Band Background

Although a brass band has existed in Shirland since the 1880s, the present band was not formed until 1998. At that time a few mums and dads and their young children, who were already learning to play, formed the Shirland Welfare Training Band and joined the British 4th Section where they quickly developed into a tight, musical unit.

Within three years, the young band had won two national Mineworkers competitions and the British 4th Section Championship and were now beginning to make a name for themselves.

Since that superb start, Shirland has won the 3rd Section and 2nd Section regional titles, two British Junior Quartet Championships and countless slow melody individual prizes; an outstanding achievement for such a young band.

As a result of their placing in the 2006 regional championship, the band were promoted to the First Section in 2007. However, with such a young band it is inevitable that experienced players will be lost to university and 2008 will see the band return to the Second Section.

But this is not the end of the story. Shirland's history of training young players to a high standard is continuing and is already paying dividends. This is a band with a very strong future.