The Senior Band

The Senior Band is the City of York's premier Brass Band. We have a busy and varied concert schedule and a good record of success at contests. We won the Hardraw Scar contest and were runners up in the Malton Entertainment contest in 2008. With our able and talented team we aim to build on these successes.

The Senior Band is ably supported by the Concert Band and Beginners Band, and we believe we are one of the most successful banding organisations in the area when it comes to discovering and nurturing new playing talent. We are particularly proud of our record in this area, and are fortunate to have talented and enthusiastic members to train the new players.

Our members come from all walks of life - students, tradespeople, self-employed and the professions - and we like to think that we're a friendly group. The Senior Band rehearses on Tuesday and Fridays from 8:00pm on the Portakabin site in York. If you're a player to the standard indicated and would like to join the Senior Band, then please get in touch.

Since the band's formation in 1903 we have undergone a few name changes but have always been synonymous with quality brass band playing in the York area. We're now proud of our association with the Shepherd Group and delighted to rehearse in state-of-the-art facilities on the company's Portakabin site in York.

Senior Band Musical Director: Richard Wilton

Richard started learning to play the tuba at the tender age of 8 under the tutelage of cornet virtuoso Graham Walker, quickly progressing to the ranks of the then Hambleton Brass Band in 1983. After 10 happy years with the band, Richard inevitably moved into the world of championship section banding with the world famous Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band as Principal tuba.

The band had many successes culminating in becoming Yorkshire champions in 1999.

After a short spell with the Sellers International Band under the directorship of cornet ace Phillip McCann, Richard fulfilled his childhood ambition of joining the bass section of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, travelling extensively around Australasia, the United States and Europe. During his time with the band, Richard enjoyed many successes including back to back area championships, an unprecedented 5 in a row Brass in Concert championships and, the highlight surely, becoming National Champion Band of Great Britain in 2006.

Richard returned to his banding roots at South Milford Brass (formerly Hambleton Brass) in 2005, this time as Musical Director. After a very happy and successful period with the band, culminating in becoming North of England Champions in 2008 and 2009, Richard is now looking forward to a long and happy association with The Shepherd Building Group Band, and the new challenge that this brings.