Sellars Engineering Band

The band was originally formed in January 1986 as the 'Huddersfield Tecol Band'. At that time, the band was made up of students from Huddersfield Technical College and Huddersfield Polytechnic, together with other local players. At the end of 1987 an association was made with Sellers & Co. Ltd., and with their sponsorship the band moved to the Chapel Hill works at the beginning of 1988 and took on the Company name.

The band has enjoyed one of the most spectacular rises in banding history, and with 4 years of its formation it was promoted to the 'Championship' grade of the National Championships. At the beginning of 1992 when the new grading structure of the National Championships came into force, Sellers Engineering Band was amongst the elite few bands to be graded in the new 'Premiere' grade. In 1988 the band became the first-ever Second Section band to win a place at the world's oldest contest, the 'British Open' and they have been invited to compete in this event ever since, being placed 5th in 1991. In 1990 they were invited to compete at the new 'All England Masters' Championship and this invitation has been extended for future years, the band gaining prizes in both 1991 & 1992.

In the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain the band has received remarkable success, having been prize winners in the Yorkshire Regional Championship for 5 years since formation. The band has made two successful concert tours in Spain and two in Belgium and in May this year they were invited to perform the Gala Concert at the Swiss Open Championships in Bern. They perform regularly on both BBC Radio 2 and 3 and have appeared on both Yorkshire T.V. and BBC Television in the North. The band has also made 6 compact discs and tape recordings. some of which are on sale tonight.

Musical Director - Phillip McCann
The driving force behind the formation and development of Sellers Eng. Band, Phillip McCann is one of the best known names in Brass Banding. Born in Scotland, Phillip first came to the fame as an outstanding corner player. Starting with the Kinneil Colliery Band, he later became principal cornet with the National Youth Band of Great Britain before advancing to the same position with the world-famous Black Dyke Mills Band in 1973. In recent years Phillip has increased his activities on the conducting and Musical Direction side, although he still maintains his reputation as an outstanding cornet soloist. Phillip is also heavily committed to teaching brass music through his work at the University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield Technical College and the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music.

Resident Conductor - Douglas Blackledge
Douglas is a cornet player who, like Phillip McCann, has extended his range of work to conducting. Starting at the age of eleven with the Eccleston Band, he joined the Black Dyke Mills Band on Solo Cornet in 1980, a position he maintained for eight years. In 1988 he began to concentrate more on a conducting career and following periods with the Rockingham and Lewington Bands, he was appointed Resident Conductor of Sellers Engineering Band in 1990. Douglas is head of Music and Head of Year at Minsthorpe High School and Community College, Pontefract.