BRIGHOUSE AND Rastrick Band returns to Huddersfield later this month for another of its massed band concerts.
The band will be joined at its concert on March 23 by the Whitburn Band, which will make the long trip from West Lothian in Scotland to share the stage at Huddersfield Town Hall.
Based in the town of Whitburn, midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, the band is well placed to make its regular appearances on the pitch at Murrayfield, the home of Scottish Rugby Union, to perform the pre-match National Anthems on ‘International’ days.
Like Brighouse and Rastrick, Whitburn is a town band. It was formed in 1860 and in recent times has always been ranked in the world’s top 20 contesting bands. The band has won the Scottish Championship a total of 16 times.
Ray Farr is the guest conductor for the evening, a new name to these events, but a man with a wealth of musical experience as player, composer/arranger and adjudicator.
After studying at Birmingham School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, Ray worked for 10 years as a professional musician with the BBC Radio Orchestra before taking up the baton as a conductor, appearing in hundreds of concerts in some of the finest concert halls around the world.
In 1979 he became resident conductor of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band during which time he started to write his popular musical arrangements for brass and wind band.
Ten years ago, Ray accepted a position as Conductor in Residence at Durham University where he now teaches conducting and arranging, combining his university work with a busy freelance career.
With Brighouse and Rastrick Band being recently placed fourth in the 4BarsRest brass band 'World Rankings', the combination of them with guest band Whitburn is sure to be a great show.
Tickets from Kirklees ticket outlets.
