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Strong field prepares for high Wire challenges

There is a strong turn-out of contenders ready to test their early season form at the Brass in the Wire and British Open Youth in the Wire contests in Warrington later this month.

Parr Hall
  The competition will take place at Parr Hall and Pyramid in Warrington

There will be a fine turn-out of competing bands at the forthcoming 2020 Brass in the Wire 2020 & British Open Youth in the Wire Championships to be held at Parr Hall and Pyramid in Warrington on Sunday 26th January.

The event continues to enjoy generous support from R. Banks & Son (Funerals Ltd) under proprietor Brian Halliwell and marks a return to the venue that hosted the contest in 1983 and 1984.

British Open link

A new initiative in 2020 will see the Championship and First Section events combined, although separate prizes will be given to the 'Highest Placed' bands in each section. Qualification to the British Open Spring Festival remains the same.

Championship Section:


Parr Hall
Test Piece choices: A Tale As Yet Untold (Philip Sparke) or Legacy for Brass Band (Tom Davoren)
Adjudicator: Paul Andrews and Sandy Smith
Start: 1.00pm (approx)

City of Bradford (Lee Skipsey)
Crofton Silver (tba)
Flixton (Matthew Ryan)
Foresters Brass (Gareth Brindle)
Freckleton (Matt Shaw)
Harrogate (Leigh Baker)
Haverhill Silver (Paul Filby)
Hepworth (Ryan Watkins)
Lindley (Mike Golding)
Longridge (Mark Peacock)
Mossley (Duncan Byers)
Newstead Brass (Jim Davies)
Roberts Bakery (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
Shirebrook Miners Welfare (Jim Henson)
Thoresby Colliery (Mike Howley)
York Railway Institute (David Lancaster)
Yorkshire Imperial David Urquhart Travel (Garry Hallas)

Second Section:


The Exhibition Hall — Pyramid
Test Pieces: The Golden Sabre — Tales of the Hussar-Poet, Denis Davydov (Kit Turnbull)
Adjudicators: Ian Brownbill and Sara Groarke-Booth
Start: 2.30pm (approx)

BD1 Brass (Lee Skipsey)
Crewe Brass (Matt Pithers)
Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
Farnworth & Walkden (Dan Price)
Old Hall Brass (John North)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW B (Alistair Burrows)
Slaithwaite (Matt Hindle)

Third Section:


The Exhibition Hall — Pyramid
Test Piece: Endurance (Andrew Baker)
Adjudicators: Ian Brownbill and Mareika Gray
Start: 1.00pm (approx)

Audley Brass (Tom Hancock)
City of Chester (Matthew Birkett)
Pilling Jubilee Silver (Steve Hartly)
Thornton Cleveleys (Dave Houghton)

Fourth Section:


The Exhibition Hall — Pyramid
Test Pieces: Neverland (Christopher Bond) and A Bournemouth Suite (Benjamin Tubb)
Adjudicators: Ian Brownbill and Mareika Gray
Start: 10.30am

Brindle (Matthew Balson)
Dobcross Silver (Jason M Smith)
Golborne (Joshua Hughes)
Red Admiral Brass (Stuart Barton)
Skelmersdale Prize (Ben Coulson)
Stacksteads (Fred Bowker)

The British Open Youth in the Wire Festival


The Parr Hall
Own Choice 20 minute programme
Adjudicators: John Doyle and Sara Groarke- Booth
Start: 10.00am

Elland Silver Youth
Oldham Music Centre Youth
Pemberton Old Wigan DW Youth
St Helens Youth
Youth Brass 2000

The results and prize presentation will take place at the conclusion of each section.

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Bsc Hons
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