The Butlins Mineworkers National Open Brass Band Festival 2018 (incorporating The Butlins Youth Band Festival) plans to deliver it's most spectacular weekend of competition and entertainment to date. The challenging test pieces and a huge prize fund, which includes the £10 000 first prize in the Championship Section, are expected to attract another bumper crop of entries for the festival being held at the Skegness Resort over the weekend 12-15 January 2018.

All five sections compete on Saturday 13 January performing a challenging set of test pieces. A choice of three works await competitors in the Championship Section with the selection panel having chosen Contest Music (Wilfred Heaton), The Year Of The Dragon (Philip Sparke and Concerto For Brass Band No.1 (Marcus Venables). The Concerto is an interesting proposition having never been used on a contest before. The composer Marcus Venables is quickly establishing himself as one of the most promising talents in the movement and his Concerto won the first prize in the 12 minute category at the inaugural Scottish Brass Band Association composition competition 2013. Contest Advisor, Stan Lippeatt told BBW: “ We believe that our choice of three set works will be favourable to the Championship Section bands and the audience alike. Contest Music and Year Of The Dragon need no introduction whilst the Concerto No.1 will quickly become a real favourite addition to the repertoire."

As in the 2017 Championship Section a £1000 and a trophy will be awarded to the winners of the Saturday Own Choice Test Piece Contest whilst the £1000 prize plus the entertainment trophy will still be awarded on Sunday. The Sunday Entertainment Contest (hosted by BBC Radio 2‘s Frank Renton) will continue to have four adjudicators, with two music adjudicators (sat together) giving 50% of the marks and two entertainment adjudicators (sat together) giving 50% of the marks. The two entertainment adjudicators will be established musicians or adjudicators as used at all our movement’s top contests. As in 2017 the entertainment marks will take precedence in the event of a tie.

Festival Director Steve Walker told BBW: "As was proved in 2017, the simple marking system ensures that in the opinion of the adjudicators, the best band will win the overall first prize. Our continued emphasis on the Sunday entertainment content is in response to the general consensus of opinion from our guests with whom we have a constant dialogue. Competing bands are not required to come with all new bespoke programmes. A well played entertaining programme that the audience enjoys is sure to score highly. We believe that the Butlins Festival to be a unique event in the banding calendar and remind bands interested in competing in the 2018 that this is NOT an invitation event. Bands from all sections are welcome to apply on a first come first served basis.”

Renaissance (Peter Graham) has been selected as the First Section test piece and Variations For Brass Band (Ralph Vaughan Williams faces the bands in Section Two. The bands in Section Three will be faced with another Vaughan Williams composition, Overture To Henry V whilst competitors in Section Four sure to enjoy Gustav Holst’s Second Suite In F.

In addition to the historic and much sought after trophies, the prize winning bands in sections 1 - 4 will also receive the following cash awards:

1st Prize £2000
2nd Prize £1000
3rd Prize £700
4th Prize £500

The Butlins Youth Band Festival with a prize fund of £2300 will also take place on Sunday January 14 and applications for the Unregistered and Youth Sections are also invited. and those wishing to enter should apply in writing to the contest administrator,

Brian Eggleshaw,
Butlins Contest Administrator, 27, Dutton Avenue, SKEGNESS
Lincolnshire
PE25 2HR

brian.eggleshaw@gmail.com

Tickets and accommodation

The Festival is hugely popular, attracting Brass Bands from all over the UK, and unique in offering a blend of top quality live brass band music with all the entertainment and facilities that a Butlins break offers so therefore, to avoid disappointed, you are advised to book your accommodation early. Guests will be able to enjoy the multi million pound Water World and the Spa in addition to all the entertainment and facilities for which Butlins is so famous.

Due to limited venue capacity for the Entertainment Competition, no day visit tickets are issued for Sunday 14h January, with access only for guests choosing to stay on Resort. Day visit tickets are available for Saturday 13th only priced at £28 per adult, £20 per child 2-14, with under 2’s free. Please note that all competitors who are not resident on Resort must purchase a day visit ticket to gain entry to the Resort on Saturday 13th. To purchase Day visit tickets, simply call Butlins Day Visits on 01754 614445 by Monday 8th January 2018.

The three night break, based on four guests sharing a silver self catering apartment with 20% off the brochure price is just £76 per guest* and includes accommodation, entertainment and parking. To find out more about Butlins please visit our website www.butlins.com or to discuss the wide range of accommodation & dining options available, simply call the Butlins Advisors based at Skegness on 0330 100 9334 and choose option 3**. Lines are open daily from 9am to 5.30pm each day.

Groups of 20 or more paying guests will enjoy an extra Groups Offer of 5% when confirming with deposits or full payment before Friday 27 October 2017*,

* All offers are subject to promotional availability. Butlins terms and conditions apply. ** Local rate call charge from a landline but may be more from a mobile.