Aireborough Rotary Annual Charity Brass Band Concert

 Having finished runner up to the Black Dyke Band in the Yorkshire Championships, the band represented the county at the Royal Albert Hall on the 11th October finishing a very creditable 6th in the topmost Championship Section.

                                    BRASS THROUGH THE AGES 2025

Director of Music Ryan Watkins was full of praise for the venue on his first visit to Yeadon Town Hall. He expressed his delight at continuing the long running partnership between Aireborough Rotary and the Hepworth Band. The Band’s very successful year had culminated in their finishing sixth in the Championship Section of the National Brass Band Championship at the Royal Albert Hall.

Paragon, a testing piece, gave first soloist of the afternoon, Harry Porthouse, Principal Cornet, his opportunity on his last appearance with the Hepworth Band before returning to his native Wales. On his conclusion the ringing spontaneous applause from every band member said it all. Roberton’s arrangement of ‘All in the April Evening’ brought an immediate mood change with a lyrical air to the music.

On with the Motley saw  Soprano Cornet, George Newbould take on the solo role bringing out the hidden emotion felt on stage by the clown Pagliacci betrayed by his wife. Grainger’s arrangement of the haunting Londonderry Air followed, replaying the moving scene from the film ‘Brassed off’ with Hepworth taking the place of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.

Rogers ‘Oklahoma’ gave the second half a rousing opening.Theatre came next with two enthusiastic cornettists acting out a stand off to Morricone’s score from the Good the Bad and the Ugly.

Endearing Young Charms is seen as a fantastic showpiece for tone, technique and style and euphonium soloist Daniel Chan’s performance certainly delivered. El Camino Real Reed

Humour ran through the concert with tuba player David Hebb’s persistent plea to play his solo. ‘the bare necessities’. Once started every section of the band in turn stole the theme. An ovation followed his storming off to return with a giant sousaphone.

Reed’s El Camino Real, a latin fantasy for advanced ensembles was the final  exciting piece. Bach’s Toccata & Fugue in D Minor became a fitting encore for a splendid concert  by a Band delivering a powerful programme showcasing both technical brilliance and emotional depth.

The good news it that Ryan Watkins and the Heporth Band are already booked for next year