The Point of Ayr Band rounded off a great weekend for Welsh banding in Harrogate when under the direction of Michael Fowles they crowned their comeback year to brass band contesting by taking the Second Section National title.

Return

15 years after they lifted the National First Section title, but just six months after they returned to the contesting fold after lying almost dormant in North Wales for seven long seasons of inactivity, they triumphed once again.

...just six months after they returned to the contesting fold after lying almost dormant in North Wales for seven long seasons of inactivity, they triumphed once again4BR

Well deserved

It was a well deserved victory too and after such a long lay off they didn’t complain too much that they had to wait all day to produce the winning performance off the number 16 draw either.

Severe test

In a contest that tested the bands to the very limits and beyond with a severe test in Dean Goffin’s ‘Rhapsodic Variations – My Strength, My Tower,’ Point of Ayr took the £1,000 top prize and National Trophy by a narrow one point margin from the youthfully impressive Wardle and Anderson District Brass conducted by Sean Conway, with Barton Town and Richard Evans in third.

In a contest that saw the honours fairly evenly spread out among the regions, Yorkshire provided the fourth placed YBS Concert Band ahead of fifth place Welsh contenders Tylorstown and the Midlanders of City of Coventry in sixth.

Test Piece:
Rhapsodic Variations — My Strength, My Tower — Dean Goffin

Adjudicators:
Jim Davies and Peter Roberts

Results:

1. Point of Ayr, Michael Fowles, 16, 188
2. Wardle and Anderson District Brass, Sean Conway, 6, 187
3. Barton Town, Richard Evans, 2, 186
4. YBS Concert Brass, Ian Craddock, 4, 184
5. Tylorstown, Gary Davies, 1, 183
6. City of Coventry, Stephen Cooper, 7, 182
7. Haslingden and Helmshore, David Holland, 10, 181
8. Bristol East and Kingswood, Roy Curran, 12, 180
9. Slaithwaite, Barry Hudson, 15, 179
10. Johnstone, Ray Tennant, 9, 178
11. Alder Valley, Roger Burke, 11, 177
12. Campbletown Brass, Craig Anderson, 5, 176
13. Shrewton Silver, Michael Dunford, 14, 175
14. Harborough, Chris Groom, 3, 174
15. Murton Colliery, Dennis Noble, 8, 173
16. Epsom & Ewell, Ted Howard, 13, 172

Best instrumentalist:
Susan Butterworth (Solo cornet) Wardle and Anderson District Brass