The
Yorkshire Imperial Band was originally founded in 1936 as the
Yorkshire Copper Works Band by the
Yorkshire Copper Works company based in
Stourton,
Leeds. Kenneth Fraser was the band's first President. The band's first set of instruments, it is said, cost the company £2,500, but that was not their only expense because they also provided each member with two uniforms – one for the summer and one for the winter. Due to an industrial merger in 1958, between Yorkshire Imperial Metals and
ICI Metals, the name was changed to
The Band of Yorkshire Imperial Metals, but this was altered again in 1980 to
IMI Yorkshire Imperial Band. They had successive wins at Belle Vue – in 1970 under the direction of Trevor Walmsley DFC playing
Herbert Howell's test piece 'Pageantry', and then again in 1971 playing
Eric Ball's test piece 'Festival Music'. In 1978, under the direction of Denis Carr, they won their first national title playing 'Checkmate' by Sir
Arthur Bliss. Between 1970 and 1980 they had four major victories (National Champions 1978, and British Open Champions), Yorkshire area champions five times out of seven along with their triple success at the Edinburgh Festival Invitation Contest. When the
Rothwell Band and
Yorkshire Imperial Band merged in 1999, the name changed again to incorporate the name of their new sponsors and became the
DUT Yorkshire Imperial Rothwell Band. In 2002 the name was revised to the shorter and more recognisable
Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel Band. The Rothwell Temperance Band was founded in 1881, when the drinkers and non-drinkers of the Rothwell Model Band, established in 1841 or earlier, divided to form two bands, the other being the Rothwell Old Band. In 1999 it was renamed the
Wallace Arnold (Rothwell) Band, reflecting sponsorship by coach tour operator
Wallace Arnold. The then "B" band retained the name Rothwell Temperance Band. The band has added various titles including several Yorkshire Area titles, Brass in Concert Champions in 1995 and in 2005 the band were crowned "First Section National Champions of Great Britain" making the Imps the first band ever to win both a National and Lower Section National title. Under MD Garry Hallas, in 2024 the band was the "Yorkshire Area First Section Champions". and 128th in the world in listings at the brass band website 4barsrest.com, and also ranked 97th in the world in the listings of BrassStats.com. == Recordings ==