There was an excellent selection of music provided by the 14 bands at the recent Pogson Bray Trust Entertainment Contest held at Bertie’s Banqueting Suite in Elland.
Each competitor provided wonderful entertainment in their 20 minute programme sets for an appreciative audience to enjoy, with adjudicator Barry Thompson giving a clear analysis of just what he was looking for in deciding the destination of the prizes.
Encouraging
It was also encouraging to see two youth bands and one unregistered band compete against rivals from the Second, Third and Fourth Sections, with local favourites, Yorkshire Second Section Area champion, Elland Silver taking the honours and £400 first prize under the baton of Danny Brooks.
They opened their set with the up tempo ‘Malaquena’, before the band’s outstanding principal cornet player, Samantha Harrison took the ‘Best Soloist’ award for her rendition of ‘Spanish Eyes’.
Highlight
The ‘Gladiator’s Farewell’ march was the prelude to one the highlights of the day, when teenage cornet players Bethan Plant and Ben Holland-Ward delivered a fine interpretation from memory of ‘It’s A Lovely Day Tomorrow’, before the band rounded things off with music from the Hollywood film ‘ET’.
Band spokesperson Kathleen Harrison told 4BR: “The victory has rounded off yet another great contesting year.
We now look forward to making our debuts in the First Section in 2015, whilst we have a number of high profile concerts to undertake over the next couple of months.”
Slaithwaite boost
There was a further boost to contesting confidence for Slaithwaite under the direction of Rob Westacott, as they came runner-up and took the ‘Best March’ prize, whist the final podium place went to Lindley, conducted by Jessica Tredrea.
The trophy for the ‘Best Third Section Band’ not in the overall prizes went to Lofthouse 2000 led by Andrew Whitaker, whilst Foden’s flugel star Helen Williams made a prize winning conducting debut with Huddersfield & Ripponden by taking the ‘Best Fourth Section’ award.
The award for the ‘Best Youth/Unregistered Band’ went to Kirklees & Scissett Youth Band conducted by Alex Kenyon.
The victory has rounded off yet another great contesting year Band spokesperson Kathleen Harrison
Results:
Adjudicator: Barry Thompson
1. Elland Silver (Danny Brooks) — 186pts
2. Slaithwaite (Rob Westacott) — 184pts
3. Lindley (Jessica Tredrea) — 182pts
4. Lofthouse 2000 (Andrew Whitaker) — 179pts
5. Skelmanthorpe Prospect Brass (Philip Garlick) -178pts
6. Huddersfield & Ripponden Brass (Helen Williams) — 173pts*
7. Clifton & Lightcliffe B (David Crisp) — 173pts
8. Deepcar Brass (Jonathan Beatty) — 171pts*
9. Kirklees & Scissett Youth Band (Alex Kenyon) — 168pts*
10. Linthwaite (Tony Jaeger-Fozard) — 168pts
11. Huddersfield Youth Brass Ensemble (Alan Jazwinski) — 165pts
12. Friendly Band (Neil Robinson) — 163pts*
13. Thurcroft Welfare (Matthew Wright) — 163pts
14. Thurlstone (Graham Bates) -161**
*Time penalty
** Rule infringement
