150 Years Old
1873 - 2023
Wingates Brass Band is an innovative musical ensemble
with a contemporary outlook on brass band music.
Wingates Band is a Championship Section brass band based in Wingates, Westhoughton, which is a village on the edge of Bolton, Lancashire.
Our musical director is Andrea Price, an ex featured percussionist of Black Dyke Band.
(- more details about Andrea below..)
Wingates Band was formed in 1873 by the members of the Bible Class of Wingates Independent Methodist Church in Westhoughton in response to a challenge thrown down by the members of the Westhoughton Old Band, which had existed since 1858, to develop brass band music in the region. Reflecting this origin, the band was originally known as the Wingates Temperance Band.
Early in the 20th century Wingates rose to become a member of the elite of brass bands. In 1906 it achieved the “double” by winning the British Open brass band championships and the British National championships. The following year, in 1907, the band repeated its success and retained both titles, completing the first “Double-Double” in the British banding world.
In total Wingates has won the ‘Open’ seven times and the ‘National’ on four occasions. The band won the French Open brass band championship in 2004 and 2006.
The Wingates story has had its ups and downs. In 1910 almost half the band’s members and senior committee personnel were lost in the Pretoria pit disaster, one of the worst in British mining history which claimed the lives of 344 men and boys, numbering cornet players, trombone players and horn players from Wingates Band.
William Rimmer
It was in 1891 that the band signed its first professional conductor, Mr William Rimmer from Southport. Mr Rimmer was one of the all-time ‘giants’ of the British band movement. By the turn of the century he had transformed Wingates into the finest brass band in the land resulting in the previously mentioned Double-Double which has only once been emulated once since then in the 1970s by the world famous Black Dyke Mills Band.
Since the 1900s Wingates has been regarded as one of the elite brass bands in Britain and by many as amongst the very best bands in the history of the brass band movement.

Andrea Price- Wingates Band MD
Introducing Andrea
Andrea is a graduate of Salford University, where she was awarded a First Class Honours degree and a distinction in a Masters Degree in composition, as well as earning the Mortimer prize for performance.
During her playing career, she has performed at the highest level, including a 10 year tenure as Principal Percussionist and featured soloist of the Black Dyke Band, where she also composed music performed by many of the band’s soloists, including Sheona White and Gary Curtin.
Her list of musical achievements also include, being one of the youngest people to ever achieve a place at the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music, reaching the percussion final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and becoming the first female conductor of the Mikeneko Band in Japan.
Alongside her conducting, Andrea is a well-sought-after adjudicator and an examiner of composition for the AQA exam board. Her most recent career achievement is becoming the Head of Lower School at Chetham’s School of Music.
Celebrating Wingates and our Home – Fanfare For The Common Man
Wingates Band Tribute to Local Heroes
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Now available to download. This is a rare and unavailable anywhere else recording by the great Brian Evans and Wingates Band. Unbelievable quality of playing – a Must for any aspiring musician.
Preview Tracks here: Click
Get Download: Here
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Another Lockdown Special
Before the second national lockdown started, members of the band had been meeting in small ensembles to rehearse and enjoy making music together again after a long time out of the band room.
Music available for purchase from
Cantatio Publishing
.
WE’RE BACK!!
Here’s our first LIVE Covid-19 Special Recording
recorded in October 2020
Get in Touch
We love having visitors! (but please contact us first near to Contest Times)
Wingates Band Hall
Wingates Square
Westhoughton
Bolton
BL5 3PS
Give us a ring
Mrs Sue MacDonald – Band Manager
Mobile: 07966 364530