Our History

The Band was formed in March 1978 by the late Leighton Rich M.B.E. as there was no opportunity in Harrogate for young people to play in a Brass Band. About 15 young people turned up to the first practice and they had to have a collection to fund money for the gas meter to keep the room warm!

As word got around the schools, more people became interested and the numbers grew to about 28 very quickly. Lack of instruments was a problem but some were donated and some members had their own, so they just about managed. Within a year they were entering competitions in the area and even winning some. Growth has continued and since 2008, when they were provided with their own Bandroom. We now have up to 90 band members.

Competitions

Harrogate Competitive Music Festival Open Brass/Concert Band Class

Since first entering in 1980, Tewit Youth Band have won the competition 19 times out of 29. The Junior Band have won their class for the last six years.

The National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain

The Senior Band have entered most years and are regularly placed in the top six in their class, gaining Gold awards for third place in 2014 and 2016. They have gained Silver awards most other years. The Intermediate Band have also entered over the last few years and have achieved a Silver award in their class.

Ripon Cathedral Brass Band Entertainment Competition

In their first year of entering in 2016, Tewit Senior Band won the competition outright, beating eight adult and one youth band in the process. In 2017 they won 4th place along with Best Youth Band, Best 4th or Unregistered Section and Best Soloist with Gaberiel Snowden.

Whit Friday Marches, Saddleworth

Regularly competing, aiming to achieve seven to eight marches, and have a good record of prizes, claiming Youth Section, Soloist and Deportment prizes on most visits. In 2009, five prizes were awarded and again in 2010 when they won the overall Deportment prize at Delph against 79 bands, adult and youth. Since then they average between seven and ten prizes each visit and have also won the overall Top Youth Band prize.

Numerous other competitions have been entered throughout the country, including the National Festival of Youth where they have played at the Royal Festival Hall, London, Symphony Hall and Birmingham Town Hall on a number of occasions. They have also competed in Germany, where they won a marching Competition in Schwandorf, Bavaria, and Bekescsaba, Hungary, where they competed against many bands from the Eastern Block.

Past MDs

Leighton Rich M.B.E. 1978 to 1986
Ian Davey 1986 to 1989
Pam Whitehead 1989 to 1991
Malcolm Dibb 1991 to 2004
Craig Ratcliffe 2004 to 2010
Malcolm Dibb 2010 to 2011
Dave Smith 2011 to 2015
Martin Hall 2015 to present

Foreign Concert Tours

1984 Bekescsaba, South Eastern Hungary

Tewit Youth Band were the first British Youth Brass Band to tour Hungary, having hosted the Hungarian Band during Harrogate International Youth Festival at Easter.

1986 Schwarndorf, Bavaria

Having hosted their band at the Easter Festival.

1991 Worms, Germany

Played in Worms, Germany.

1994 Bekescsaba, South East Hungary

A return exchange to celebrate 10 years since the last exchange visit. We also hosted their band in Harrogate during the Easter Festival and renewed friendships.

1996 Neunburg vorm Wald, Bavaria

Hosted their band in Harrogate during the Easter Festival.

1998 Bilbao, Biskaya and District, Northern Spain

Having hosted their band in Harrogate during the Easter Festival.

2000 Kitzbuhl, Austria

Concerts were performed at Salzburg, Zell am Zee, Berchtesgaden and Kitzbuhl.

2003 Mosel Valley, Luxemburg/Germany

Concerts were performed in Luxemburg, Trier, Koblenz and at a Wine Festival on the river

2006 Paris, France

Concerts were performed at Disneyland, Jardin de Luxemburg, Notre Dame and at the Royal Chapel at Fontainebleau Palace.

2008 Cologne Germany, Prague Czech Republic

Concerts were performed in Cologne on the way out and back. Main concerts were in Prague at St Nicholas Church in the old town square and at the Spa Colonnades in the beautiful spa town of Karlovy Vary. The final concert was at Podebrady, east of Prague.

2010 Alsace Region of France and Black Forest Region of Germany

First concert was played in the mountain town of Herterzarten in the Black Forest with the local town band Trachtenkappelle, which was extremely successful. We then played beside the Cathedral in Strasbourg to a full audience. Going south they travelled to the small French town, Obernai, playing in the market square which was packed. Finally playing at Germany’s largest Theme Park, Europa Park, where they had the freedom of the park afterwards.

2012 Lake Constance, Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Performing numerous concert around Lake Constance and a special Beer Festival at Rangendingen, whose band had visited Harrogate that year for the Easter Festival. At one town square concert there were over 1,000 people in the audience enjoying every minute. In August of this year we were invited to travel to Luchon, in the French Pyrenees, which is Harrogate’s twin town, to play at their Fetes des Fleur Festival with great success for three days.

2014 Rhineland, Germany

Based just outside Koblenz they played numerous concert along the Rhine and Mosel rivers.

2016 Luchon, French Pyrenees, Bergerac and Dordogne

Once again attended the Fetes des Fleur in Harrogate’s twin town of Luchon and equally enjoyed the hectic three days of concerts and marching. They travelled back through the beautiful Dordogne Region of France performing concerts on the way.

2018 Barrie, Ontario, Canada

In July 2018, the band went to another of Harrogate's twin town's: Barrie, Canada which became a memorable and much enjoyed tour.

2022 Montecatini, Italy

Another successful tour to this Spa Town which is twinned with Harrogate. Concerts were performed above the old castle at Montecatini Alto, accessed by Funicular Railway, San Gemignani and the main square of Montecatini itself.