The fourth of July is celebrated the world over by Americans as they honour the birth of their country. More importantly, it was the date that Denton brass celebrated 150 years of music.

Months (and possibly years!!) of hard work by players, committee members and family members had culminated with a  concert. Master of ceremonies for the evening was John Maines. Over the course of the evening the audience at Hyde Town Hall were treated not only to Denton Brass but also to two fantastic solo performances.

The first was from Black Dyke’s world class trombonist Brett Baker who did a sterling performance of Harold Moss’s The Nightingale, which was followed by Hoagy Carmichael’s Georgia on My Mind. Leslie Howie, principal horn player with The Foden’s Band, also gave a fantastic performance, which was comprised of Concerto for Horn in E Flat by Bellini and A Time for Peace by Peter Graham.

Denton Brass have a special place in British brass banding history, as being the first band to win the British open, way back in 1900. The band has seen some good years and some not so good. A display of the band’s history produced by Denton History Society was on show throughout the evening.

The band, under the baton of Graham Smith, began with a performance of Denton Jubilee, a concert march written by the band’s baritone player Richard Cook. The second half began in a similar fashion, with the premier performance of a march called The Dentonian, which was written by Keith Stanley James Lever. Both pieces were commissioned for the band’s 150th anniversary.

Over the course of the evening the band performed a wide genre of musical pieces including amongst others Appalachian Mountain Folksong Suite; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s John 19:41; a march variation of The Beatle’s Yellow Submarine; Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water; some music from the movies was also provided in the form of John Barry’s Born Free and John Williams’ Jurassic Park.

Some of the players that will play for the next 150 years of Denton Brass were also on show in the form of the Training Band. The beginners put on a great performance under the guidance of Debbie Tattersall and Matthew Gee.

The evening was enjoyable for players and audience members alike. The success of the concert is a testament to all the hard work devoted to Denton Brass over the years. And who knows what the future will have in store.