It may have been a very wet and miserable day outside in South Normanton on the weekend, but it didn’t stop the fine music making from a host of keenly competitive bands from Yorkshire and the Midlands battling it out at the North East Midlands BBA contest.

Good standard

Adjudicator John Berryman commented that there was a good standard of playing from all the competitors on the day, with the test pieces offering a wide variety of challenges ahead of the Area contests in a couple of weeks time.

And with those Regional Championships just around the corner, a number of bands will have been boosted with confidence after claiming their places in the prizes, although others may well know that they still have work to do if they are to get to Cheltenham.

Strata lead the way

Strata Brass under the baton of Derek Renshaw led the way in the First Section as they look towards Bradford in a couple of weeks time, with a fine performance of the Area set-work, ‘A London Overture’, with Carlton Brass under Paul Watson producing a well worked ‘Variations on Maccabeus’ to take the Second Section title.

Matlock Brass, conducted by Geoff Hawley gave themselves a pre-Bedford boost as they claimed the Third Section honours with their rendition of ‘Evolution — Five States of Change’, with Kirkby Colliery finding themselves alone but triumphant in the Fourth as they enjoyed a fine run out on ‘An English Pastorale’ under Neville Buxton.

Thanks

A spokesperson told 4BR: “The committee would like to thank everyone who entered and all audience members who supported the contest also all staff at the Post Mill Centre.

Next year’s contest is to be held on Sunday 28th February 2016 at the Post Mill Centre.

Strata Brass under the baton of Derek Renshaw led the way in the First Section as they look towards Bradford in a couple of weeks time4BR

Results:

First Section:
1. Strata Brass (Derek Renshaw)
2. Shirebrook Miners Welfare (Mark Wilcockson)
3. Leicester Co-operative (Graham Jacklin)
4. Wigston (Garry Sleath)
5. Bakewell (Roland Spencer)
6. Bedworth Brass (David Maplestone)
7. Ireland Colliery Chesterfield (Ian Knapton)

Awards:
Best Trombone: Strata Brass
Best Percussion: Shirebrook Miners Welfare
Best Cornet: Leicester Co-operative
Best Euphonium: Leicester Co-operative

Second Section:
1. Carlton Brass (Paul Watson)
2. Long Eaton Silver Prize (Sharon Stansfield)
3. Chapeltown Silver (Andrew Duncan)
4. Shirland Miners Welfare (Lyndon Cooper)

Third Section:
1. Matlock Brass (Geoff Hawley)
2. Maltby Miners Welfare (Terry Clifford)
3. Trentham Brass (Mike Caveney)

Fourth Section:
1. Kirkby Colliery (Neville Buxton)

Sections 4, 3 and 2 Awards:
Best Soprano: Carlton Brass
Best Horn: Matlock Brass
Best Bass Section: Carlton Brass

Best Cornet throughout contest day: William Thirkell (Shirland Welfare)