There is an excellent line-up of bands testing the early season waters at the Brass at the Guild event this year.
43 senior bands and six youth ensembles will compete in the various sections at Preston's Guild Hall on Sunday 29th January, attracted by the prospect of giving the forthcoming Area set-works a litmus-test outing, or reprising the works used at the Butlins Championship. The youth bands will present 20 minute entertainment sets.
Senior Trophy prize
Nine bands will compete in the Championship Section trying to catch the ear of adjudicator Michael Fowles, with the additional prize of an invitation to the highest placed band not already qualified, to compete at the Spring Festival Senior Trophy contest in Blackpool.
Six competitors line-up in the First Section as they contemplate tackling either 'The Land of the Long White Cloud' or 'Fantasy for Brass Band', whilst the prospect of choosing between a classic piece of Dean Goffin with 'Rhapsody in Brass', or something more contemporary with Paul Sharman's 'Inclusion' has tickled the fancy of a dozen Second Section rivals.
Theatre action
There will also be a full day of action taking place in the Charter Theatre at the Guild Hall, with eight Third Section bands tackling either 'Darkwood' by Dan Price or 'The Lion and the Rose' by Philip Wilby.
The day's contesting starts there at 10.00am with the eight bands in the Fourth Section testing themselves on either 'St Andrews Variations' by Alan Fernie or the Butlins own-choice work.
Youth title up for grabs
In addition to the senior bands testing their early season form, six keen as mustard youth ensembles will also look to claim the prestigious British Open Youth at the Guild Hall title by presenting their 20-minute programmes in a bid to catch the ear of adjudicator Lynda Nicholson.
Firm favourite
A spokesperson told 4BR: "We are pleased with the response from bands to test their early season form at a contest that continues to be a firm favourite with competitors and audiences alike since 2001.
There are generous prizes on offer in each section as well as the prospect of entry to the first rung of the British Open ladder, whilst the youth bands will compete for their own prestigious British Open title."
There are generous prizes on offer in each section as well as the prospect of entry to the first rung of the British Open ladder, whilst the youth bands will compete for their own prestigious British Open titleorganisers
Championship Section:
The Guild Hall
Test Pieces: Pageantry (Howells) or Butlins own-choice
Adjudicator: Michael Fowles
Pre Drawn
Start: Approx 3.30pm
Blidworth Welfare (Martin Heartfield)
City of Bradford (Lee Skipsey)
Easington Colliery (Ian Robinson)
Hatfield (Stan Lippeatt)
Hepworth (Leigh Baker)
Longridge (Mark Peacock)
Milnrow (Matthew Brown)
Thoresby Colliery (Ian McElligott)
Wingates (Paul Andrews)
The results and prize presentation will take place at the conclusion of the section.
First Section:
The Guild Hall
Test Pieces: The Land of the Long White Cloud (Sparke) or Fantasy for Brass Band (Arnold)
Adjudicator: Michael Fowles
Pre Drawn
Start: Approx 1.30pm
Freckleton (Paul Dalton)
Harrogate (Dean Jones)
Marsden Silver Prize (Alan Widdop)
Oldham (Lees) (John Collins)
Poulton-Le-Fylde (Matthew Ryan)
Ripon City (Martin Hall)
The results and prize presentation will take place at the conclusion of the section
Second Section:
The Guild Hall
Test Pieces: Rhapsody in Brass (Goffin) or Inclusion (Sharman)
Adjudicator: David Hirst
Pre Drawn
Start: 10.00am
Bakewell Silver (Jim Henson)
Besses o' th' Barn (Kenny Pain)
Blackpool Brass (John Pearson)
Crewe Brass (Jamie Meredith)
Delph (Jonathan Davies)
Flixton (Jason M Smith)
Hazel Grove (Nigel Beasley)
Horbury Victoria (Duncan Beckley)
Horwich RMI (Matt Ryan)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW 'B' (Mike Golding)
Royal Buckley Town (Brett Baker)
Whitworth Vale & Healey (Christopher Binns)
The results and prize presentation will take place at the conclusion of the section.
Third Section:
Charter Theatre
Test Pieces: Darkwood (Price) or The Lion and the Rose (Wilby)
Adjudicator: Ian Brownbill
Pre Drawn
Start: Approx 4.00pm
BD1 (Lee Skipsey)
Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
Farnworth & Walkden (Matt Shaw)
Oughtibridge Brass (Gavin Somerset)
Pilling Jubilee (Len Charnock)
Rivington & Adlington (Malcolm Wilson)
Skelmersdale (James Hall)
Stacksteads (Fred Bowker)
The results and prize presentation will take place at the conclusion of the section.
Fourth Section:
Charter Theatre
Test Pieces: St Andrews Variations (Fernie) or Butlins own-choice
Adjudicator: Ian Brownbill
Pre-Drawn
Start: 10.00am
Allerton Brass (Adam Taylor)
Blackley (John Atkinson)
BMP Europe Ltd Goodshaw (Joshua Hughes)
Brindle (Keith Richmond)
Lostock Hall Memorial (Phil Edwards)
Tarleton Brass (Gillian Bould)
Thornton Cleveleys (Stephen Craig)
Tingley Brass (John Belton)
The results and prize presentation will take place at the conclusion of the section.
The British Open Youth at the Guild Festival 2017:
The Charter Theatre
20-minute own-choice programme of entertaining music.
Adjudicator: Lynda Nicholson
Pre-Drawn
Start: Approx 12.30pm
Brassed Off (Louise Renshaw)
Oldham Music Centre (Jonathan Leedale)
Poynton Youth (Michael Eccles)
Stockport Schools (Alice Bell)
Wigan Youth Zone (John Don-Duncan)
Youth Brass 2000 (Chris Jeans)
The results and prize presentation will take place at the conclusion of the section.
