Future Events

• We believe this contest will be run on 06 Sep 2025 at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK

Past Results

Date	Winner	Conductor	Test Piece
07 Sep 2024	Brass Band Treize Etoiles	Frédéric Théodoloz	The Lost Circle
09 Sep 2023	Fodens	Russell Gray	Sand and Stars
10 Sep 2022	Brighouse & Rastrick	David King	The World Rejoicing (Variations on a Lutheran Chorale)
12 Sep 2020	Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19) and related Uncertainties this Year's British Open and Spring Festival Contests had to be cancelled. Then the 2021 -Edition was postponed to January 2022 and finally also cancelled due to the ongoing Pandemic. So the next Edition will be the 168th British Open in September 2022. The qualified Bands (list below) can participate at the next Edition. See Statement here: http://www.thebritishopen.net/ Aldbourne Black Dyke Brighouse & Rastrick Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Cooperation Band Cory Desford Colliery Fairey Flowers Fodens Grimethorpe Colliery Hammonds Saltaire Leyland NASUWT Riverside Paris Brass Band Tredegar
07 Sep 2019	Cory	Philip Harper	Dynasty
08 Sep 2018	Cory	Philip Harper	A Brussels Requiem (amended version)
09 Sep 2017	Valaisia Brass Band	Arsène Duc	Fraternity
10 Sep 2016	Cory	Philip Harper	The Triumph of Time
05 Sep 2015	Grimethorpe Colliery	Robert Childs	Reflections on Swan Lake
06 Sep 2014	Black Dyke	Nicholas Childs	Vita Aeterna Variations (Variations & Fugue on an Original Theme)
07 Sep 2013	Tredegar	Ian Porthouse	Arabian Nights
01 Sep 2012	Foden's	Allan Withington	Electra
03 Sep 2011	Cory	Robert Childs	Red Priest
04 Sep 2010	Tredegar	Ian Porthouse	On the Shoulders of Giants
12 Sep 2009	Cory Band	Robert Childs	Titan's Progress
13 Sep 2008	Fodens Richardson	Garry Cutt	Rococo Variations [Gregson]
15 Sep 2007	Cory Band	Robert Childs	Visions of Gerontius
09 Sep 2006	Black Dyke	Nicholas Childs	Vienna Nights
17 Sep 2005	Black Dyke	Nicholas Childs	The Night to Sing
18 Sep 2004	Fodens Richardson	Garry Cutt	St. Magnus
13 Sep 2003	Yorkshire Building Society	David King	Jupiter (from The Planets Suite) [arr. Roberts]
14 Sep 2002	Buy As You View Cory	Robert Childs	The Maunsell Forts
15 Sep 2001	Yorkshire Building Society	David King	Les Preludes [arr. Gay]
09 Sep 2000	Buy As You View Cory	Robert Childs	Ceremony
11 Sep 1999	Yorkshire Building Society	David King	...Dove Descending
06 Sep 1998	Williams Fairey	James Gourlay	Diversions on a Bass Theme
17 Jan 1998	Yorkshire Building Society	David King	Whitsun Wakes
07 Sep 1996	Marple	Garry Cutt	The Severn Suite [arr. Gay]
09 Sep 1995	Black Dyke	James Watson	Revelation
10 Sep 1994	BNFL Leyland	Richard Evans	Salamander
04 Sep 1993	Williams Fairey	Peter Parkes	Masquerade [Wilby]
05 Sep 1992	Black Dyke	James Watson	Cloudcatcher Fells
07 Sep 1991	Grimethorpe Colliery	Frank Renton	Paganini Variations
08 Sep 1990	Sun Life	Roy Newsome	Le Roi d'Ys
09 Sep 1989	Kennedy's Swinton Concert	Garry Cutt	Diversions for Brass Band
10 Sep 1988	Rigid Container Group GUS	Bramwell Tovey	Contest Music
05 Sep 1987	Williams Fairey Engineering	Roy Newsome	Freedom (Brass Band Symphony No. 1)
06 Sep 1986	Black Dyke Mills	Peter Parkes	An Epic Symphony
07 Sep 1985	Black Dyke Mills	Peter Parkes	Salute to Youth
08 Sep 1984	Grimethorpe Colliery	Geoffrey Brand	Comedy Overture
10 Sep 1983	Black Dyke Mills	Peter Parkes	Connotations
04 Sep 1982	Besses o' th' Barn	Roy Newsome	Three Figures
05 Sep 1981	City of Coventry	Arthur Kenney	Variations on a Ninth
06 Sep 1980	Yorkshire Imperial	John Pryce-Jones	Energy
08 Sep 1979	Fairey Engineering	Walter Barrow Hargreaves	Le Carnaval Romain [arr. Wright]
09 Sep 1978	Brighouse & Rastrick	Geoffrey Brand	Benvenuto Cellini [arr. Wright]
10 Sep 1977	Black Dyke Mills	Peter Parkes	Diadem of Gold
04 Sep 1976	Black Dyke Mills	Peter Parkes	An Epic Symphony
06 Sep 1975	Wingates Temperance	Richard Evans	Fireworks
07 Sep 1974	Black Dyke Mills	Roy Newsome	James Cook, Circumnavigator
01 Sep 1973	Black Dyke Mills	Roy Newsome	The Accursed Huntsman
02 Sep 1972	Black Dyke Mills	Geoffrey Brand	Sovereign Heritage
04 Sep 1971	Yorkshire Imperial	Trevor Walmsley	Festival Music (Symphonic Suite)
06 Sep 1970	Yorkshire Imperial	Trevor Walmsley	Pageantry
06 Sep 1969	Grimethorpe Colliery	George Thompson	Spectrum [Vinter]
07 Sep 1968	Black Dyke Mills	Geoffrey Brand	John O'Gaunt [Vinter]
02 Sep 1967	Grimethorpe Colliery	George Thompson	Comedy Overture
03 Sep 1966	CWS (Manchester)	Alex Mortimer	A Downland Suite
04 Sep 1965	Fairey	Leonard Lamb	Saga of the North
05 Sep 1964	Foden Motor Works	Rex Mortimer	Lorenzo
07 Sep 1963	Fairey	Leonard Lamb	Life Divine
15 Sep 1962	Fairey	Leonard Lamb	Island Heritage
16 Sep 1961	Fairey	Leonard Lamb	Main Street
17 Sep 1960	CWS (Manchester)	Alex Mortimer	Fantasia in F
05 Sep 1959	Besses o' th' Barn	Willie Wood	The Undaunted
06 Sep 1958	Carlton Main Frickley Colliery	Jack Atherton	Sunset Rhapsody
07 Sep 1957	Black Dyke Mills	George Willcocks	Carnival [Perkin]
01 Sep 1956	Fairey Aviation	Harry Mortimer	Tam O'Shanter's Ride [Wright]
03 Sep 1955	Ferodo Works	George Hespe	Sinfonietta for Brass Band [Leidzen]
04 Sep 1954	Munn & Feltons	Stanley Boddington	Tournament for Brass
05 Sep 1953	National Band of New Zealand	Ken Smith	The Three Musketeers
06 Sep 1952	CWS (Manchester)	Eric Ball	Scena Sinfonica
01 Sep 1951	Ransome & Marles	Eric Ball	The Conquerors
02 Sep 1950	Fairey Aviation	Harry Mortimer	Resurgam
03 Sep 1949	Fairey Aviation	Harry Mortimer	Rhapsody in Brass
04 Sep 1948	CWS Manchester	Eric Ball	Music for Brass
06 Sep 1947	Fairey Aviation	Harry Mortimer	Henry V [Maldwyn Price]
07 Sep 1946	Bickershaw Colliery	Harry Mortimer	Salute to Freedom
01 Sep 1945	Fairey Aviation	Harry Mortimer	Pride of Race
02 Sep 1944	Fairey Aviation	Harry Mortimer	The Tempest
04 Sep 1943	Bickershaw Colliery	William Haydock	Themes from Symphony No. 5 [Beethoven]
05 Sep 1942	Fairey Aviation	Harry Mortimer	Pageantry
06 Sep 1941	Fairey Aviation	Harry Mortimer	Academic Festival Overture
07 Sep 1940	Bickershaw Colliery	William Haydock	Clive of India
30 Sep 1939	Wingates Temperance	Willie Wood	A Downland Suite
05 Sep 1938	Slaithwaite	Noel Thorpe	Owain Glyndwr
06 Sep 1937	Besses o' th' Barn	Willie Wood	Academic Festival Overture
07 Sep 1936	Brighouse & Rastrick	William Halliwell	Robin Hood [Geehl]
02 Sep 1935	Black Dyke Mills	William Halliwell	A Northern Rhapsody
03 Sep 1934	Brighouse & Rastrick	William Halliwell	Pageantry
04 Sep 1933	Brighouse & Rastrick	William Halliwell	Princess Nada
05 Sep 1932	Brighouse & Rastrick	William Halliwell	The Crusaders
07 Sep 1931	Besses o' th' Barn	William Halliwell	Springtime
01 Sep 1930	Eccles Borough	James Dow	Oriental Rhapsody
02 Sep 1929	Brighouse & Rastrick	Fred Berry	Pathetique
03 Sep 1928	Fodens Motor Works	William Halliwell	Lorenzo
05 Sep 1927	Fodens Motor Works	William Halliwell	The Merry Wives of Windsor [Keighley]
06 Sep 1926	Fodens Motor Works	William Halliwell	A Midsummer Night's Dream [Keighley]
07 Sep 1925	Creswell Colliery	J. A. Greenwood	Macbeth [Keighley]
01 Sep 1924	Newcastle Steel Works	Albert Baile	Selection from Franz Liszt [arr. Keighley]
03 Sep 1923	Wingates Temperance	William Halliwell	Dinorah [arr. Godfrey]
04 Sep 1922	South Elmsall & Frickley Colliery	Noel Thorpe	Lohengrin [arr. Johnstone]
05 Sep 1921	Wingates Temperance	William Halliwell	Maritana [arr. Godfrey]
06 Sep 1920	Besses o' th' Barn	Willie Wood	I Lombardi
01 Sep 1919	Harton Colliery	George Hawkins	The Lily of Killarney [arr. Godfrey]
07 Sep 1918	Wingates Temperance	William Halliwell	Il Bravo [arr. Godfrey]
01 Sep 1917	Horwich RMI	J. A. Greenwood	Le Pre-aux-Clercs [arr. Godfrey]
02 Sep 1916	Horwich RMI	J. A. Greenwood	La Traviata [arr. Godfrey]
04 Sep 1915	Fodens Motor Works	William Halliwell	Il Furioso [arr. Godfrey]
07 Sep 1914	Black Dyke Mills	J. A. Greenwood	Joseph und seine Brüder [arr. Godfrey]
01 Sep 1913	Fodens Motor Works	William Halliwell	A Souvenir of Gounod [arr. Godfrey]
02 Sep 1912	Fodens Motor Works	William Halliwell	Les Diamants de la Couronne [arr. Godfrey]
04 Sep 1911	Hebden Bridge	William Halliwell	Eugene Onegin [arr. Godfrey]
05 Sep 1910	Fodens Motors Wagon Works	William Halliwell	Acis and Galatea [arr. Godfrey]
06 Sep 1909	Fodens Motor Works	William Rimmer	Il Bravo [arr. Godfrey]
07 Sep 1908	Black Dyke Mills	William Rimmer	A Souvenir of Grieg [arr. Godfrey]
02 Sep 1907	Wingates	William Rimmer	Robin Hood [MacFarren arr. Godfrey]
03 Sep 1906	Wingates Band	William Rimmer	Les Huguenots [arr. Godfrey]
04 Sep 1905	Irwell Springs	William Rimmer	Cosi Fan Tutte [arr. Godfrey]
05 Sep 1904	Black Dyke Mills	John Gladney	Semiramide [arr. Godfrey]
07 Sep 1903	Pemberton Old	John Gladney	Caractacus [arr. Godfrey]
01 Sep 1902	Black Dyke Mills	John Gladney	L'Ebreo [arr. Godfrey]
02 Sep 1901	Kingston Mills	Alexander Owen	Mirella [arr. Godfrey]
03 Sep 1900	Lindley	John Gladney	La Gioconda [arr. Godfrey]
04 Sep 1899	Black Dyke Mills	John Gladney	Aroldo [arr. Godfrey]
05 Sep 1898	Wyke Temperance	Edwin Swift	Grand Selection: Mendelssohn's Works [arr. Godfrey]
06 Sep 1897	Mossley	Alexander Owen	Moses in Egypt [arr. Godfrey]
07 Sep 1896	Black Dyke Mills	John Gladney	Gabriella
02 Sep 1895	Black Dyke Mills	John Gladney	Hänsel und Gretel [arr. Godfrey]
03 Sep 1894	Besses o' th' Barn	Alexander Owen	The Golden Web
04 Sep 1893	Kingston Mills	John Gladney	Elaine
05 Sep 1892	Besses o' th' Barn	Alexander Owen	Zaar und Zimmermann
07 Sep 1891	Black Dyke Mills	John Gladney	Das Nachtlager in Granada
01 Sep 1890	Batley Old	John Gladney	Euryanthe [arr. Godfrey]
02 Sep 1889	Wyke Temperance	Edwin Swift	La Reine de Saba [arr. Godfrey]
03 Sep 1888	Wyke Temperance	Edwin Swift	Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) [arr. Godfrey]
05 Sep 1887	Kingston Mills	John Gladney	L'Etoile du Nord [arr. Godfrey]
06 Sep 1886	Kingston Mills	John Gladney	La Favorita [arr. Godfrey]
07 Sep 1885	Kingston Mills	John Gladney	Nabucodonosor [arr. Godfrey]
01 Sep 1884	Honley	John Gladney	La Gazza Ladra [arr. Godfrey]
03 Sep 1883	Littleborough Public	Edwin Swift	Il Giuramento [arr. Godfrey]
04 Sep 1882	Clayton-le-Moors	Alexander Owen	Il Seraglio [arr. Godfrey Jnr]
05 Sep 1881	Black Dyke Mills	Alexander Owen	Cinq Mars [arr. Godfrey]
06 Sep 1880	Black Dyke Mills	Alexander Owen	Vespri Siciliani [arr. Godfrey]
01 Sep 1879	Black Dyke Mills	Joseph Fawcett	The Last Judgement [arr. Godfrey]
02 Sep 1878	Meltham Mills	John Gladney	Romeo et Juliette [Gounod arr. Godfrey]
03 Sep 1877	Meltham Mills	John Gladney	Jessonda
04 Sep 1876	Meltham Mills	John Gladney	Aida [arr. Godfrey]
06 Sep 1875	Kingston Mills	John Gladney	Il Talismano [arr. Godfrey]
07 Sep 1874	Linthwaite	Edwin Swift	Faust [Spohr arr. Godfrey]
08 Sep 1873	Meltham Mills	John Gladney	Dinorah [arr. Godfrey]
02 Sep 1872	Robin Hood Rifles	H. Leverton	Souvenir de Mozart
04 Sep 1871	Black Dyke Mills	Samuel Longbottom	Il Barbiere [arr. Winterbottom]
05 Sep 1870	Bacup Old	John Lord	Ernani [arr. Winterbottom]
06 Sep 1869	Bacup	John Lord	Le Prophete [arr. Winterbottom]
07 Sep 1868	Burnley	Joseph Ford	Robert le Diable [arr. Waterson]
02 Sep 1867	Clay Cross (3rd Rifles)	John Naylor	Der Freischütz [arr. Winterbottom]
03 Sep 1866	Dewsbury Old	John Peel	L'Africaine [arr. Grosse]
04 Sep 1865	Bacup	John Lord	Un Ballo in Maschera [arr. Melling]
05 Sep 1864	Bacup	John Lord	Reminiscences of Auber
31 Aug 1863	Black Dyke Mills	Frank Galloway	Faust [Gounod, unknown arranger]
01 Sep 1862	Black Dyke Mills	Frank Galloway	La Muette de Portici (Masaniello) [unknown arranger]
02 Sep 1861	Halifax (4th W Yorks Rifles)	Isaac Dewhurst	Satanella [arr. Hird]
03 Sep 1860	Halifax (4th W Yorks Rifles)	Isaac Dewhurst	Zampa [unknown arranger]
05 Sep 1859	The contest was cancelled as only three bands entered: Black Dyke, Dewsbury, and Holmfirth.
06 Sep 1858	Accrington	Radcliffe Barnes	'On Thee Each Living Soul Awaits' from The Creation
07 Sep 1857	Leeds (Smiths)	Richard Smith	Il Trovatore [unknown arranger]
08 Sep 1856	Railway Foundry (Leeds)	Richard Smith	Stradella - overture [unknown arranger]
03 Sep 1855	Accrington	Radcliffe Barnes	Orynthia
04 Sep 1854	Railway Foundry Leeds	Richard Smith
05 Sep 1853	Mossley Temperance	William Taylor