Besses o' th' Barn Band

Established in 1818, we are one of the oldest brass bands in the world. Besses are committed to providing high quality, entertaining concerts for audiences local to us in north Manchester (and further afield), whilst maintaining our world-wide reputation and being true to the history and legacy of such an esteemed institution.

Besses has friends all over the world and we are always keen to make more. So find out more About Besses, see where our next Engagement is or maybe you have a memory of Besses you want to Contact Us about?

We hope you enjoy your visit, and we'll hopefully see you again soon!

Do you have pictures or videos of the band? Drop us a line if you'd be happy to let us put them up on here.

A message from Steve:

"It is with great sadness that Besses have accepted the resignation of Josh Hughes, our Soprano Player and Besses stalwart since 2008. Five years at Besses equates to a quarter of this young player's life and certainly half of his playing career and his commitment and loyalty has been immense. Josh will definitely be added to the Besses Hall of Fame as a favourite of players, management and supporters alike. He has been enthusiastic in many of his Besses roles, from being a Whit Friday runner, to attending Contest Draws, to remaining till the end of contests to collect our winner's cup (or sadly not...!), to redecorating the Bandroom and, last but not least, sometimes playing soprano(!)"

A message from Matt (chairman):

"Josh's departure came as no surprise to the band as he moves onto higher education, and the band will certainly miss him. Josh has been involved in many facets of this band, and we must thank him for taking those opportunities and putting his own unique imprint on the band! It has been said that you cannot stand in the way of talent, and there can be no doubt that Josh Hughes is a talent!"

Keep in touch Josh, whatever you do and wherever you go. Don't be a stranger to your old friends at Besses!