Following their decisions not to take part in the 'Best of Brass' Festival in Halifax on the weekend, Fairey and Brighouse & Rastrick Bands took the opportunity to record programmes for online broadcast.

Bell covers

The bands had been informed by e-mail on June 26th of the Risk Assessment made by festival organisers IBB Media dated 1st June, using DCMS Performance Arts and Brass Bands England guidance. This included the stipulation that bell covers must be used at the Halifax event.

The bands subsequently rehearsed with them but found that they could not perform to the standard they wished and with the associated problems linked to the repertoire they were due to perform.

They informed IBB Media of their decision within 24 hours of their rehearsals and withdrew from the event.

Opportunity not lost

The bands have informed 4BR that they then acted to ensure that the opportunity to record their programmes that were to be used at the event wasn't lost and made arrangements at short notice to undertake their own recordings in Covid-19 compliant conditions.

Fairey, under Adam Cooke recorded at a church in Bramhall with their guest soloist Owen Farr, whilst Brighouse & Rastrick returned to the Central Methodist Church in Brighouse under the baton of gust conductor Russell Gray.