History

Leyland Band

Entertainment in Brass

The Leyland Band was established in 1946 in the heart of industrial Lancashire as the Leyland Motors Band, taking its name from the world famous truck and bus company. Now an independent group of some thirty musicians, the band has retained its local connection and now proudly bears the name of its home town.

 

The last twenty five years of the band’s existence has been the most consistently successful in its history and the band has witnessed scores of prize awards at all the major competitions in the brass band arena.

 

Leyland Band has also rightly earned its reputation as an unrivalled concert entertainer by producing dynamic and unique performances both at home and abroad. A flexible approach to programming is a hallmark of Leyland Band and its repertoire is as varied as the venues at which it performs.

 

In 1980, the ensemble was the first western brass band to tour Japan, a country it revisited along with South Korea in the 1990s. In the last decade, four coast to coast tours of the United States of America are testament to the band’s far-reaching appeal. Numerous performances on continental Europe have been a feature of the band’s work on the concert platform.

Traditional Leyland - A Proud History

Leyland Band circa 1950

Champion Brass - Musical Excellence

Away from its successes on the concert platform, Leyland boasts a proud record in the competition arena. It is one of only a handful of British brass bands that has won several ‘majors’ in the brass band arena.

 

During the 1970s, the band made a meteoric rise through the sections, quickly achieving championship status and cementing its status as a leading player within the brass music community. The band made a remarkable impact in 1994, when it won the British Open Brass Band Championships at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall.

 

The band has taken top honours at the North West Area Championships eight times, as well as being crowned All England Masters Champions on three occasions. In 2005, the band were victorious at the National Championships of Great Britain in London’s Royal Albert Hall.

 

Leyland Band has also held the title of BBC Band of the Year, as well as winning televised entertainment competitions.

 

However, it is at the Brass in Concert Championships where Leyland Band has made its most profound impact. Year after year, the band leads the field in entertainment and has consequently been awarded the Brass in Concert crown on four occasions.

Leyland deliver a contest-winning performance