Ripon Community Poppy Project - Remembrance

Each year during November, we commemorate the end of the Second World War with a spectacular display of knitted poppies and a fantastic concert at Ripon Cathedral

A Concert of Remembrance in Ripon Cathedral

5th November 2026

Doors open 6.45pm, Concert starts 7.15pm.

Tickets £17

Available from:
Big Bites, 6 Queen Street, Ripon
& The Wakeman Café, 33 Market Place, Ripon

or online via EventBrite link below (fees apply)

BUY CONCERT TICKETS ONLINE

Our 2026 Performers

East Cleveland Brass (formerly North Skelton Band) represents the latest chapter in a long and proud brass band tradition rooted in the mining communities of East Cleveland.

The present band was formed through the merger of North Skelton Band and Lockwood Brass. North Skelton itself evolved from the former Langbaurgh Brass, while Lockwood Brass was established in 2000 through the merger of Yarm & District and Lingdale Silver Band.

The adoption of the name East Cleveland Brass reflects the band’s strong connection to the region and its rich brass band heritage — a tradition closely associated with the ironstone-mining communities that flourished throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The band’s motto, “Forged from iron. Honed in brass” celebrates this heritage while looking firmly towards the future.

Following a period of consistent and impressive performances at the Regional North of England Brass Band Championships, East Cleveland Brass will compete in the Championship Section from January 2027. The band currently sits at the top of the three-year North of England First Section table for 2024–26, having achieved the strongest aggregate record in the region.

Away from the contest stage, East Cleveland Brass maintains a busy programme of performances throughout East Cleveland and North Yorkshire, bringing live brass music to communities across the area. The band is particularly honoured to have been invited to return to Ripon Cathedral for the 2026 Festival of Remembrance.

Born in 2000 in North  Yorkshire, Charlotte Potter is rapidly gaining the highest acclaim for her performances in the UK and overseas. Charlotte is a recent graduate of The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, having previously attended the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester.

Charlotte has performed at leading venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Durham Cathedral and the Royal Albert Hall. In 2017, she sang at Westminster’s Central Hall, London, followed by the Proms in the Priory, Guisborough, with the London Gala Orchestra in 2018. In 2019, she performed with Lesley Garrett in Chesterfield. In 2020, Charlotte appeared in ITV’s Endeavour, playing an Oxford University music undergraduate. In 2022, she featured in a SATB ensemble recording of A Song for the Commonwealth, celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. In autumn 2024, she appeared on the soundtrack of the BBC documentary Cumbria’s Red Squirrels. Charlotte has been honoured to perform as soloist with the Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers at Durham Cathedral’s Festival of Remembrance for the past four years, returning for the 2026 festival. She has also been principal soloist at The Great North Proms at Newcastle’s O2 City Hall for the past three years.
In June 2024, Charlotte performed with Ripon City Band at Ripon Cathedral to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. She returned in May 2025 for the VE Day 80 celebrations and the Festival of Remembrance in November, and looks forward to returning for the 2026 festival.
Duchy Belles 2026

The Duchy Belles are an established close harmony vocal trio who perform all genres of music including swing, pop and musical theatre. With musical direction and arrangements by Helen Leaf, the trio perform at weddings, birthday parties and themed events.

The Duchy Belles sang for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, D Day and VE Day commemorative events and have helped to raise thousands of pounds for local and national charities.

They have accompanied Emmerdale’s Bradley Johnson and performed with comedy legends, Cannon and Ball.

Emily Halstead, Eliza Knowles, and Summer Mason love singing together and are delighted to be performing at Ripon Cathedral for Ripon Poppy Project’s Concert of Remembrance.

For more information and bookings please visit our Instagram Page

or email h.leaf1@ntlworld.com  / theduchybelles@outlook.com

Mark Sidwell - Born in 1972 Mark started playing the trumpet at the age of 8, moving quickly over to the cornet. After studying conducting with Major Peter Parkes, Mark accepted an invitation at the age of 20, to become the resident conductor of the Northeast based Championship section band, Northumbria Police.

Mark has conducted ever since and has continually enjoyed various conducting posts through all of the grading sections.

Today Mark divides his time between freelance performance as a brass player, conducting and teaching brass instrumentalists both privately and in many local schools.

Originally from Bradford, Richard Martin spent two years as the organ scholar at Leeds RC Cathedral before studying at Durham University where he obtained MEng and PhD degrees in engineering.

At Durham he was the Director of Music at the Catholic Chaplaincy and studied organ with James Lancelot and piano with Ruth Armishaw.

He is a Forensic Electrical Engineer and lives in Nidderdale with his wife and three children.

Working in partnership with Ripon Cathedral

Alongside our dedicated volunteeers, the Ripon Community Poppy Project Concert of Remembrance has been made possible by the support of the following businesses:

Refreshments kindly sponsored by