Review: BBC PROMS: BLACK DYKE BAND, Royal Albert Hall
The revered brass band return to the Proms after nearly two decades
If you know anything about the brass band scene and culture, you will know something about the Black Dyke Band. Originally known as Black Dyke Mills after the woollen mill in Yorkshire, the band was formed in 1855 and was largely made up of millworkers. From this beginning in the heart of the industrial north, the Black Dyke Band quickly built their stellar reputation and devoted following - both serve them well today as they still participate in the Whit Friday village band contests.
Today, they are making an appearance at the Proms for the first time since 2007. At that time, they had recently celebrated their 150th anniversary; now, in 2026, they share a vibrant programme written or arranged for brass ensemble. There's little to match the sound of a brass band. It's a sound that reaches into the heart and stirs the soul. The band performs a couple of classical pieces (A Moorside Suite by Gustav Holst; Overture: Le carnaval romain by Hector Berlioz, arranged by Frank Wright) to rapturous applause.
Peter Graham's Force of Nature was written especially for euphonium soloist David Childs, who also happens to be the nephew of today's conductor, Nicholas Childs. This soloist shows remarkable command and restraint with his instrument, and offers a great closing choice for the first half. The brass instruments come together in this piece and others to mimic the sound of any great orchestra - except here the 'violin' section is made up of cornets, and the 'double basses' become the deep tone of the tubas.
The pieces written especially for a brass band are perfectly strident and passionately poignant. Judith Bingham's Four Minute Mile is particularly prescient as Great Britain broke that record in yesterday's Diamond League London athletics meeting, and sees the Black Dyke musicians off to a fine start. Edward Gregson's Symphony in Two Movements was written for the National Youth Brass Bands of Great Britain and Wales to celebrate their anniversaries, so it has that sense of occasion about it.
A segment on music from the movies cheats a little, with Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean bookending a brass band perennial, En Aranjuez con tu amor, from Joaquin Rodrigo's concerto, arranged by Kevin Bolton, and perhaps best known from the 1996 film Brassed Off. Its blend of glorious flugelhorn (soloist Phoebe Mallinson), cornet, and tenor horns remains a gut punch and a demonstration of this type of musicianship.
Black Dyke Band's concert closes with Paganini Variations, arranged by Philip Wilby, and prominently featuring the melody some may recognise as the theme of The South Bank Show, others from the double-bill musical Song and Dance. But that's not all, folks, as we end on a note of joy with Peter Graham's Cartoon Music, inspired by Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and those sound effects and fast-paced melodies we loved so well as children.
The Proms continues at the Royal Albert Hall until 12 September.
Photo credit: Royal Albert Hall
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