‘Derek Day’ – Sunday 7th September 2025
Big news: we’re heading into an all-day rehearsal with none other than the infamous Derek Broadbent as we tighten up our performance ready for the National Finals in Cheltenham on 14 September 2025—Third Section!
Now, if you don’t know who Derek Broadbent is… have you even brassed before? This is a man who picked up the cornet at the age of nine and never looked back. He sharpened his musical chops in the military, trained at Kneller Hall and went on to carve out one of the most legendary conducting careers in the brass band world. We’re talking about the guy who led Brighouse & Rastrick Band to National Championship glory in 1980 and helped “The Floral Dance” become a full-on chart hit. Yes, that Floral Dance.
He didn’t stop there. Derek later took the reins at the Black Dyke Mills Band and guided them to their epic “Grand Slam” in the mid-80s—sweeping every major title like it was no big deal. And since the 1990s, he’s been a freelance conductor, adjudicator, composer, arranger and all-around brass band wizard. He even picked up the Iles Medal of Honour in 1988 for services to the brass band movement, which basically means he’s banding royalty. So, no pressure.
What does that mean for us? Well, it means we’ll be putting in a full day of fine-tuning, fixing, focusing and probably being gently terrorised into better tuning by someone who can spot a flat cornet at 50 paces. There’ll be some laughter and quite possibly some soul-searching over our semi-quavers. But hey, if you’re going to be whipped into shape, it might as well be by one of the best in the business.
“I cannot believe how incredibly friendly and inviting the whole band was even from my first time attending a rehearsal. Such a fantastic day at the Regionals! I have never played in a brass band before but I think I am in it for the long haul!”
Jamie – Eb Bass