HAMMONDS Band is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a special concert - and is appealing to ex-players and their families to share stories to feature during the performance.
The history of the band - formerly Hammonds Sauce Works Band - stretches back to 1855, when a brass band was formed in Sir Titus Salt’s model village of Saltaire. The band was closely associated with Salts Mill’s workforce, quickly establishing a strong reputation. It won second prize at the Crystal Palace contest in 1860, followed by first prize in 1861. It continued to compete locally, including at Belle Vue in 1872-1874, but gradually declined and was finally disbanded in March 1894.
After an interval of almost four decades, the band was revived in 1932 as Salts Silver under the direction of HB Hawley, local organist, composer and businessman. Its first contest was at Pudsey on March 25, 1932. Its first significant success came at a Harrogate & District Brass Band Association contest in Saltaire in May 1934, when it won its section.
Do you have any memories of Hammonds Band? (Image: Hammonds Band)
The band developed rapidly, performing at local events and contests under several names. In 1936 it received a BBC broadcasting engagement, and in 1937 provided music for the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Shipley. During the Second World War, the band continued despite losing members to the armed forces; in late 1940 conductor Noel Thorpe was engaged. Harry Grace succeeded him in 1945.
There was a major transformation in 1946, when Hawley established a junior band linked with his business, Hammonds Sauce Company. The Salts band gave its final engagement in July 1946, with members and instruments passing into the new organisation. The Hammonds Sauce Works Band had a long association with the Hammonds company.
For many years the band was associated with Hammonds Sauce (Image: Hammonds Band)
Contesting began in 1947, when five prizes were won from six contests. Further progress included a Class B victory at Belle Vue in 1948 and second place in the Daily Herald Area Contest in 1949.
The death of HB Hawley on December 22, 1953 was a major setback, but his son Horace continued to support the band. Under conductor Gershom Collison, it reached third place in the Area Contest in 1957. A particularly important period began in 1966, when Geoffrey Whitham became musical director. The band quickly improved, taking fourth place in the Area Contest in 1967, third in 1968, then winning its Area Contest and qualifying for the National Brass Band Championships finals at the Royal Albert Hall in 1969. The same year it was named BBC Band of the Year. Between 1972-1980 the band qualified for the National Finals four times, including fourth place in 1972.
The 1970s established Hammonds as an important concert band. It won the Brass in Concert Championship in 1978, following successes in televised and entertainment competitions. It toured Australia in 1976, becoming the first British brass band to tour there since 1910, and performed at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto in 1978.
Following fourth place at Belle Vue in 1981, however, the band entered a difficult period. Horace Hawley died and changes within the company affected the band’s position. Whitham resigned in 1984, along with several players. The junior band became the Hammonds Sauce Works Band, operating at a lower level, until Whitham returned in 1988. He led the band to victory in the Grand Shield at Belle Vue, qualifying for the British Open in 1989. The band came second.
The early 1990s brought another crisis when Hammonds changed ownership and sponsorship was eventually terminated. In 1993 the Yorkshire Building Society took over sponsorship, beginning a new phase as the Yorkshire Building Society Band. Geoffrey Whitham initially remained as musical director before handing over to Australian conductor David King. The sponsorship allowed the band to pursue ambitious concert, recording and commissioning projects.
The YBS era produced an exceptional run of contest success. The band won the British Open Championships in 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003 and the All England Masters title in 1999, 2000 and 2004. Its greatest achievement was at the European Brass Band Championships, becaming Champion Band of Europe in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 - eight victories in nine years. The band commissioned major works and innovative productions, including Hymn of the Highlands and Celtic Fusion.
Recording and artistic work had considerable recognition, including Brass Band World CD of the Year awards in 2002 and 2003. YBS sponsorship ended in 2004, but the band retained the initials YBS and continued under that name. From 2009, under musical director Morgan Griffiths, it began a significant rebuilding process.
The band has continued with musical innovation. Its collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Shri Sriram combined brass band music with Indian classical and contemporary styles, culminating in Just a Vibration at the 2015 London Jazz Festival. The recording was selected for British Airways’ in-flight entertainment. It reached the National Finals in 2022 and 2023, achieving podium finishes at the Royal Albert Hall, became French Open Champion in 2023, and appeared on BBC One’s Christmas Day service in 2024. Last year it performed Ailis Ní Ríain’s Holocene with Onyx Brass at Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations, broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In June 2025, the band won the Dr Martin Wainstones Cup Competition.
* Hammonds Band’s 80th anniversary concert is at St Mary’s Church, Mirfield, on Saturday, October 17. Players are invited to take part in the ‘massed bands’ section. To find out more, or share band memories, call Ben Whitehead on 07792 022932 or email benwhitehead1609@gmail.com. For tickets visit hammondsband.org.uk/online-shop