Congratulations to Cheltenham’s Winners
The Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse was filled with the sounds of Britain’s finest first to fourth section bands from just past dawn on Saturday morning to well past dusk on Sunday night. It was a truly epic event with some fantastic performances from 79 bands for the adjudicators and audiences alike to savour. The first National Champion title to be decided was the fourth section, where ‘A Saddleworth Festival Overture’ by Goff Richards tested the bands and Newhall conducted by Kevin Holdgate emerged victorious. In the afternoon it was the turn of the weekend’s top-flight first section bands, where it was Welsh outfit Ebbw Valley Brass who impressed the judges with a terrific performance of Philip Harpers demanding work ‘St James – A New Beginning’. The band, conducted by long time MD Gareth Ritter consolidated its win with a best instrumentalist award for its euphonium player, Huw Davies.
Sunday began with the battle of the third section, won in fine style by Porthleven Town, who delivered a first class reading of Christopher Bond’s ‘The Lost Village of Imber’. Cross Keys Silver ran them very close, with the runner-up’s euphonium soloist, Catherine Showell, taking home the best instrumentalist award. The second section bands concluded the weekend’s events, competing on ‘Lakeland Variations’ by Philip Sparke. Whitworth Vale & Healey were declared the winners, in a results ceremony that didn’t start until after 10pm. The long day was certainly worth it for the winners, who also made it a double for band and euphonium soloists Ian Peters.
Commenting on the success of the weekend a spokesperson for the event stated, “Congratulations must go to every single competing band: you’re all winners by virtue of qualification for the event, not to mention the hard work, both musical and logistic that all bands have shown in competing this weekend. Our sincere gratitude goes to the 12 adjudicators from the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators, who’ve had the inevitable task of deciding the results of these incredibly important competitions. It’s been great welcoming so many Trainee Adjudicators too.
“Our Main Foyer & Istabraq areas were packed with exhibitors this weekend! A big thanks must go to them all for supporting this event. To Hannah, Matt, Kenny & the whole team at The Centaur, thanks as always for your support throughout the whole event. To the teams from World of Brass, who recorded every performance and percussion suppliers Ev-entz, we don’t take your hard work and professionalism for granted, and it’s been a pleasure to work with you all once again. Finally, we would like to thank everyone who supported this event; we hope that performers, supporters, audience members and exhibitors had a great time at The Centaur and we are already looking forward to next year!”
A review of the lower section National Championships will appear in the next issue of Brass Band World, with full results available to view below.
Results:
First Section:
Test piece: St James — A New Beginning (Philip Harper)
Adjudicators: David Hirst, Paul Holland, Glyn Williams
1. Ebbw Valley Brass (Gareth Ritter)
2. Sovereign Brass (Alan Gifford)
3. Seindorf Beaumaris (Bari Gwilliam)
4. Coalburn Brass (Gareth Bowman)
5. A W Parker (Drybrook) (Joshua Ruck)
6. Wardle Anderson Brass (Brad McCulloch)
7. Hebden Bridge (Christopher Binns)
8. Bathgate (Craig Anderson)
9. Boarshurst Silver (Jamie Prophet)
10. Horbury Victoria (Duncan Beckley)
11. Medway (Chris King)
12. York Railway Institute (Dr David Lancaster)
13. Manx Concert Brass (Ian Clague MBE)
14. Thoresby Colliery (Dean Jones)
15. Chalford (Steve Tubb)
16. Hitchin (Andrew Kershaw)
17. Harrogate (Craig Ratcliffe)
18. Regent Brass (Alan Duguid)
19. Sherborne Town (Dave Shead)
20. Bilton Silver (Rugby) (Jack Fisher)
Best Soloist: Huw Davies (euphonium) — Ebbw Valley
Second Section:
Test piece: Lakeland Variations (Philip Sparke)
Adjudicators: Alan Bourne, Anne Crookston, Mark Wilkinson
1. Whitworth Vale & Healey (Mike Golding)
2. Alder Valley Brass (David Hatton)
3. Newmilns & Galston (Alan Friel)
4. Soundhouse Brass (Lee Clayson)
5. Tewit Silver (Martin Hall)
6. Knottingley Silver (Kevin Belcher)
7. Irvine & Dreghorn (Stephanie Kennedy)
8. Newport Borough (Robin Hackett)
9. Diggle (Sean Conway)
10. Durham Miners' Association (Stuart Gray)
11. Meltham & Meltham Mills (Tom Haslam)
12. Chiltern Hills (Gordon Davies)
13. Chinnor Silver (Oliver Hallstead-Brooks)
14. Otterbourne (James Smith)
15. Valley Brass (Haydock) (David Chadwick)
16. Rolls-Royce (Derby) (Graham Cardwell)
17. Abergavenny Borough (Lana Tingay)
18. Foss Dyke (Gareth Westwood)
19. Denmead Brass (Estelle Flood)
Best Instrumentalist: Ian Peters (euphonium) — Whitworth Vale & Healey
Third Section:
Test piece: The Lost Village of Imber (Christopher Bond)
Adjudicators: Duncan Beckley, Christopher Bond, Stanley Malcolm Lippeatt
1. Porthleven Town (Tom Bassett)
2. Cross Keys Silver (Sion Rhys Jones)
3. Barton Community Band (Garry Oglesby)
4. Long Eaton Silver Prize (Sharon Stansfield)
5. Liverpool Brass Band (David McGlynn)
6. Selkirk Silver (Charlie Farren)
7. Verwood Town Band (Kevin Smith)
8. Clifton & Lightcliffe (John Clay)
9. Hungerford Town (Tim Crouter)
10. Wroughton Silver (Neil Webb)
11. Morecambe (Andrew Porter)
12. Simon Langton Brass (Andy Collins)
13. Shotts St Patrick' s (Andrew Shaw)
14. Hawk Green (Neil Hewson)
15. Jayess Newbiggin Brass (Andrew Griffiths)
16. Fairlop Brass (Kevin Jordan)
17. Stourport on Severn (Oliver Wilson)
18. Huddersfield & Ripponden (John Roberts)
19. Cleobury Mortimer Concert Brass (Matthew Ludford-King)
20. Newtown Silver (Steve Edwards)
Best Instrumentalist: Catherine Showell (euphonium) — Cross Keys Silver
Fourth Section:
Test piece: A Saddleworth Festival Overture (Goff Richards)
Adjudicators: Gary Davies, Martin Heartfield and Sheona White
1. Newhall (Kevin Holdgate)
2. Brunel Brass Academy (Daniel Hall)
3. Oughtibridge (John Hopkinson)
4. Ramsey Town (Robert Quane)
5. North Lakes (Gareth Sykes)
6. Tadley Concert Brass (Paul Chapman)
7. Golborne Brass (Les Webb)
8. Highland Brass (Mark Bell)
9. Thrapston Town (Nathan Waterman)
10. Royal Oakeley (Paul Wilson)
11. Billingham Silver (Vaughan Evans)
12. Rivington & Adlington (Matt Whitfield)
13. Watford (Ian Graves)
14. Wem Jubilee (Cathy Rutherford)
15. St Stythians (James Burns)
16. Thurcroft Welfare (Matthew Wright)
17. Putney & Wimbledon (Dr Sam Topp)
18. Saltash Town (Neil Ellis)
19. City of Cardiff (Melingriffith M2) (John Murray)
20. Penicuik Silver (Douglas Anderson)
Youngest Player: Henry Thomas (Saltash Town) — aged 10
Best Soloist: Cornet (Brunel Brass)
.gif)
