Brass couple in such harmony.

Swiss band on Whit parade

TWO former members of Sellers International Band were back in the area for the Whit Friday march contests, and the visit brought back very happy memories of their time spent in Huddersfield.

In 1991, Thomas Ruedi, a talented euphonium champion in his native Switzerland and Sally Levell, who hails from the North-East, took up brass studies in Yorkshire.

Thomas, who is now musical director of the Seeland Band (Switzerland) studied at Barnsley Technical College under Peter Parkes, while Sally did her course at Huddersfield University under Phillip McCann.

Both musicians joined Sellers International, and it was there, in the Chapel Hill bandroom, that their love blossomed, eventually resulting in a happy marriage and a new lifestyle for Sally in Switzerland.

Last weekend Thomas and Sally were back in the area, this time with Seeland, taking part in the Whit Friday celebrations, first in the Processions of Witness, then the traditional evening march contests followed by a concert in Uppermill on the Saturday evening.

Sandwiched between those activities the band found time to cross to this side of Standedge to visit the bandrooms of YBS, Brighouse and Rastrick and Black Dyke.

"It was fabulous," said Sally. "All the players thoroughly enjoyed it, and everybody was so kind."

Seeland competed in six contests in the Saddleworth district. "We wanted to play at some of the very popular venues,"said Sally.

The one contest the band members do remember is Delph. When registrations closed at 10.30 pm there were 18 bands in the queue and Seeland played last band, No 75, at 12.40 (that's Saturday morning).

The band didn't win any prizes, but they did break the record at Delph. Last year 74 bands competed and set a new record: last weekend Seeland, no doubt much to their delight, had the "honour" of breaking the record by one!

In Saddleworth district 124 bands competed, while it was 91 in Tameside. Some bands appeared in both districts. Last year's total was 158 bands: last Friday`s turnout could be about the same.

The bands winning extra cash as champions are - Saddleworth Open: 1 Black Dyke, 2 Brighouse and Rastrick, 3 YBS; Local: 1 Dobcross, 2 Marsden Silver (Riverhead Brewery), 3 United Co-op Milnrow. In Tameside the results show: Open Champions: 1 Fodens Richardson, 2 BT, 3 Leyland; Local: 1 Ashton-under-Lyne, 2 Besses o` th` Barn, 3 Glossop Old.

Bands have to compete in at least six contests in order to come into the reckoning.