Harborough Band won the Second Section national final in York, beating 18 bands, six months after their first Midlands title in 70 years. Next up: First Section.

Market Harborough’s town band are national champions.

Harborough Band won the Second Section final of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain on Saturday 19 September. The band played at the Barbican in York, conducted by their musical director, Ben Smith.

The organisers’ published results put Harborough first of 19 bands in the section. Every band in the final had already qualified through its regional championship.

The result

The test piece was Song of Courage by Eric Ball. The adjudicators were Dr Robert Childs, Dr Stephen Cobb and Sheona White.

The top five were:

  1. Harborough (Ben Smith)
  2. Lanner and District (Stuart Chappel)
  3. Jersey Premier (Jason Mildren)
  4. Johnstone Silver (Raymond Tennant)
  5. Bollington (Craig Mann)

The other Midlands qualifier, Leicestershire Co-op, finished ninth.

A year the band will not forget

The national title caps a remarkable 2026. In March the band won the Midlands Area Championship, Second Section, playing 20,000 Leagues under the Sea by Philip Harper. The band says that was its first Midlands Area title in 70 years. Leicestershire Co-op came second there, and both went through to the national final.

The last time Harborough reached the Second Section national final, in 2022, they finished sixth, according to the Brass Band Results archive.

The win also moves the band up a level. Its own website says Harborough will be promoted to the First Section from January 2027.

What the conductor said

“I am absolutely over the moon,” Ben Smith said in the band’s own announcement.

He said he had no firm idea of where the band would place, “given the nature of this contest where all the bands are qualifiers, and the difficulty of the test piece”. He asked the band to “give 110% and perform with passion and energy”, and said: “I’m so proud of the performance they pulled off which near on replicated the band room.”

“I still can’t quite believe it,” he added, “but the band are absolutely worthy after the endless hours of work, both music and admin, they have put into this.”

Who they are

The band was formed on 11 May 1897 with about twenty musicians, and its first headquarters was the town’s Liberal Club. It celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2022 with a concert at the Methodist church in Market Harborough. It calls itself the town band and plays at events across the area.

The band’s news page is also advertising for a new musical director “to lead us into an exciting new era”. It has not said more than that publicly.

What it means for you

You can hear the national champions at home twice before Christmas. The band’s own listings show:

  • Saturday 24 October: In Brass and Voice, with Harborough Singers, at the Octagonal Hall, Welland Park Academy, 7.30pm, with tickets through the band
  • Saturday 12 December: Christmas Concert at St Dionysius Church, 7.30pm

The band is also looking for players and supporters. Details are on its join us and support us pages. For more events in town, see our things to do page.

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