2017 NIBA Championships  

The NIBA Championship celebrated their centenary on 20th October  at the Market Place Theatre in Armagh last weekend, with brass bands featuring at the forefront of the event.  

The Championship Section was of a great standard, although for adjudicator Derek Broadbent, the clear winners by a three point margin were 1st Old Boys with a wonderful performance of John McCabe's 'Salamander'. The band's euphonium player Alan Haworth won the 'Best Soloist' award, with Stephen Cairns presented with the Conductor's Prize. They also won the prize for 'Overall Band of the Day' and will now represent Northern Ireland at the 2019 European Championship in Montreux. 

Results: 

Championship Section: 
Adjudicator: Derek Broadbent 
Set-work: Salamander (John McCabe) 
1. 1st Old Boys Silver (Stephen Cairns) — 193 
2. Downshire Brass (Michael Alcorn) — 190 
3. Third Carrickfergus (Brian Connolly) — 187 
4. Laganvale Metal Technology (Stephen Crooks) — 186 
5. Three Rivers Brass (Noel Barr) — 184 
6. Murley Silver Band (William Hill) — 183 
Best Instrumentalist: Alan Haworth (euphonium) — 1st Old Boys' Silver 
Conductor Prize: Stephen Cairns (1st Old Boys' Silver) 
Overall Band of the Day: 1st Old Boy's Silver 

Second Grade: 
Set-work: Chaucer's Tunes (Michael Ball) 
1. Drogheda Brass (Michael Maher) — 185 
2. Roughan Silver (Gary Proctor) — 183 
3. Lourdes Brass Band (Michael Hannan) — 182 
4. Comber Silver (Wesley Thompson) — 181 
5. CWA Brass (Ernest Ruddock) — 180 
Best Cornet Section: Drogheda Brass 
Best Bass Section: Drogheda Brass 

Third Grade: 
Set-work: The Journal of Phileas Fogg (Peter Graham) 
1. Wellington Memorial Silver (Gary Proctor) — 179 
2. Dynamic Brass (Harold Whan) — 177 
3. Navan Silver (Steven Murray) — 176 
4. Dungannon Silver (Boris Pinto) — 174 

Fourth Grade: 
Set-work: A Ravenhill Suite (Dorothy Gates) 
1. Poyntzpass Silver (Robert Davidson) — 171 

Fifth Grade/Unaffiliated: 
1. Stedfast Shoes Brass (Shane Smith) — 168 

Youth Brass: 
1. 1st Old Boys Silver Junior Band (Jacklin Bingham) — 180 
2. Downshire Youth Band (Michael Alcorn) — 178 
 
 
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