DOZENS OF local bands left laden in silverware after an official Whit Friday awards ceremony.
41 trophies were up for grabs at the Dobcross and Uppermill Whit Friday Band Awards Presentation on Sunday, June 14, which recognised the best of brass who visited the villages in May.
With prizes ranging from section and soloist awards all the way to best band trophies, it was a tight contest for all involved – but for none more so than Dobcross Youth Band Chair Susan Crook, who took home four prizes including Best Youth Soloist and Best Youth Band in Dobcross on behalf of the band.
The awards come only a year after she herself earned a British Empire Medal for Services to Music and the Community of Dobcross, after 17 years of volunteering within the community.
“I’ve been involved with the band since the day the first note was blown – 1988, we started!” she said.
“So we’re 40-years-old in two years., but I think it’s still important that we look to the future. We’ve got 90 children on the register at the Youth Band and it’s a part of my life I’m not prepared to give up yet.
“This event is very well organised and it’s good to be here. Even if you don’t win a prize, it’s good to support it. We’ve done well this year!”
It was a sentiment echoed by fellow prize winner Stephen Howes, who was awarded two open prizes and a soloist award on behalf of his own group.
Now president of the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band – currently ranked second-best in the world – it follows a more than five decades-long career of bolstering brass talent across the region.
“It’s been four years in succession now, so yes, it’s good,” he said. “For the last 70 years, we’ve supported Whit Friday, and it’s good to carry on being successful.
“I joined Brighouse when I was 15 – that was 56 years ago!
“We’re a public subscription band, not sponsored by anyone. We run our own affairs and earn our own money. We’re a town band and a public subscription band and there are not many of those left now.
“We really couldn’t be doing any better now, since we’re number two in the world rankings.
“We’re going to continue to do our best and play well, and particularly here in Dobcross and Saddleworth, there’s a fine tradition of young players. Hopefully they are the players of the future.”
The Dobcross and Uppermill Whit Friday Band Awards Presentation has welcomed hundreds of players over the years from both Saddleworth and beyond, and a record 154 bands from this year’s Whit Friday alone.
To oversee both the bands and volunteers organising the event is a tall order for anybody. But for chairman Andrew Hill-Willson, managing the event has been “fantastic” – and not least because this is his final year in the role.
“This has been really, really well organised, and it’s fantastic to see everybody here,” he said.
“The prize giving is actually a lot more complicated than most of the other things that we do on the Whit Friday, but this one’s gone really, really smoothly.
“I’m still working. I have a job, but the job has always got in the way of this event. I also don’t live in Dobcross!
“I decided that maybe it’s time for us to get newer, fresher ideas for the whole thing and take a step back. I’d like to say it will go from strength to strength, but if it gets any busier than this one, it’s going to be quite interesting with all the chaos.
“I’ve stayed on for this year because I wanted to make sure they have an overarching handover, just to make sure they stay in the right direction – and look what they’ve done! They’ve pulled off the best one they’ve ever had. It’s been a fantastic event.”
Expected to take over the role is current secretary Dr Cathy Heaven.
She said: “This year has been a bumpy year for Saddleworth Whit Friday. There were 169 bands registered, and 154 who actually came to Saddleworth and played. 56 of those played at Uppermill, and 75 of those played at Dobcross.
“These competitions are absolutely dependent on having volunteers to run them, and all the volunteers from Uppermill to Dobcross put a huge amount of work in for the weeks and months before whit Friday and on the day.
“I’d like to thank our volunteers, the people of Uppermill, and the people of Dobcross who all donated money and enabled us to make the prizes that are available to all the bands.”
The full list of awards is:
Youth band prizes
Youth Band 2nd Prize at Dobcross – Dobcross Training Band
Best Local Youth Soloist at Dobcross – Dobcross Training Band
Best Youth Band at Dobcross – Dobcross Youth Band
Best Youth Soloist at Dobcross – Dobcross Youth Band
Best Youth Band at Uppermill – Oldham Music Centre Youth Band
Winners of a single prize
4th Section 2nd Prize at Dobcross – Spydeberg Brass
4th Section 1st Prize at Dobcross – Diggle Community Brass
3rd Section 2nd Prize at Dobcross – New Forest Brass
1st Section 2nd Prize at Dobcross – RBB Bern
1st Section 1st Prize at Dobcross – Bilton Silver (Rugby)
Best Overseas Band at Dobcross – Burgermusik Lucerne
Most Entertaining Band at Dobcross – BMP Europe Ltd Goodshaw Band
4th Section 2nd Prize at Uppermill – Pillowell Silver Band
4th Section 1st Prize at Uppermill – Dobcross Brass Monkeys
3rd Section 2nd Prize at Uppermill – Hangleton Brass
3rd Section 2nd Prize – Sponsor-A-Band Winner
2nd Section 1st Prize – Royal Buckley Town
1st Section 2nd Prize at Uppermill – Blackburn and Darwen
1st Section 1st Prize at Uppermill – Valley Brass
Best Local Band at Uppermill – Marsden Silver Brass Band
Best University Band at Uppermill – Universities of Sheffield Brass Band
Best Deportment at Uppermill – Uppermill Band
Most Entertainment March at Uppermill – Tartan Brass Band
Winners of two prizes
Best Band on Whit Friday Morning awarded by Dobcross – Boarshurst Silver Band
Best Saddleworth Band at Uppermill – Boarshurst Silver Band
2nd Section Winner at Dobcross – Dobcross Silver Band
Best Saddleworth Band at Dobcross – Dobcross Silver Band
3rd Section Winner at Dobcross – MG Pfaffnau
3rd Section Winner at Uppermill – MG Pfaffnau
2nd Section 2nd Prize in Uppermill – MG Knutwil
2nd Section 2nd Prize in Dobcross – MG Knutwil
Best Local Band at Dobcross – Milnrow Band
3rd Open Prize at Dobcross – Milnrow Band
Winners of Open Prizes
3rd Open Prize at Uppermill – Leyland Band
2nd Open Prize at Uppermill – Black Dyke Band
2nd Open Prize at Uppermill – Chav Brass
Best Bass at Dobcross – Chav Brass
1st Open Prize at Uppermill – Hepworth Band
4th Open Prize at Uppermill – Brighouse and Rastrick
Best Soloist at Dobcross – Brighouse and Rastrick
1st Open Prize at Dobcross – Brighouse and Rastrick
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