The bands might not be parading through the towns and villages of Tameside on Whit Friday, but the sound of brass will still be ringing through the air.
Foden's Band, the reigning open champions, are staging a repeat of the online Whit Friday contest that proved so popular last year to help keep the 150-year-old tradition alive.
Tameside Council is doing its bit by providing the youth section prizes.
The decision to postpone the 2021 Tameside contests was made in January, just after the latest lockdown was imposed.
With the future looking so uncertain, the organisers – the Friends of Tameside Whit Friday Brass Band Contests (FOTWFBBC) – felt that it was the safest course of action.
However, that doesn’t mean anyone has to miss out on the music they love so much. On May 28, they’ll be able to see videos of 118 bands from 13 countries competing on Foden’s YouTube channel.
Cllr Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council's executive member with responsibility for culture, said: “The Whit Friday band contests are an essential element of the borough’s heritage.
“By offering the youth section prizes we are supporting brass music at its most fundamental level. By nurturing the musicians who will be the backbone of banding in the future we making sure the Whit tradition continues for many years to come.”
Adam Pickles, chair of FOTWFBBC, added: “The online contest is a real beacon during these difficult times. It’ll keep the Whit Friday feeling going until 2022 when we look forward to welcoming back all the fabulous bands to the circuit so that our venues can once again reverberate to the brilliant sound of brass.”
Foden’s have generously agreed to donate all entry fees and money raised through their crowdfunding campaign to the Tameside and Saddleworth Whit committees.
To watch the online contests on Friday, May 28, visit www.youtube.com and enter Foden’s Band into the search function.
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