John Wilfred Heaton (1918 - 2000) was a composer of refined sensibility and technical skill the true extent of whose creative gifts has only emerged since his death in May 2000. His many admirers suspected the music now in print is just a small part of what he actually composed.

Born in Sheffield to Salvationist parents Wilfred Heaton's musical talents were first nurtured through the Salvation Army. He began piano lessons at the age of 8. Soon after that he was learning the cornet and writing music of his own.

His piano teacher Salvationist Mrs Bennett guided him to his first musical milestone an LRAM in piano awarded when he was 18. He left school to become an apprentice in a small brass instrument manufacturer & repair business in Sheffield. Apart from war service in the RAF he remained there for over 20 years.

From the compositions he wrote I have chosen 'Contest Music' for this week's show 
which was written in 1973.

Harold Moss (1891 - 1960) was a famous conductor, composer and judge in the British brass band sphere. He was also an accomplished trombonist and was known as The King of Trombones. He conducted Wingates Temperance Band from 1909 to 1936, and together they won the national British Brass Band Championships at The Crystal Palace in 1931.

From 1936 to 1948 he conducted Creswell Colliery. In 1948 he moved to Lancashire to conduct Leyland Motors Band. He composed several solos. Most notable of these is his cornet solo is The Nightingale .

Harold Moss was also an adjudicator many times at contests. He was a judge at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain 6 times: 1949, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1959 and at the Northwest Regional Championships in 1960.

He is conducting Wingates Temperance Band on this show on a recording dating back to September 1931. The band's principal cornet Elgar Clayton is playing William Rimmer's cornet solo 'Click Clack Polka' - enjoy

Herman Bellstedt (February 12, 1858, Bremen – June 8, 1926, San Francisco) was an American cornet soloist. He was a cornetist, bandmaster, composer, arranger, and teacher. He was a soloist with the Cincinnati Reed, the Red Hussar, and the Gilmore bands before starting his own band in 1892, the Bellstedt-Ballenger Band, where he was the conductor & soloist. Joined the Sousa Band in 1904 as a soloist, the Innes Band in 1906 as soloist and assistant conductor, and the Denver Municipal Band in 1909 as director. In 1913, he accepted a teaching appointment at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. In addition to performing, Bellstedt composed for band, orchestra, piano, violin, and cornet. His cornet solos remain popular today and the most popular in the world of brass bands is Napoli (Variations on a Neapolitan Song), Fantasia. This solo is featured on this week's show – Enjoy

George Thompson MBE (1907-84) his early brass tuition was on the euphonium with a S.A. junior band. In 1929 he joined the Callender's Cable Works Band. Studying under tutors which included Denis Wright he was the first recipient of the LGSM (Brass Bandmastership) in 1933. He was MD at Grimethorpe 1942 to 1947 then returned south conducting a number of bands including Hanwell, winning the southern area championship in 1950. Other bands included Markham Main, John White (Footwear) Band, City of Coventry, Creswell, St Dennis. After a number of changes at Grimethorpe he returned as MD in 1957, immediately starting the band on its road to the top. With a 3rd prize at Belle Vue in 1960 which was the start of a real purple patch for the band and one of the most successful bands in the 1960s. Two of the band's finest performances during his tenure was in 1963 at the area contest 'Rienzi' and 1969 at the British Open 'Spectrum'. Retiring from Grimethorpe in 1972 his life in banding did go on.

This week's photograph is Gilbert Vinter (4.5.1909 /10.10.1969). An English conductor and composer, most celebrated for his compositions for brass bands.

He was born in Lincoln. As a youth, he was a chorister at Lincoln Cathedral, and eventually became Head Chorister there. He later became a bassoonist. In 1930, he joined the BBC Military Band, where he did much of his early conducting. It was during that time that he also began to compose. During World War II, he played in The Central Band of the RAF and later led several other RAF bands. He was the first principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, from 1952 to 1953.

In 1960, The Daily Herald newspaper and sponsors of brass band contests, commissioned him to write his first major work for brass band, the result of which was '...Salute to Youth...' The rest as they say his history. On this week's show Gilbert Vinter is conducting the All Star Band on a 1966 recording - a rare outing conducting a brass band .... Enjoy

One of the nicest men ever to play the instrument, Trevor Groom was for over 30 years one of the best euphonium players in the country, first with the Kettering Citadel Band and then with the GUS Band, with whom he won two National titles, a World title and a British Open.

He is possibly best remembered though as the man who gave the first performance of the Joseph Horovitz Euphonium Concerto at the Royal Albert Hall in 1972 (thankfully recorded for posterity), an occasion that for the general public at last showed that the euphonium was a solo concerto instrument to be treated in the same way as a trumpet or trombone. It was an achievement of epic proportions and led the way for other composers to be attracted to the instrument. It is something all the banding world should be grateful to him for.

Trevor is featured on this show with his 1979 performance of Erik Leidzen's 'Home on the Range with Variations'.... a fabulous performance by a true legend of the brass band word

This week's photograph is the Irwell Springs Band. This is the band that won the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain at the Crystal Palace in 1913. The test piece was Labour and Love by Percy Fletcher. The first test piece that was commissioned for a brass band contest. It is this work that was to have a lasting impact on brass band music and in particular contest pieces. This band survived until 1959 when it went through financial difficulties and then in 1961 no longer being able to attract the new players with the experience it once could the band folded. The Irwell Springs band is still recognised as being one of the best bands of its time......

Labour and Love is on this week's show played by the Wingates Band conducted by David Thornton in 2011 ....... Chris

Virtuoso professional trumpet player John Wallace CBE is this week's photograph and he is featured in this week's show playing 'Watcher of the Rhine' on an a 1862 Bailey's Acoustic model cornet and accompanied by Simon Wright on a 1844 John Broadwood piano. The solo was originally written c1841 and was given the John Hartmann Air Varie treatment during the 1860s....

This week's photograph is the late Ernest Tomlinson MBE (19 September 1924 – 12 June 2015) who composed and conducted the legendary cornet and trumpet player the late Maurice Murphy in the featured cornet concerto on this week's show at a live performance at the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1974 - an incredible performance of a very difficult work.

Eric Ball (1903 -1989) was an English composer and conductor of brass band music.

His musical origins were founded in the Salvation Army, and he rose to become an officer with the rank of Major, before resigning in 1946 and moving into the general British Brass Band movement. During his time in the Salvation Army, Eric Ball conducted both the SP&S Band and also the International Staff Band.

After the Salvation Army, Eric Ball conducted the CWS (Manchester) Band, the Brighouse and Rastrick Band and many other significant brass bands of the day. Many of his compositions have stood the test of time none more so than Resurgam which is featured on this week's Sunday Bandstand programme ............. Enjoy Chris