The Grimethorpe Colliery Band is a brass band, based in Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, England. It was formed in 1917, as a leisure activity for the workers at the colliery, by members of the disbanded Cudworth Colliery Band."Brass band keep their shine", Western Daily Press, 1 September 2006 Along with the Black Dyke Mills Band, the band became the first to perform at the Proms. Grimethorpe Band achieved fame after appearing in the film Brassed Off.
History The year after the band's formation saw it enter its first competition at Belle Vue in Manchester.. Its first radio broadcast was in 1932 and from 1941 to 1951 it was on UK national radio every month.
George Thompson was musical director from the early 1950s until 1972 during which time the band won the British Open Contest for the first time. Thompson was followed by Elgar Howarth as Professional Conductor and Musical Director. 1974 saw the band, along with Black Dyke Mills Band, become the first to perform at the Proms.
The band continued through the industrial troubles of the 1980s and the closure of Grimethorpe Colliery on 13 October 1992. The band gained first place with 99 out of 100 on 17 October 1992 - just four days after the pit closure - in the National Brass Band Championships, conducted by Frank Renton at the Royal Albert Hall in London playing Philip Wilby's The New Jerusalem. This sequence of events inspired the plot of the film "Brassed Off" (see below).
Following the closure of the Grimethorpe Colliery in 1993, the Band was sponsored by RJB Mining (later UK Coal plc) and then by Powerfuel.
In 2016 the band asked Richard Corbett, Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire, to be its Honorary President and in September 2018, the band played at the opening of the Labour Party annual conference in Liverpool.
Rock and pop The band has appeared on rock and pop records, including "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease", on Roy Harper's 1975 HQ album, and Peter Skellern's 1978 and 1979 albums Skellern (including the hit single "Love Is the Sweetest Thing") and Astaire. In 1976, the band assisted comedian Max Bygraves in recording a song specially commissioned by the National Coal Board called "Do It The Safety Way", in order to promote safety procedures in coalmines.
One former member of the band, trombonist Andy Cato, went on to co-found electronic music duo Groove Armada.
In films International fame came with the highly acclaimed film Brassed Off, the plot of which was based on Grimethorpe's struggles against pit closures (see above), and whose soundtrack was recorded by the band. The band has subsequently played at several events (including two at the Royal Albert Hall) in which the film is projected and the band simultaneously substitutes the sound track of the film with live music.
The band also performed Ron Goodwin's film score for the 1976 Disney film Escape from the Dark (also called The Littlest Horse Thieves), with the composer conducting.
Honours National Brass Band Championships – Winners 1970, 1992, 2006 and 2007."The National Brass Band Championships" , The Harrogate Band, accessed 17 December 2007 English National Brass Band Championships – Winners 2007,"Colliery band hits top prize note", BBC News, 1 July 2007"English National Brass Band Championships" , British Federation of Brass Bands, accessed 17 December 2007 2008.Results: 2008 English Nationals, 4barsrest.com, accessed 28 June 2008 Yorkshire Champions – 1963, 1967, 1973, 1983, 1991, 1995, 2005, 2006. Brass in Concert Champions – 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2001 to 2005, 2010 and 2014.Results for 2014 and The Sage Years at brassinconcert.com Mineworkers' Champions – 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973 to 1980, 1983, 1985 to 2002. British Open Champions – 1969, 1984, 1991, 2015. Granada Band of the Year – 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1985.
Other events The band represented England at the European Brass Band Championship in Norway in May 2008 and came second behind the Cory Band, both on 194 points.Buffet Crampon, woodwind instruments : clarinets, professional clarinet, oboe, bassoon In June 2008 Grimethorpe gained its second successive victory at the English National Brass Band Championships, thus qualifying to represent England once again at the European Championships in Ostende, Belgium, in 2009. The band gained further worldwide attention with its rendition of the Olympic Hymn during the 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in the Olympic Stadium, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra.
Notable members
Roger Webster – Former Principal Cornet Nicholas Childs – Former Solo Euphonium Andy Cato – Former Trombonist and co-founder of electronic music duo Groove Armada. Kevin Crockford - Former Soprano Cornet
Partial discography YearAlbumConductor1967Black Diamonds1968Hymns You LoveGeorge Thompson1968Belle Vue BrassGeorge Thompson1969Christmas PraiseGeorge Thompson1970Highlights in BrassGeorge Thompson1974Festival Band Series Vol. 3George Thompson1971Salute to GershwinGeorge Thompson1971 Hymns You Love – Volume 2George Thompson1972Brass versus the Classics1972Grimethorpe Colliery Band Play the Music from….1973Morning Has BrokenDennis Wilby1973Hymns of PraiseDennis Wilby1973Pop Goes the PosthornElgar Howarth1976Grimethorpe SpecialElgar Howarth1976Do It the Safety Way (single with Max Bygraves)1976Escape from the Dark – Disney (Original Soundtrack)1977Classics for Brass BandElgar Howarth1977Band of the Year 1972, 1973, 1976Elgar Howarth1977Band of the YearBryden Thompson1979Were You There? (single with the Kemsing Singers)1979Skellern – Astaire1980King Size BrassRay Farr1980Arrivederci GrimethorpeRay Farr1980The Centenary / The Boy I Love is On the Engine (single with Lorraine Hart)1985The Age of Self / Raise Your Banners High (single with [Robert Wyatt] & GCHQ Trade Unions)1986FirebirdRay Farr1986Grimethorpe EntertainsDavid James1989Classic BrassFrank Renton1990The Day the North Left Town (with the Wood Thieves)1991A Night at the OperaElgar Howarth1991 Cornet Roundabout (Alan Morrison, cornet soloist)1991The Miner's PrayerFrank Renton1992Paganini VariationsFrank Renton1993WilbyFrank Renton & Garry Cutt1993Arnold on BrassElgar Howarth & Sir Malcolm Arnold1993The Old Rugged Cross1993Grimethorpe Colliery Band plays Brass FavouritesElgar Howarth1993Euphonium (Robin Taylor, euphonium soloist)Garry Cutt1993Grimethorpe Plays World HitsGarry Cutt & Manfred Obrecht1994Let's Face the Music and DanceGarry Cutt1995WagnerElgar Howarth1995Stars in BrassFrank Renton1996French BonbonsMajor Peter Parkes1996Brassed Off (Original Soundtrack)John Anderson1996The Old Rugged Cross – 34 Brass Favourites1997A White Christmas with GrimethorpeMajor Peter Parkes1997From Sonnets to JazzMajor Peter Parkes1998The Melody ShopMajor Peter Parkes1998The Very Best of the Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal) Band1998The Grimethorpe Colliery Band – 34 Brass Band Favourites1998Bold As Brass1999Grimethorpe Colliery Band – Australian Tour EditionElgar Howarth1999Brass from the Masters – Volume 2Major Peter Parkes2000Brass Favourites from Grimethorpe2001Eric Ball – The UndauntedElgar Howarth2001Movie Brass2001Quincentenary Concert (with YBS Band)2001Classic Brass2001Brass Band Classics2002Grimethorpe in ConcertGarry Cutt2003British Brass2003PromenadeElgar Howarth2004Grimethorpe in Concert Volume IIRichard Evans2004The History of Brass Band Music – The Golden EraElgar Howarth2004The History of Brass Band Music – The Salvation Army ConnectionElgar Howarth2005The History of Brass Band Music – The Early YearsElgar Howarth2005Legends2005Blaze (Richard Marshall, cornet soloist)2006The History of Brass Band Music – The Modern EraElgar Howarth2007Grimethorpe in Concert Volume IIIRichard Evans & Philip Harper2007The History of Brass Band Music – Classical ArrangementsElgar Howarth2008The History of Brass Band Music – New AdventuresElgar Howarth2008HymnsPhillip McCann2009Classic Brass2010Grimethorpe in Concert Volume IVJames Gourlay2010Hymns Volume IIJames Gourlay2010Terra Australis – The Music of Martin EllerbyJames Gourley2011By RequestBrian Grant2012Your 20 Favourite Hymns2012Grimethorpe Colliery Reunion Band: The Nationals 20122015Grimethorpe EntertainDr Robert Childs2015By Request IIRay Farr & Robert Childs2017Grimethorpe 100Misc2020Mysteries of the Horizon – The Music of Nigel ClarkeDavid Thornton & Sandy Smith
References
External links Official site