Grimethorpe Colliery Band
# Grimethorpe Colliery Band

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. Along with the Black Dyke Mills Band, the band became the first to perform at the Proms. Grimethorpe Band achieved worldwide 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 in the National Brass Band Championship at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Following the closure of the Grimethorpe Colliery in 1993, the Band was sponsored by RJB Mining (later UK Coal plc) and then by Powerfuel.

## Premieres

The Grimethorpe Colliery Band has premiered some of the most important brass music of the 20th century, including Sir Harrison Birtwistle's Grimethorpe Aria, written for the band, and Hans Werner Henze's Ragtimes and Habaneras as well as several pieces by Sir Malcolm Arnold.

## Rock and pop

The band has appeared on rock and pop records, notably "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 film Brassed Off, the plot of which was based on Grimethorpe's struggles against pit closures, and whose soundtrack was recorded by the band. 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.
* English National Brass Band Championships – Winners 2007, 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.
* 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. 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.

## Partial discography

| Year | Album | Conductor |
| - | - | - |
| 1967 | Black Diamonds | |
| 1968 | Hymns You Love | George Thompson |
| 1968 | Belle Vue Brass | George Thompson |
| 1969 | Christmas Praise | George Thompson |
| 1970 | Highlights in Brass | George Thompson |
| 1974 | Festival Band Series Vol. 3 | George Thompson |
| 1971 | Salute to Gershwin | George Thompson |
| 1971 | Hymns You Love – Volume 2 | George Thompson |
| 1972 | Brass versus the Classics | |
| 1972 | Grimethorpe Colliery Band Play the Music from…. | |
| 1973 | Morning Has Broken | Dennis Wilby |
| 1973 | Hymns of Praise | Dennis Wilby |
| 1973 | Pop Goes the Posthorn | Elgar Howarth |
| 1976 | Grimethorpe Special | Elgar Howarth |
| 1976 | Do It the Safety Way (single with Max Bygraves) | |
| 1976 | Escape from the Dark – Disney (Original Soundtrack) | |
| 1977 | Classics for Brass Band | Elgar Howarth |
| 1977 | Band of the Year 1972, 1973, 1976 | Elgar Howarth |
| 1977 | Band of the Year | Bryden Thompson |
| 1979 | Were You There? (single with the Kemsing Singers) | |
| 1979 | Skellern – Astaire | |
| 1980 | King Size Brass | Ray Farr |
| 1980 | Arrivederci Grimethorpe | Ray Farr |
| 1980 | The Centenary / The Boy I Love is On the Engine (single with Lorraine Hart) | |
| 1985 | The Age of Self / Raise Your Banners High (single with [Robert Wyatt] & GCHQ Trade Unions) | |
| 1986 | Firebird | Ray Farr |
| 1986 | Grimethorpe Entertains | David James |
| 1989 | Classic Brass | Frank Renton |
| 1990 | The Day the North Left Town (with the Wood Thieves) | |
| 1991 | A Night at the Opera | Elgar Howarth |
| 1991 | Cornet Roundabout (Alan Morrison, cornet soloist) | |
| 1991 | The Miner's Prayer | Frank Renton |
| 1992 | Paganini Variations | Frank Renton |
| 1993 | Wilby | Frank Renton & Garry Cutt |
| 1993 | Arnold on Brass | Elgar Howarth & Sir Malcolm Arnold |
| 1993 | The Old Rugged Cross | |
| 1993 | Grimethorpe Colliery Band plays Brass Favourites | Elgar Howarth |
| 1993 | Euphonium (Robin Taylor, euphonium soloist) | Garry Cutt |
| 1993 | Grimethorpe Plays World Hits | Garry Cutt & Manfred Obrecht |
| 1994 | Let's Face the Music and Dance | Garry Cutt |
| 1995 | Wagner | Elgar Howarth |
| 1995 | Stars in Brass | Frank Renton |
| 1996 | French Bonbons | Major Peter Parkes |
| 1996 | Brassed Off (Original Soundtrack) | John Anderson |
| 1996 | The Old Rugged Cross – 34 Brass Favourites | |
| 1997 | A White Christmas with Grimethorpe | Major Peter Parkes |
| 1997 | From Sonnets to Jazz | Major Peter Parkes |
| 1998 | The Melody Shop | Major Peter Parkes |
| 1998 | The Very Best of the Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal) Band | |
| 1998 | The Grimethorpe Colliery Band – 34 Brass Band Favourites | |
| 1998 | Bold As Brass | |
| 1999 | Grimethorpe Colliery Band – Australian Tour Edition | Elgar Howarth |
| 1999 | Brass from the Masters – Volume 2 | Major Peter Parkes |
| 2000 | Brass Favourites from Grimethorpe | |
| 2001 | Eric Ball – The Undaunted | Elgar Howarth |
| 2001 | Movie Brass | |
| 2001 | Quincentenary Concert (with YBS Band) | |
| 2001 | Classic Brass | |
| 2001 | Brass Band Classics | |
| 2002 | Grimethorpe in Concert | Garry Cutt |
| 2003 | British Brass | |
| 2003 | Promenade | Elgar Howarth |
| 2004 | Grimethorpe in Concert Volume II | Richard Evans |
| 2004 | The History of Brass Band Music – The Golden Era | Elgar Howarth |
| 2004 | The History of Brass Band Music – The Salvation Army Connection | Elgar Howarth |
| 2005 | The History of Brass Band Music – The Early Years | Elgar Howarth |
| 2005 | Legends | |
| 2005 | Blaze (Richard Marshall, cornet soloist) | |
| 2006 | The History of Brass Band Music – The Modern Era | Elgar Howarth |
| 2007 | Grimethorpe in Concert Volume III | Richard Evans & Philip Harper |
| 2007 | The History of Brass Band Music – Classical Arrangements | Elgar Howarth |
| 2008 | The History of Brass Band Music – New Adventures | Elgar Howarth |
| 2008 | Hymns | Phillip McCann |
| 2009 | Classic Brass | |
| 2010 | Grimethorpe in Concert Volume IV | James Gourlay |
| 2010 | Hymns Volume II | James Gourlay |
| 2010 | Terra Australis – The Music of Martin Ellerby | James Gourley |
| 2011 | By Request | Brian Grant |
| 2012 | Your 20 Favourite Hymns | |
| 2012 | Grimethorpe Colliery Reunion Band: The Nationals 2012 | |
| 2015 | Grimethorpe Entertain | Dr Robert Childs |
| 2015 | By Request II | Ray Farr & Robert Childs |
| 2017 | Grimethorpe 100 | Misc |
| 2020 | Mysteries of the Horizon – The Music of Nigel Clarke | David Thornton & Sandy Smith |
