Glodwick Band 1950
Our History
Even though the Oldham Band (Lees) is a relatively young band, its history can be traced back to 1873 when the Glodwick Band was formed. In 1955 the band became the Lees and Glodwick Band and later amalgamated with the Cobden Chadwick Band. The band reformed as Oldham Brass '97 and when the band was reduced to a dedicated group of just eight players, it was agreed that John Collins would take over the helm as Musical Director and bring with him several young players from Bare Trees Community Band. After months of planning and preparation, the band had its first rehearsal in August 2004 at the Royal British Legion in Lees. The Oldham Band (Lees) was born.
The band is now thriving and is busy performing in concerts and contests nationwide. The band enjoyed a lot of success in the lower sections, including five consecutive Area Championship wins and four Pontins' titles. In 2011, the band achieved yet more landmarks in its history by winning two consecutive Championship Section contests, at Tameside and Fleetwood.
This year, 2018, has been the bands' most successful year to date, where it has earned five consecutive wins out of six contests in total. These include Brass at the Guild, the North West Regional Championships, The British Open Spring Festival (Senior Cup), The National Championships of Great Britain (First Section) and finally, Rochdale Contest (First/Championship Section). Attaining these titles has resulted in the band rising from 64th in the World Rankings to 36th. Having worked extremely hard all year to receive these results, the band are immensely proud and are looking forward to competing in the Championship section as of next year.
Even though the Oldham Band (Lees) is a relatively young band, its history can be traced back to 1873 when the Glodwick Band was formed. In 1955 the band became the Lees and Glodwick Band and later amalgamated with the Cobden Chadwick Band. The band reformed as Oldham Brass '97 and when the band was reduced to a dedicated group of just eight players, it was agreed that John Collins would take over the helm as Musical Director and bring with him several young players from Bare Trees Community Band. After months of planning and preparation, the band had its first rehearsal in August 2004 at the Royal British Legion in Lees. The Oldham Band (Lees) was born.
The band is now thriving and is busy performing in concerts and contests nationwide. The band enjoyed a lot of success in the lower sections, including five consecutive Area Championship wins and four Pontins' titles. In 2011, the band achieved yet more landmarks in its history by winning two consecutive Championship Section contests, at Tameside and Fleetwood.
This year, 2018, has been the bands' most successful year to date, where it has earned five consecutive wins out of six contests in total. These include Brass at the Guild, the North West Regional Championships, The British Open Spring Festival (Senior Cup), The National Championships of Great Britain (First Section) and finally, Rochdale Contest (First/Championship Section). Attaining these titles has resulted in the band rising from 64th in the World Rankings to 36th. Having worked extremely hard all year to receive these results, the band are immensely proud and are looking forward to competing in the Championship section as of next year.