Woodfalls Band to Make Whit Friday Debut

For the first time in our history, Woodfalls Band will be taking part in the Whit Friday Band Contests this Friday — one of the most distinctive and long-standing events in the brass band calendar.

Known as “the greatest free show on Earth,” Whit Friday sees bands travel between villages across Saddleworth and Oldham, performing at as many local contests as possible. Each contest is independently run, with its own adjudicator, rules, and prizes.

While this is our first official appearance as Woodfalls Band, some of our players have taken part before — most notably in 2013, when members of Woodfalls and Black Dyke joined together to form the SHB Band, a one-off collaboration sponsored by SHB Vehicle Hire.

This year, we’ll be conducted by our Musical Director, Paul Holland, performing a traditional contest march at each stage. For our street marches, we’ll also be playing something a little different — a Boney M inspired march, specially adapted for the occasion by Andy Wareham.

We’re looking forward to being part of this unique musical tradition and to representing Woodfalls Band at Whit Friday for the first time.

If you’re attending the event, we’d be delighted to see you at one of the contests. If not, keep an eye on our social media for photos and updates throughout the day.