The annual Durham League Entertainment Contest took place on Sunday at Durham County Hall.

Cockerton, directed by Graham Catherall, took the honours and the £200 first prize thanks to a ‘solidly performed’ 20 minute programme that caught the ear of adjudicator Dr Richard Jones.

Winning programme

With regular MD George Nicklin on holidays, Graham returned to direct a winning programme that opened with the march , ‘Centaur’, followed by the excellent euphonium solo from Brian Wilderoder in ‘Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair’.

A change of mood with ‘Kalinka’ and ‘I’ll Walk with God’ followed, before they rounded off their programme with Alan Catherall’s arrangement of ‘Hooked on Classics’.

In addition to the first prize, the band also won the £20 on offer for the best march performance and the prize as the highest placed Second Section Band.

Excellent contest

A band spokesperson told 4BR: "With George Nicklin on holidays it was great to welcome Graham back with the baton. The band played very well and enjoyed what was once again an excellently run contest."

Durham Miners Association Band under the baton of Neil Davies took second place as wella s the prize for ‘Best Soloist’, whilst Murton Colliery was third.

Popular

Although the popular annual contest is usually run in the open air at the nearby Durham Light Infantry Ground, the recent inclement weather forced a late change of venue, although the contest still attracted an enthusiastic audience and nine competing bands.

B Section winners

In the Class B Contest, there was victory for the youngsters of NASUWT Concert, who beat off the challenge of Valley Brass (Haydock) and Billingham Silver.

Under the baton of conductor Bryan Tait, NASUWT Concert Brass opened their programme with Goff Richard’s 'Fanfare for a New Age', which led neatly into their winning march performance of 'Imperial Echoes'.

Expressive

Meanwhile, Ruth Parr, the band's principal euphonium, was awarded the solo prize after she gave an expressive performance of Evelyn Glennie’s 'A Little Prayer'.

Alan Morrison’s arrangement of 'All That Jazz', featuring flugel horn player Julie McBurnie, was stylishly delivered, with an atmospheric rendition of Sandy Smith’s arrangement of 'Gresford' leading into Philip Harper’s 'Olympic Flame' to close a well engineered and delivered programme.

A very proud MD, Bryan Tait, later told 4BR: "I was delighted with the band's performance and felt it was testament to all of the hard work and commitment shown by the players."

With George Nicklin on holidays it was great to welcome Graham back with the baton. The band played very well and enjoyed what was once again an excellently run contestBand spokesperson

Results:

Class A:
(Championship, First & Second Section)

1. Cockerton
2. Durham Miners Association
3. Murton Colliery

Highest placed Second Section Band: Cockerton
Best March: Cockerton
Best Soloist: Durham Miners Association

Class B:
(Third & Fourth Section)

1. NASUWT Concert
2. Valley Brass (Haydock)
3. Billingham Silver

Highest placed Fourth Section Band: Valley Brass (Haydock) Band
Best March: NASUWT Concert Band
Best Soloist — NASUWT Concert Band