The City of Bradford Brass Band can trace its history back as far as the early twentieth century and the Salt’s Mill Band of Saltaire. What was named the Hammonds Hawley Brass Band in the mid 1990s became Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) Concert Brass. Some of the band’s members joined the Hammond’s family of bands as children in the 1980s and have played alongside one another for thirty years. In 2009, following the end of its successful alliance with YBS which saw them compete at the lower section National Finals several times, the band struck out in a new direction. Following discussions with Bradford Metropolitan District Council, the band proudly adopted the City’s coat of arms and named themselves the City of Bradford Brass Band. Under this banner the band has flourished, representing Yorkshire three times at the National finals and taking its place in the world’s banding elite through promotion to the Championship Section in January 2015.

In March 2017, after just two years competing at Championship level, the band took 3rd place in the Yorkshire Regional Championship, going on to represent the County and the City of Bradford at the very highest level of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in the Royal Albert Hall.

Following the pandemic, the band managed to start where they left off and in 2022, the band was crowned British Open Senior Cup Champions and soon afterwards, the Wychavon Festival of Brass Champions.

2023 saw the band compete in the Yorkshire Area Championships against some of the finest bands in the world and then in May, achieved a credible 7th place out of 20 bands in the Grand Shield on their debut. The Grand Shield enables entry to the British Open and is widely regarded as one of the most hotly contested competitions in the British banding calendar. 

2023 saw the band play for HM King Charles III during his visit to Bradford. 

Matt Ryan accepted the position of Musical Director of CoBB in June 2023 as an exciting new conducting prospect, having recently received the 2023 Brass Band Conductors Association Award.