Pudsey Civic Hall welcomes Leyland Band
On Sunday 8 November, Leeds Best of Brass brings the Leyland Band to Pudsey Civic Hall. Having always fostered a strong sense of originality, the ensemble was the first western brass band to tour Japan and has undertaken four coast to coast tours of the USA in the last decade. The Band’s Pudsey programme will include Rock Around the Clock, Rossini’s La Cambiale di Matrimonio and Abba Mia, conducted by the Band’s Musical Director, Jason Katsikaris.

The Leyland Band was established in 1946 in the heart of industrial Lancashire as the Leyland Motors Band. Now an independent group, the Leyland Band has been producing quality entertainment for over sixty years, earning an enviable reputation on both the contest and concert platform. In the last twenty-five years the Band has gained prizes at all the major competitions and in 2006 made its competitive debut at the European Brass Band Championships representing England. They have been All England Masters Champions three times, four times Brass in Concert Champions, British Open Champions and the 2005/06 National Champions of Great Britain.

Leyland Band has appeared on Granada Band of the Year, BBC Radio 3 and Listen to the Band and has recorded over 40 CDs. One of the more surprising recording assignments undertaken was teaming up with the England football team to record the 1980s World Cup anthem This Time. 

Musical director, Jason Katsikaris, was born in Sydney, Australia. Whilst still in secondary education he was regarded as one of the leading school band conductors and in recognition of this success, he has been voted Australia’s ‘Conductor of the Year’ on two occasions. Jason moved to the UK in 2006 and in 2008 he became Musical Director of the Leyland Band, immediately making his mark by guiding the Band through the qualifying rounds of the National Championships of Great Britain.

Tickets for this concert are priced £11 (£9 concessions) and can be purchased from the Box Office on 0113 224 3801 or online at www.leedsconcertseason.com. The concert starts at 7.30pm.