Our History

Before 2004 The Original Garforth Brass Band

Garforth was previously the residence of a competitive brass band, though limited information is available, except that it ceased to exist several decades ago. In 1977, Garforth Jubilee, a non-competitive band, was established to commemorate the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The band convened at a local primary school for rehearsals.

2004 The Origin of the Modern Garforth Brass

In 2004, Steven Bailey, a local peripatetic music teacher at the time, decided he wanted to get back into the brass band scene, having played in top-tier bands in the past. He gathered together some like-minded people to busk over the Christmas period, culminating in the formation of a band on 1st January 2005. Originally named Garforth Community Brass Band, the group convened at the local Scout Hut on Sunday mornings.

Making their debut in the Yorkshire regional contest as a 4th Section Band in February 2005, Garforth Community Brass Band secured a remarkable 2nd place, earning a spot in the national final, held in Harrogate later that year. Their success continued as they clinched another 2nd place in the final, leading to their promotion to the 3rd Section for the 2006 season. By now the name had changed to Garforth Brass, and the band moved to Garforth Community College, rehearsing on a Sunday evening.

Having built up a strong team, the band came 2nd in the 2008 regional contest and again qualified for the national final in Harrogate. They were disappointed to come 16th in that competition, but undaunted, entered the Butlins Mineworkers’ Festival at Skegness in January 2009, coming 5th place in the 3rd Section after a 5 o’clock start on a freezing cold day.

2009 Continued Contesting Success

Their most illustrious moment arrived two months later when they clinched the title of Yorkshire 3rd section champions in 2009. That year, they also participated in contests at Otley, Morley, and Easingwold, alongside representing Yorkshire once more at the national final held in Harrogate. Another significant development in 2009 was the relocation of rehearsal venue to Garforth Methodist Church, where the band continues to rehearse today.

After promotion to the 2nd section, 2010 was a year for consolidation, and 5th place was achieved at the 2nd section regional contest in March. Not long after that, the band’s first CD “Making Tracks” was recorded at Garforth Methodist Church.

In January 2011 Garforth Brass had another early start when it made an appearance on ITV's national TV programme, Daybreak, providing live music as a backdrop to an article about keeping fit and living a healthy lifestyle.

2013 A Change of Leadership

By the time of the 2013 area competition, the band had returned to the 3rd Section, and Steve Bailey decided it was time for him to step down. Consequently, in April 2013, the band appointed Mark Wildie from Wakefield as their new Musical Director. Despite facing challenges with players departing the band, Mark's enthusiasm led to several successful contests and concerts. Through concerted efforts and leveraging connections from both past players and new acquaintances, the band managed to assemble a full ensemble for a performance of Partita at Bradford in 2014. On the day of the performance and despite all of the challenges, the band delivered a worthy performance and did themselves proud.

Following Mark, there was a short period under the guidance of Charles Fyffe, a music graduate from Huddersfield University and a student of Philip McCann. Subsequently, the leadership transitioned to Michael Cox, one of the founding members of the band who had been present alongside Steve Bailey since its inception in 2005.

2015 Rebuilding

In 2015, Michael led the band to Bradford and achieved a commendable 8th place. However, despite a respectable performance, it wasn't sufficient to maintain the position in the 3rd section due to the ranking system. That year, the band thrived in the 4th section, participating in the Ripon Entertainment Contest in May and delivering a well-attended concert as part of the Garforth Arts Festival at St. Mary’s Church. Additionally, Garforth Brass organised a Summer Fayre to celebrate its 10th Anniversary and raise much needed funds. Unfortunately, declining numbers prevented Garforth's participation in the 2016 regional competition, and due to a change in personal circumstances, the band bid a reluctant farewell to Michael.

Since March 2016, Garforth Brass has been actively involved in the Learn To Play Day organised by the Music For All charity, generously sponsored by local music wholesalers John Hornby Skewes. Every October, members of the public are offered the opportunity to explore a variety of brass and percussion instruments and receive introductory lessons. This event has consistently proven successful, with numerous members of Garforth's training band originating from these sessions.

After a brief tenure under the leadership of James Beecham, Garforth Brass welcomed John Thompson as its Musical Director at the beginning of 2017. Under John's guidance, the band embarked on a journey of rebuilding and achieved stability in terms of both players and engagements. Over the course of three successful years with John at the helm, which included participation in the National Finals in 2018, the band attained the top position in the 4th section for the 2019/2020 season. Consequently, starting from January 1, 2021, Garforth Brass found itself promoted to the 3rd Section, marking its return to this level for the first time since 2015.

2020 The Covid Pandemic

The Covid pandemic posed significant challenges for most brass bands, and Garforth Brass was no exception. Throughout 2020 and 2021, as lockdown restrictions gradually eased, the band struggled with falling numbers. To ensure the continued existence of a brass band in Garforth, it was decided to merge with Garforth Jubilee Brass Band, a local non-competitive ensemble, under the Garforth Brass umbrella. Both bands were grappling with recovery from the effects of the Covid lockdowns, and the merger was deemed the most viable path forward. Since the merger, Garforth Brass has experienced nearly full attendance at almost every rehearsal.

After merging, the combined band has continued to compete in the third section, appearing at the Yorkshire regional contest in both 2023 and 2024. Following the 2024 contest and a successful 7-year tenure, John Thompson and the band parted ways. John is credited with leading Garforth Brass to promotion from the fourth section and stabilising the band following a tumultuous and uncertain period. In April 2024, Garforth Brass appointed Gordon Eddison as its new musical director. The band has plans to compete in several march contests throughout 2024 and aims to cement its position in the third section at the 2025 Yorkshire regional contest.