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| Brighouse and Rastrick band tunes up for battle in the Pennines | Brighouse and Rastrick band tunes up for battle in the Pennines |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Ask anyone to think of a brass band, and Brighouse and Rastrick might well be the first one that comes to mind. | Ask anyone to think of a brass band, and Brighouse and Rastrick might well be the first one that comes to mind. |
| It has been entertaining crowds around the north and further afield for 131 years, and entered the wider public consciousness when its version of The Floral Dance became an unlikely number 2 hit in 1977. | It has been entertaining crowds around the north and further afield for 131 years, and entered the wider public consciousness when its version of The Floral Dance became an unlikely number 2 hit in 1977. |
| But rarely have the fortunes of the band swelled as much as they do at present. Brighouse have won the national title at the Royal Albert Hall for the past two years, and completed a sell-out tour with acclaimed Northumberland folk group The Unthanks. | But rarely have the fortunes of the band swelled as much as they do at present. Brighouse have won the national title at the Royal Albert Hall for the past two years, and completed a sell-out tour with acclaimed Northumberland folk group The Unthanks. |
| The band will be aiming for further success at the Whit Friday contests in Saddleworth this Friday, 1 June. President Paul Beaumont enthuses: | The band will be aiming for further success at the Whit Friday contests in Saddleworth this Friday, 1 June. President Paul Beaumont enthuses: |
| The last couple of years have been absolutely amazing for the band. This year we're completing 33 concerts including some outside the UK. We're very shortly off to Belgium, Italy and we're also going to Switzerland before the end of the year. And then of course there's all the contests we do. | The last couple of years have been absolutely amazing for the band. This year we're completing 33 concerts including some outside the UK. We're very shortly off to Belgium, Italy and we're also going to Switzerland before the end of the year. And then of course there's all the contests we do. |
The band also spent last weekend in a recording studio making a forthcoming album, and have plans to fit another one in by the end of 2012. But Whit Friday remains a huge day in their busy calendar. Paul says: | The band also spent last weekend in a recording studio making a forthcoming album, and have plans to fit another one in by the end of 2012. But Whit Friday remains a huge day in their busy calendar. Paul says: |
| It's very different to a regional contest or the British Open or performing at the Albert Hall. But it's no less important and no less an event. We're all very aware of the tradition that goes with Whit Friday. It's a really exciting time for us, we all really enjoy it. We're looking forward to it as much as ever. It's tradition, it's a great night out, and dare I say it it's normally very successful for Brighouse and Rastrick as well. | It's very different to a regional contest or the British Open or performing at the Albert Hall. But it's no less important and no less an event. We're all very aware of the tradition that goes with Whit Friday. It's a really exciting time for us, we all really enjoy it. We're looking forward to it as much as ever. It's tradition, it's a great night out, and dare I say it it's normally very successful for Brighouse and Rastrick as well. |
| A total of 23 brass band contests take place across Saddleworth and Tameside, in an annual event that stretches back to 1884. | A total of 23 brass band contests take place across Saddleworth and Tameside, in an annual event that stretches back to 1884. |
| The top outfits such as Brighouse join local bands and even scratch groups of players in trying to get round as many contests as possible to win a share of the £60,000 prize money. | The top outfits such as Brighouse join local bands and even scratch groups of players in trying to get round as many contests as possible to win a share of the £60,000 prize money. |
| Last year, Brighouse won the contests at Delph, Denshaw, Dobcross, Greenfield and Grotton on their way to the overall Saddleworth area prize. Their toughest competition could come from their great rivals and newly-crowned European champions Black Dyke, who narrowly beat Brighouse to the Yorkshire title in March. But with each contest marked blind by an unseen adjudicator, surprise results are always possible. | Last year, Brighouse won the contests at Delph, Denshaw, Dobcross, Greenfield and Grotton on their way to the overall Saddleworth area prize. Their toughest competition could come from their great rivals and newly-crowned European champions Black Dyke, who narrowly beat Brighouse to the Yorkshire title in March. But with each contest marked blind by an unseen adjudicator, surprise results are always possible. |
| More important than the winning and losing though, is the spirit of the occasion, and last year Brighouse paid an emotional tribute to spectator Alan Chamberlain, who was knocked over and killed in Greenfield on Whit Friday 2010. The band played the hymn tune There Is A Green Hill Far Away at the spot where the tragedy happened, a performance that moved onlookers to tears. | More important than the winning and losing though, is the spirit of the occasion, and last year Brighouse paid an emotional tribute to spectator Alan Chamberlain, who was knocked over and killed in Greenfield on Whit Friday 2010. The band played the hymn tune There Is A Green Hill Far Away at the spot where the tragedy happened, a performance that moved onlookers to tears. |
| Here's a clip of the occasion from YouTube. It was a sad ceremony but also one which demonstrated the ties between the bands and the Saddleworth communities. Paul says: | Here's a clip of the occasion from YouTube. It was a sad ceremony but also one which demonstrated the ties between the bands and the Saddleworth communities. Paul says: |
| We've got a real affinity with the villages, and the people that live there. Whit Friday and Saddleworth is special for all the band. We were more than pleased to be able to help last year, and as a band, we found it really poignant playing the piece there. | We've got a real affinity with the villages, and the people that live there. Whit Friday and Saddleworth is special for all the band. We were more than pleased to be able to help last year, and as a band, we found it really poignant playing the piece there. |
The Whit Friday contests take place from 4pm onwards, and they're all free to attend. Full details are on the 4 Bars Rest website here and there will be full coverage in the Saddleworth News. | The Whit Friday contests take place from 4pm onwards, and they're all free to attend. Full details are on the 4 Bars Rest website here and there will be full coverage in the Saddleworth News. |
| Here's a clip from YouTube of Brighouse and Rastrick filmed by Richard at Dobcross last year. | Here's a clip from YouTube of Brighouse and Rastrick filmed by Richard at Dobcross last year. |
| Richard Jones is a freelance journalist who blogs here and regularly contributes to the Guardian Northerner. You can also find him on Twitter @rlwjones. | Richard Jones is a freelance journalist who blogs here and regularly contributes to the Guardian Northerner. You can also find him on Twitter @rlwjones. |
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