Back at the Open — and We’re Staying There!
What a weekend. Nine years after our last appearance at the British Open, Milnrow Band walked back onto the stage at Symphony Hall — and came away with 11th place and our spot at the Open secured for 2027.
It’s fair to say Saturday was a pretty special day for everyone involved with Milnrow.
Back in May, winning the Grand Shield gave us something we’d been working towards for a long time — a return to the British Open for the first time since 2017. Getting there was one thing. Once we’d earned our place, though, we certainly weren’t heading to Symphony Hall just to make up the numbers.
With 19 fantastic bands taking on Philip Sparke’s Music of the Spheres, we knew exactly how tough the challenge was going to be. This is the British Open, after all, and there really isn’t anywhere to hide.
We drew number 15 and, under Chris Binns, went out and gave it everything.
There was plenty to be pleased about when we came off stage, but when you’re sitting waiting for results at the Open it’s almost impossible to know where you might end up. So it was great to see the reaction our performance was getting from those listening in the hall and following the contest online.
The 4barsrest team described our opening as “highly convincing”, picking up on the dark drama, the big sounds around the stand and Chris’s “thoughtful and considered direction”. There was praise for the atmosphere we created in The Lonely Planet, some lovely comments about our soloists and, perhaps most pleasingly, recognition of the musical ideas and detail we’d worked so hard on in rehearsals.
As the contest headed towards its conclusion, both of the 4barsrest commentators independently picked Milnrow as their “dark horse” of the day.
We’ll take that!
Of course, what really matters at a contest is what the three people in the box think. When the results came through, we were announced in 11th place out of 19.
We finished ahead of some seriously good bands — including former British Open champions Cory, KNDS Fairey, Hammonds and Grimethorpe Colliery, as well as Flowers, the cooperation band, Amersham and EverReady.
We’ve got huge respect for every band that took the stage on Saturday. But after nine years away from the Open, coming back and holding our own in that company means a lot to us.
11th means we’ve safely secured our place at the British Open for 2027
A lot of work for 17 minutes on stage…
Anyone involved in banding knows that what happens on stage is only the very last part of the story.
There have been a lot of rehearsals over the past few weeks. A lot.
Music of the Spheres isn’t exactly the sort of piece you knock together on a Tuesday night, and Chris has worked us incredibly hard to get the detail, sounds and musical picture we wanted.
There have been long evenings, sectionals, tired chops and probably more than a few moments when various members of the band never wanted to see their part again!
But that’s what makes days like Saturday so rewarding.
Whilst there is always room for improvement, we’re proud of the performance we put on stage, proud of the result and particularly proud that, having fought our way back into the British Open through the Grand Shield, we’ve shown that we deserve our place there.
There are a lot of people who helped us get there too.
To our families and friends who put up with the rehearsals and everything else that goes with contest preparation — thank you. To everyone who works behind the scenes keeping this band moving, thank you. And to everybody who travelled to Birmingham, came to hear us rehearse, followed the contest online or sent us a message before or after we played, thank you.
We genuinely appreciate the support.
Congratulations as well to Foden’s and Russell Gray on taking the British Open title, and to all 19 bands for what was a brilliant day of brass banding at Symphony Hall.
Back in May we said: “We’re going back to the British Open.”
Four months later, we can update that slightly. We’re back. And we’re staying.
See you at Symphony Hall in 2027
Milnrow Band
