Foden's Band

Foden's Band (originally Fodens Motor Works Band, and variants with sponsors' names) is a brass band from Sandbach in Cheshire. The band derives its name from the Foden manufacturer of trucks in Sandbach. Foden's Band are one of the top brass bands in the world; regularly appearing at the top of the “World of Brass - World Rankings” In 2012, Foden's became double winners of both the National Championships and the British Open.

The origins of the band go back to 1900 when the village of Elworth near Sandbach in Cheshire formed its own band having been let down in its attempt to secure the services of the nearby town band to feature in the celebrations marking the relief of Mafeking in the Boer War. After a couple of years the village band was wound up, but from that base local industrialist Edwin Foden formed the Fodens Motor Works Band. For a few years the new band had modest ambitions, but in 1908 a fundamental reorganisation took place and, by the following year, it had achieved Championship Section status, a prestigious position that has been maintained ever since.

Conductor Fred Mortimer (1880–1953) led Fodens for 27 years from around 1927 until his death in 1953. During that time they won the national championships eight times, and according to Mortimer, had been broadcast around 250 times.

On 9 Nov 1933, the band appeared in the Lord Mayor's Show in London, billed as the Band of Foden Motor Works.

In 1955, the musical director, Harry Mortimer (1902–1992), formed the Men O'Brass, whereby selected members of the band combined with other players from the Fairey Band and Morris Motors Band. In January 1983, the band was sponsored by Overseas Technical Services Ltd. from Harrow, being renamed the Foden OTS Band.

In July 1986, it was sponsored by the Britannia Building Society to become the Britannia Building Society Foden Band, which became the Britannia Building Society Band. In September 1997, the band was sponsored by the Antoine Courtois company of France, to become the Fodens Courtois Band. In November 2004, the band was sponsored by Richardson Developments of Oldbury. Since 2008 the band has been without sponsorship and is currently known as the Foden's Band.

...
Wikipedia