South Milford Brass

South Milford Brass was formed in 1982 by Graham Walker, a peripatetic brass teacher in the Sherburn area.  The band was originally known as Hambleton Brass as it practiced in Hambleton near Selby.  The players were drawn from local schools, but mainly from Sherburn High School.

                                            Hambleton Brass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1989 the Band was  fortunate to receive sponsorship from ASDA manufacturing and so changed its name to ASDA Manufacturing until the company ended the deal in 1992.                                                   

By now the Band had moved to South Milford and practiced in the WI Hall.  Then came another name change, this time to South Milford Brass.  The Band reached 1st section status by 1991, but began to lose members due to other commitments and by July 1996 membership was so low that the Band was about to fold.

In order to save South Milford Brass, a few members from Carlton Main Frickley Colliiery Band decided to take over the Band and try to build it up with younger members from Breakaway Brass, a local brass band from Great Heck.  The band appealed to the North of England area to be re-graded into the 4th section and this was granted.

In January 1997 the Band moved rehearsal rooms again, this time to Linpac in Rawcliffe Bridge.

 

The area contest was held in March 1997 and the band competed in the 4th section at Darlington and came 3rd under the baton of Paul Fligg.

By 1998 the Band had gone from strength to strength and re-appointed Graham Walker (the original founder of the Band) as Conductor to take the Band to the North East Area contest at Darlington where the Band came 3rd again.                                                                                                                                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                      

The Band's best achievement to date was at the Annual Yorkshire & Humberside Contest held in Scarborough on 10th May 1998.  South Milford Brass played in the 3rd Section and came first in the Test Piece and first in the March.  The Band also came 2nd in the Hymn Tune section and won the Swaine Trophy  for the Best Percussionist.

From January 1999 the Band were promoted into the 3rd Section nationally then did not compete nationally until 2007 when they completed in the North of England 4th section achieving 5th place under new Musical Director, Richard Wilton. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During 2007 the Band were also runners up in the first Kippax knockout competition  beating several higher section bands in the heats to reach the final where they lost out to 1st section Wakefield Met.

On Sunday 18th November 2007 the Band travelled to Malton to compete in the Yorkshire & Humberside Brass Band Association's Malton Brass '07 Concert Programme Competition and came 2nd  B Class for 3rd and 4th Section bands also winning the prizes for the Best March and Best Euphonium.

 

 

November 2007 saw South Milford Brass reach its 25th Anniversary.  To mark the event the band held a concert in Snaith Priory on 15th March 2008 which was attended by over 300 past and present players and associates of the band and their families.

 

Since then the Band has gone from strength to strength becoming 4th Section Champions in 2008 and 3rd Section Champions in 2009, thereby gaining promotion to the 2nd Section.  More success followed at the Yorkshire and Humberside Brass Band Association's Easingwold contest in July 2011 with the Band winning the Best March on Stand and the Best 2nd Section March.   A period of consolidation followed with a 3rd place at the area contest under the baton of Miles Davison in 2010  and another 3rd place in 2011 with Martin Hall who took over as Musical Director in November 2010. 

 

2012 has proved to be the most successful year to date for South Milford Brass with the Band winning the 2nd Section North of England Area Contest in March then going on to achieve an historic win at the National Finals in September to become 2nd Section National Champions of Great Britain 2012, the first national title in the Band's 30 year history and promotion to the 1st Section from January 2013. To top off of a fantastic year the Band won the Kippax Entertainment Contest In November 2012.