The campaign to bring Yorkshire’s annual Brass Band Championships to Sheffield has just moved up a semitone.
According to Andrew Platts, player with Stannington Brass Band and Editor of the Mercury Newspaper (which is offering to sponsor a Sheffield-based event), the Yorkshire Area Committee that oversees brass band contesting in Yorkshire has agreed to discuss the matter some time after March.
The original story, relayed by NW Sheffield News a couple of days ago, stems from last weekend when individuals playing with some competing bands complained about lack of facilities at the current venue, St. George’s Hall in Bradford. Since then, a Facebook group has grown, with over 100 members signing-up on the first day alone.
Sheffield City Hall is regarded by campaigners as being an obvious location for the contest. Its position in the city centre means food and other refreshments are easily at hand on what can be one or two long days of musical contesting. The building itself boasts bar facilities, practice and rest rooms, and three large hall spaces over which contesting may be split as appropriate.
Andrew posted this message to campaign supporters today:
“Todays news.
I have had an email from saying that the committee would be prepared to meet but not this month. This subject has gained it’s own momentum and I would urge supporters to ask their friends in banding to join. I admire and respect the work of the Yorkshire committee and we need the members who work so hard on our behalf. Sheffield City Hall would be so good compared to St Georges that it would give Yorkshire bands a fantastic venue to play in. The contest is the property of the competitors and they deserve better.“We now have a written offer of major sponsorship for the move to Sheffield and a verbal offer from a major supplier. Neither of these will support Bradford as a venue.”
North West Sheffield News Online 