*
banner

Strong field prepares for high Wire challenges

There is a strong turn-out of contenders ready to test their early season form at the Brass in the Wire and British Open Youth in the Wire contests in Warrington later this month.

Parr Hall
  The competition will take place at Parr Hall and Pyramid in Warrington

There will be a fine turn-out of competing bands at the forthcoming 2020 Brass in the Wire 2020 & British Open Youth in the Wire Championships to be held at Parr Hall and Pyramid in Warrington on Sunday 26th January.

The event continues to enjoy generous support from R. Banks & Son (Funerals Ltd) under proprietor Brian Halliwell and marks a return to the venue that hosted the contest in 1983 and 1984.

British Open link

A new initiative in 2020 will see the Championship and First Section events combined, although separate prizes will be given to the 'Highest Placed' bands in each section. Qualification to the British Open Spring Festival remains the same.

Championship Section:


Parr Hall
Test Piece choices: A Tale As Yet Untold (Philip Sparke) or Legacy for Brass Band (Tom Davoren)
Adjudicator: Paul Andrews and Sandy Smith
Start: 1.00pm (approx)

City of Bradford (Lee Skipsey)
Crofton Silver (tba)
Flixton (Matthew Ryan)
Foresters Brass (Gareth Brindle)
Freckleton (Matt Shaw)
Harrogate (Leigh Baker)
Haverhill Silver (Paul Filby)
Hepworth (Ryan Watkins)
Lindley (Mike Golding)
Longridge (Mark Peacock)
Mossley (Duncan Byers)
Newstead Brass (Jim Davies)
Roberts Bakery (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
Shirebrook Miners Welfare (Jim Henson)
Thoresby Colliery (Mike Howley)
York Railway Institute (David Lancaster)
Yorkshire Imperial David Urquhart Travel (Garry Hallas)

Second Section:


The Exhibition Hall — Pyramid
Test Pieces: The Golden Sabre — Tales of the Hussar-Poet, Denis Davydov (Kit Turnbull)
Adjudicators: Ian Brownbill and Sara Groarke-Booth
Start: 2.30pm (approx)

BD1 Brass (Lee Skipsey)
Crewe Brass (Matt Pithers)
Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
Farnworth & Walkden (Dan Price)
Old Hall Brass (John North)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW B (Alistair Burrows)
Slaithwaite (Matt Hindle)

Third Section:


The Exhibition Hall — Pyramid
Test Piece: Endurance (Andrew Baker)
Adjudicators: Ian Brownbill and Mareika Gray
Start: 1.00pm (approx)

Audley Brass (Tom Hancock)
City of Chester (Matthew Birkett)
Pilling Jubilee Silver (Steve Hartly)
Thornton Cleveleys (Dave Houghton)

Fourth Section:


The Exhibition Hall — Pyramid
Test Pieces: Neverland (Christopher Bond) and A Bournemouth Suite (Benjamin Tubb)
Adjudicators: Ian Brownbill and Mareika Gray
Start: 10.30am

Brindle (Matthew Balson)
Dobcross Silver (Jason M Smith)
Golborne (Joshua Hughes)
Red Admiral Brass (Stuart Barton)
Skelmersdale Prize (Ben Coulson)
Stacksteads (Fred Bowker)

The British Open Youth in the Wire Festival


The Parr Hall
Own Choice 20 minute programme
Adjudicators: John Doyle and Sara Groarke- Booth
Start: 10.00am

Elland Silver Youth
Oldham Music Centre Youth
Pemberton Old Wigan DW Youth
St Helens Youth
Youth Brass 2000

The results and prize presentation will take place at the conclusion of each section.

Become a supporter and help make our future secure.

4barsrest continues to be a proudly independent voice. There are no paywalls to overcome to be able to enjoy what we do to keep our journalism at the heart of the brass banding world. Support us with a one-off donation or subscribe from just £2.50 per month.

Support us    


Hepworth

Report & Result: 2026 Traveller's Rest March & Hymn Tune Contest

June 8 • Hepworth boost the bank balance ahead of the Autumn majors with a Wizard of a victory in Meltham.


Elgar Festival

Elgar Festival offers packed day of elite performers

June 7 • If you are anywhere near Birmingham today then why not enjoy a packed day of elite level brass band performers.


Carlton Main

Results: 2026 French Open Championships

June 7 • Carlton Main Frickley leads the prize winners in Amboise at the 30th French Open Championship


Kingdom Brass

Result: 2026 Clans vs Counties

June 6 • Kingdom Brass becomes the first cross border title holder at a brand new entertainment contest in Northumberland.


Regent Hall Concerts - Take 5 Brass Quintet

Friday 12 June • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Sherborne Town Band - Celebrating the Music of Malcolm Bennett

Sunday 14 June • Venue-Mark Village Hall, Vole Road, Mark-TA9 4NY. . TA9 4NY


Barnsley Brass - Black Dyke Band

Thursday 25 June • St Mary's Church. Church Street. Barnsley S70 2AH


Regent Hall Concerts - Junior Guildhall Brass Band

Friday 26 June • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Regent Hall Concerts - The Royal Sackbut Collective

Friday 26 June • Regent Hall (The Salvation Army). 275 Oxford Street. London W1C2DJ


Crewe Brass

June 5 • Crewe Brass are looking for PERCUSSION PLAYERS (TUNED and KIT) to join our highly motivated 4th section band. We are a very welcoming and sociable band, with a positive outlook and a reasonably busy calendar of engagements. Other enquiries are welcome.


Glossop Old Band

June 5 • Our friendly second section band are looking for a BB bass player to join us for contests, concerts and exciting new projects. Glossop Old Band is situated between Manchester and Sheffield and rich in history


Dodworth Colliery MW Brass Band

June 4 • BACK ROW CORNET 2nd/3rd cornet. . NEMBBA contest entered for 15 November. LBBA contest entered for 22 November. . Concert schedule planned in advance. Planned breaks .


Steve Pritchard-Jones

FTCL LTCL LDBBA DipMusEd GMus QTS NPQH
Conductor, Adjudicator, Teacher


               

 © 2026 4barsrest.com Ltd