The Essential Dyke Volume IV appeared in 2004 and, with the same conductor and principal soloists, reflected a more settled period in the band€™s history. In addition to a busy concert and contest schedule, Black Dyke Band was now producing a large number of CDs, a massive 22 in the years 2001-2004, partially due, no doubt, to the strong bonds between band and recording company. Amongst the CDs were a number dedicated to the music of a particular composer. To date these featured Arthur Butterworth, Michael Ball, Peter Graham, Wilfred Heaton (two albums) and Eric Ball, a ground-breaking sequence.
Marches recorded on Volume IV were Knight Templar (its second appearance in the series), The Pondashers €“ specially composed for Black Dyke and dedicated to its many fans by the late Major G H Willcocks, one of the band€™s former highly successful professional conductors, and a celebrated transcription of Tchaikovsky€™s March Slav as the CDs finale. With the overture to Mozart€™s The Marriage of Figaro and Brahms€™ Academic Festival Overture the CD had a pronounced €˜classical€™ feel and, along with Langford€™s Sullivan Fantasy and the evergreen All in the April Evening, the emphasis was very much on tradition.
2004 proved to be a good year on the contest platform, with a win in the National Brass Band Championships in the Royal Albert Hall, which was €˜converted€™ to a further win in the European Championships in Groningen, Holland, in the following spring.
