| Biography | Wingates Band is a brass band based in Wingates, a settlement near the town of Westhoughton in north-west England. It is considered one of the country's finest contesting bands and competes in the championship section (top level) of the British brass band league structure. Its musical director is "'Paul Andrews'" an ex Euphonium player and founder of Wire Brass.
Wingates Band was formed in 1873 by members of the local Independent Methodist church's Bible class. Reflecting this origin, the band was originally known as the Wingates Temperance Band. Abstinence from alcohol was a main tenet of church teaching.
Early in the 20th century Wingates rose to become a member of the elite of brass bands. In 1906 it achieved the "double" by winning the British Open brass band championships and the British National championships (the latter staged at the Crystal Palace in London) in the same year. The following year, in 1907, the band repeated its success and retained both titles, completing the first "double double" in the British banding world. The feat was not matched for over 70 years. In total Wingates has won the 'Open' seven times and the 'National' on four occasions. The band won the French Open brass band championship in 2004 and 2006.
Wingates is an active performing band and also has a long recording history. The recent recording Nyman Brass containing arrangements of compositions by the British minimalist composer Michael Nyman. The band's latest recording Extremes was released in 2009.
In May 2008 Peter Moore, a trombonist with the band, won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition.
In June 2013 Andrew Berryman (the bands former conducter) decided to return to Abu Dhabi. Paul Andrews was made Musical Director in July 2013.
Within 3 weeks of being the band's conductor, Paul was already conducting the band at a hymn and march contest in which the band came fourth. Two weeks later the band recorded 5 tracks in BBC Media City philharmonic hall for BBC Radio 2 show listen to the band with Frank Renton to celebrate its 140th anniversary.
Also in 2013, to celebrate its 140th anniversary, the band recorded its first ever double disc CD called "'From Fifes to Fanfares and Fame, they brought out a book written by the band's president David Kaye called From Bible Class to World Class. They also put on a concert in Bolton's Victoria Hall. And to finish their year of celebrations on the 17th of November 2013 Wingates Band became the 2013 Northern Open Championship/First Section Champion, in which they won a best conductors prize, best Soprano Cornet prize and Best Euphonium prize. |