in Cheltenham this September.
The band is part of the Huddersfield Youth Brass Ensemble Association, an organisation formed in 1962. As well as the senior band that That we’ll feature in the programme, the Association also runs a youth band, and provides learners with one to one instrumental lessons.
We’ll talk to musical director, Adam Bell, and to players and officials from the band. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
From The Bandroom with the Huddersfield and Ripponden Brass Band, 10pm, Tuesday 27th June on East Leeds FM.
http://elfm.co.uk/from-the-bandroom
In “From The Bandroom” this month we’re in the Rossendale Valley in Lancashire paying our second visit to the Goodshaw Baptist Church. This time, we’re the guests of the Goodshaw Band, or to give them their full title, the BMP Europe Goodshaw Band, as they’re one of the few who have managed to hang on to their sponsorship. In this case, from a company who specialise in polyurethane and engineering textiles.
The band was founded in 1867 when a visit from the Padiham Original band caught the interest of the villagers of Goodshawfold, and inspired them to start up their own band, under their first bandmaster, David Heap. These days, the band competes in the 3rd section of the North West area.
We’ll talk to musical director, Dean Redfern, and to players and officials from the band. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
From The Bandroom with the BMP Europe Goodshaw Band, 10pm, Tuesday 23rd May on East Leeds FM.
http://elfm.co.uk/from-the-bandroom
In “From The Bandroom” this month we’re in Wakefield with one of the great names of Yorkshire banding, The Yorkshire Imperial Band.
The band was formed In 1936 as the Yorkshire Copperworks Band based at the Copperworks factory in Stourton, Leeds. In the finest tradition of works bands, many of the players were, at that time, employed at the factory. After several name changes due to different sponsorship deals, and a merger with the Rothwell band in 2000, the band has settled under the official title of The Yorkshire Imperial Band, or Imps for short, though if you talk to the old timers, they still refer to them as t’Copperworks! Whatever you choose to call them, they have a proud history as one of the country’s top bands.
We’ll be at the band’s rehearsal room at the Crigglestone Methodist Church in Wakefield, and we’ll talk to Garry Hallas, their musical director and to players and officials from the band. But, as always, most of the show is filled with the music recorded on our visit to their bandroom.
From The Bandroom with the Yorkshire Imperial Band, 10pm, Tuesday 25th April on East Leeds FM.
http://elfm.co.uk/from-the-bandroom
