STAPE Silver Band is tuning up for the National Brass Band Final of Great Britain.

The band will go up against the 19 of the best fourth section brass bands at the Harrogate Conference Centre on Sunday.

A band spokesman said: “We have been practising hard with the assistance of Ray Farr, an internationally renowned arranger/adjudicator and conductor of brass band music, and look forward to representing Pickering and Ryedale at the contest.”

The band is inviting anyone interested in hearing a preview of the national finals test piece “A Royal Mile Suite” by Alan Fernie to an open rehearsal night at Stape Silver’s Bandroom on Friday, at 7.30pm. The bandroom is off Outgang Lane behind MA Fabrication.

The band won the regional finals in March to clinch a place in the North of England Brass Band championships.

It competed against 10 other bands from the area and won that competition along with an invitation to the nationals this month.

The band has been fundraising hard to raise the £4,500 it costs to attend the finals and is grateful to Yorkshire Building Society, Pickering Rotary, Ryedale Lions and many businesses within the Pickering area who kindly donated towards its cause.

The band would love support of as many people as possible at Harrogate and tickets can be booked via emailing stapesilverband@btinternet.com