Leyland Band Celebrate 80 Years of Music and Memories

A Special Afternoon at Leyland’s 80th Anniversary Concert

2026 marks 80 years of Leyland Band, and they have packed a lot into eight decades! With major contest wins - including the British Open, the National Finals and Brass in Concert - international tours and more, Leyland have established themselves as one of the UK’s finest bands. On Sunday 12th April, the band invited past players to their ‘Celebrate the Past’ anniversary concert that commemorated the band’s history, achievements and music.

Ten years ago, I stepped into Leyland’s bandroom for my first rehearsal as a member. Although I only played a miniscule role in the band’s illustrious 80-year history, my time with them was a major milestone in my banding life. So, it was a massive honour to be invited as a former member, and what a special celebration it was!

A Room of Legends

Stepping into the Chorley Town Hall, it was clear that the band were (quite rightly!) going all out. The room was bedecked with Leyland Band balloons, flowers in the band’s iconic colours, rows of boards and tables displaying decades of musical history and memorabilia and even Leyland Band-branded cupcakes! 

The room soon filled with the band’s extended family of former players. Musicians who not only have made a reputable name for themselves within the band’s story, but within the wider banding world. The word ‘legend’ has become overused in this modern age, but so many of the players who made up the audience of this special concert have legitimately earned that title, so to just be sat in the same room as them was a little overwhelming. Hearing the stories of these incredible musicians, who had spent years (some of them, decades) with the band, both during the concert and when chatting at the post-concert reception, was a privilege. 

Celebrating the Past

The concert was split into two contrasting halves showcasing the history and then the evolution to today’s banding repertoire.

The programme of the first half featured music that symbolised key milestones within the Leyland Band story, accompanied by charismatic narration from former Leyland Band member, Phillip Littlemore. 

Naturally, the band opened the afternoon’s proceedings with their signature march, The Royal Tiger by Harold Moss, named after the bus made by Leyland Vehicles in the 1950s, before heading into Gordon Langford’s spirited concert march, Leviathan. We then skipped, whimsically, through Langford’s arrangement of Daisy Bell which featured on the band’s first Travelling with Leyland Band. 

From there, we were then told the story of the Morendo Gang. Over the years, Leyland Band’s ranks were filled with many colourful characters, yet three members were known for their more sensible, calm personas and they were, Alan Pendlebury (flugelhorn), Ken Alty (horn) and Dave Davies. For those not in the know, morendo is an italian musical term that means…dying away…bit harsh! Within the room of legends, the Morendo Gang were in attendance and were invited to the front and presented with Morendo Gang trophies! This was just one of the humorous anecdotes shared during the narration in the first half that highlighted the camaraderie that has been woven through the Leyland Band’s musical tapestry. 

Next came one of my favourites from the pen of Goff Richards, Doyen, which was used in an advert, for the Leyland Vehicles Doyen coach model, which featured the band as they travelled around Europe in the coach. It’s a lively little work that is full of character and, although regarded as a ‘bit of cheese’, I think it is a cracker and I really enjoyed having the opportunity to watch the aforementioned advert on a screen, whilst the band accompanied it. 

We then slowed things down with a poignant ‘in memoriam’ segment where former members of the band who we have sadly lost over the years, were honoured. This roll of honour included the inimitable Musical Director, Richard Evans, who played a huge role in the band’s success. As their names were presented on the screen, the band performed Elgar’s Nimrod - the perfect tribute to absent musical friends. 

Another classic march, Imperial Echoes, followed which featured in two performances from the band at Brass in Concert, the first in 1987 and then the second in their winning performance in 2011. 

Bringing the first half to a close was Simon Dobson’s beautiful, but heartbreaking Penlee, which musically illustrates the 1981 lifeboat disaster that took the lives of sixteen people. Although the music throughout the first half was fantastic, it was in this piece that we really saw the capabilities of the current cohort of musicians in the band’s ranks. What a sound! From the tender lyrical melodies and carefully presented solo lines to the technical tempest depicting the rough seas, it was an impeccable presentation of an incredible work. I also appreciated the visuals shown on screen that told the story of the disaster and paid tribute to the lost souls, as the band played. A great demonstration of the band’s skill in creating multi-faceted performances with live music and video, something they’ve gained a solid reputation for through their ‘The Snowman’ and more recent, ‘We’re Going on a Bearhunt’ experiences. 

Looking to the Future

The second half was presented by the band’s current MD, Danny Brooks, and featured more contemporary works, highlighting not only the evolution of brass band writing, but the band’s commitment to bringing exciting, modern musical experiences for today’s audiences. 

We started in a galaxy far, far away with Philip Littlemore’s superb arrangement of excerpts from the Star Wars soundtrack. Again, the band blended together the use of multi-media with visual nods to the film showcased on the screen as the band played. As a fan of this galactic franchise, I thoroughly enjoyed this opener to the second half. 

The band’s Soprano Cornet, Andrew Lofthouse, brought us back to earth with a glorious rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic from Cats - ‘Memory’. A sonorous sound that filled Chorley Town Hall, combined with heartfelt musicality had the audience captivated, and when Andrew soared into the final recapitulation of the song’s chorus, I don’t think I was the only one with goosebumps and a tear in my eye. Just gorgeous!

The second solo we were treated to was performed by the band’s Assistant Principal cornet, Georgina Atkinson, who had stepped into the hot seat for this concert with the band’s Principal Cornet, Harry Porthouse, competing overseas in the New Zealand National Championships. Having led the band superbly during the concert, she took the spotlight with the classic cornet solo, My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose. To step into the Principal Cornet seat of such an elite band is no mean feat as it is, but to perform in front of the band’s former superstars is an immense opportunity and Georgina took it in her stride with a stunning tone and beautiful lyricism. 

From roses to Roald Dahl, the band’s next work was, The World’s Greatest Storyteller -  a suite of tunes, arranged by Philip Harper taken from shows and films associated with the iconic children’s writer. The arrangement features the theme from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Dahl wrote the screen play for the film), Pure Imagination (taken from Willy Wonker & the Chocolate Factory) and When I Grow Up from Tim Minchin’s musical adaptation of Matilda. This uplifting, colourful montage showcased the evolution of brass band music from the traditional tunes of the first half. 

The band’s final piece of the programme was ABBA’s funky hit, Lay All Your Love on Me, arranged by the fantastic Adam Taylor. Taylor’s arrangement takes the feel good groove of this well known song and makes it even more cinematic than the version seen in the Mamma Mia soundtrack! It was well chosen as an epic showstopper to bring the programme to a close. 

Musical Reunion

Long-serving member of the band and organiser of the day’s event, Andrew Blackledge, then stepped forward to say a few words of thanks to those who had helped to make this concert a reality. It’s at this point that this author needs to express deep thanks and admiration to Andrew for putting such an incredible event together. I can only imagine the amount of work, time and dedication required for this concert and it was, without a doubt, a resounding success. 

Former members sitting in the audience were then invited to grab their instruments and join the band on stage for a finale performance of Royal Tiger. Again, my time with the band is small compared to many of the legends who took to the stage, so it was a massively special moment and honour to join the ranks of the band once more and sit alongside them.

What Banding is All About

In amongst the contest results and league tables, sometimes it can be easy to forget what the banding movement is really about. Away from the trophies and the lights of big national competitions, banding is about music, community and camaraderie. From the first note of Royal Tiger to the last joke and memory shared over a pint, this event showcased the real core of what makes banding so unique and so special.

Honestly, it was one of the most moving, heartwarming, beautiful banding experiences I’ve had and my thanks go out again to the band for the invite. Bravo to all involved!

This is the first in a series of events celebrating the band’s anniversary, supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, entitled Celebrating the Past, the Present and the Future. If this first event is anything to go by, make sure you keep an eye on the band’s social media for updates!

Happy 80th Leyland Band - here’s to the next eighty!

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