Rode Hall Silver Band took part in the NWABBA Buxton Brass Band Festival on the 28th April 2019.   The event was an own choice test piece contest and was held in the newly refurbished Octagon Theatre which provided a fantastic acoustic for the event. The order of play for the bands had been pre-drawn and Rode Hall Silver opened proceedings at 10:30am by playing the National Anthem as is traditional at all brass band contests in the UK. The band then went on to play it's chosen test piece for the 4th Section, 'Music for a Festival' by Philip Sparke. Competition from the other bands was strong and adjudicator Mike Kilroy commented on the quality and ambition of all the performances. The band were delighted to be placed 1st overall and also won the prize for the highest placed NWABBA band.

The band returned to the De Montfort School on the 3rd of November after 4th Section success last year. This year the band entered both the 3rd and 4th section competitions and our results are as follows:

4th Section

Second Prize

Best Entertainment Prize

Best Soloist: Mark Leigh - Trombone

Adjudicator: Nicholas Garman

3rd Section

Third Prize

Best Soloist: Mark Leigh - Trombone

Adjudicator: Ian Porthouse

The band traveled to Saddleworth once again this year to take part in the Whit Friday contests on the 25th May. Heavy Bank Holiday traffic coupled with extensive roadworks meant that the journey took a little longer than usual. However, the band arrived for their first contest at Scouthead at just before 5pm. The weather was wet and windy and the players thought that the first performance went well considering the conditions. So well in fact that the band achieved the top placing for a fourth section band!

Moving on from Scouthead, the band then played at Delph and Dobcross, putting in solid performances under steady rainfall. On leaving Dobcross to head to the next contest at Uppermill, band members at the rear of the coach noticed the smell of smoke. The driver pulled over (conveniently outside The Commercial pub) as he entered Uppermill. It was fairly clear on inspection that this was the final stop that this particular coach would be making! Fortunately, the band were well within walking distance of the contest at Uppermill and so were able to register and compete in what could have been, and turned out to be, the last contest. As such, the band focused hard and made its last performance count, resulting in another top fourth section placing.

Although players had fingers crossed that a replacement bus would arrive in time to make another contest or two, it wasn't to be, and the band enjoyed the opportunity to socialise, take refreshments and absorb the... rather lively... Uppermill atmosphere!

Even though the day's playing was curtailed, the band are delighted with the performances and results achieved and would like to thank MD Nigel Butler for all the hard work preparing the band for this year's event. 

Photographs from the night can be found in our Gallery.

Rode Hall Silver Band are pleased to once again be appearing at the 2018 MMU Brass United preview evening, hosted by the TCTC Group Band. We encourage our local supporters to come along and hear our test piece, World Tour by Rodney Newton, as well as performances of test pieces from each of the other sections.

The event starts at 7:00pm on 17th February at the MMU Crewe Campus.

Admission is free.

At 7:30am on the 28th October 2017, after weeks of rehearsals the band set of for Wychavon Festival of Brass in Evesham, Worcester. The band were returning to Wychavon to try and better the runners-up position achieved in 2016, and we are delighted to announce that we did just that. The band celebrated becoming Overall Winners of the 4th Section, Winners of the Entertainment Prize and Winners of the Best Percussion Section.

Our winning programme was:

1. Prismatic Light - Alan Fernie
2. Under the Boardwalk - Young & Resnick arr. Philip Harper
3. Libertango - Astor Piazzolla arr. Leigh Baker
4. Lisa Lan - Dan Price
5. Caravan - Duke Ellington / Juan Tizol arr. Steve Sykes

The band would like to thank our MD Nigel Butler for all the hard work with the band to bring us to winning ways and we hope that we can continue this good form into the 2018 Regional Championships.

Click here for more images of the day

The band travelled to Wychavon Festival of Brass on Saturday 29th October 2016 to compete in the 4th Section of the annual entertainments contest. The event was held at the De Montfort School in Evesham and the contest was adjudicated by Sarah Groarke-Booth. The musical programme was based around the band colours of blue, black and gold and went as follows:

• Brooklyn - Youngblood Brass Band - Arr. Dave Collins
• Don't it make my brown eye's blue - Richard Leigh - Arr. Darrol Barry
• March Goldcrest - James Anderson
• Sunrise over Blue Ridge - Dan Price
• Paint it, Black - Mick Jagger and Keith Richards - Arr. Leigh Baker

The band are proud to announce that they achieved 2nd place in the contest, receiving The Lumsden Cup and £200 prize money. MD Nigel Butler is now looking to build on this great result as we move into the regional contest season in the new year.