Eight brass band musicians from the Isle of Man joined players from England, Scotland, Wales, Norway and the Netherlands for a band's debut appearance at the world-famous Whit Friday Marches in Saddleworth.

They performed under the banner of Briarfield Brass & Friends, a project that has brought together musicians from different bands, backgrounds and countries.

While some had experienced Whit Friday before, for many it represented the fulfilment of a long-held ambition, with the event widely regarded as a brass musician's ultimate bucket-list experience.

The band had just 90 minutes of rehearsal time together before taking to the streets on Whit Friday itself.

Despite this, the group successfully completed five contest performances at Delph, Denshaw, Dobcross, Diggle and Greenfield, competing against some of the world's finest brass bands alongside ensembles that had travelled from across Europe to take part.

The band's highest placing came at Denshaw, where they finished an impressive 18th out of 61 competing bands, with adjudicators praising the group's style, balance, musicality and overall performance.

A day packed with memorable moments culminated in a fitting finale.

Having arrived at Greenfield just minutes before registration closed, the band performed their march by the light of headtorches and streetlights before being allowed to round off the day's contest at midnight on the village green.

The band was conducted by Manx music teacher and trombonist Juan Wright, who was making his debut as a Whit Friday contest conductor.

Following the event, Juan said: ‘Although I've played Whit Friday with many different bands over the years, it was great to conduct Briarfield Brass & Friends during their first appearance on the Whit Friday contest stage.

‘For a scratch band with minimal rehearsal, they played fantastically.’

The band was formed in 1998 and takes its name from Briarfield Avenue in Onchan, where members first met to rehearse.

The project was supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council through its Domestic Travel Grant Scheme, as well as Bushy's Brewery.