Super Showing in Stevenage

Almost 80 bands took to the stage this weekend in Stevenage, hoping to impress the adjudicators at the London and Southern Counties Regional Championships. As the last region to complete its weekend’s contesting the focus was solely on London & SC to see who would complete the line-up for the Royal Albert Hall later this year. In the end adjudicators Alan Fernie and Steve Pritchard-Jones awarded the championship to reigning champions Zone One Brass, who were skilfully led by MD Richard Ward to produce a crowd pleasing performance of the set test. The band was delighted with the result, which included an honourable mention for the ‘Outstanding Trombones’. In the bridesmaid slot but joining the winners at the National Finals was Friary Brass, whose performance had so much to commend – not least of which the prize winning solo cornet and euphonium players.

Also richly deserving of congratulations were the winners and qualifiers of the lower sections. These included Fourth Section winners Betteshanger Colliery with two further qualifiers in runners-up Reading Springs Gardens and third placed Watford.  Putney & Wimbledon was the Third Section winner and will be joined in Cheltenham by Amersham Concert Brass and Welwyn Garden City. In the Second Section it was St. Sebastian Wokingham who took the spoils with City of Cambridge and Tilbury bands qualifying too. Three bands also qualified in the First Section with Horsham Borough winning the Regional Championship ahead of qualifiers Kidlington Concert Brass and Milton Keynes Brass. Full results can be viewed below, and a review of the event will appear in the next issue of Brass Band World magazine.

Photo Credit: ChappersPhoto.co.uk

Results:
Championship Section:
Adjudicators: Alan Fernie & Steve Pritchard-Jones
Test piece: Variations on an Enigma (Philip Sparke)

1. Zone One Brass (Richard Ward)*
2. Friary Brass (Nigel Taken)*
3. Redbridge Brass (Chris Bearman)
4. Wantage (Chris King)
5. East London Brass (Jayne Murrill)
6. Amersham (Paul Fisher)
7. Fulham (Sam Hairsine)
8. Sandhurst Silver (Joshua Geddes)
9. East of England Coop (Nigel Cooper)
10. Haverhill Silver (Paul Filby)
11. Medway (Graham Wilson)
12. Egham (Gareth Green)

Outstanding Trombone Section: Zone One Brass
Outstanding Tenor Horn: Wantage
Outstanding Euphonium: Friary Brass
Outstanding Cornet: Friary Brass

*Qualify for invitation to National Final

First Section:
Adjudicators: Leigh Baker & John Ward
Test piece: High Peak (Eric Ball)

1. Horsham Borough (Will Wilkins)*
2. Kidlington Concert Brass (Jonathan Pippen)*
3. Milton Keynes Brass (Matthew Brown)*
4. Thundersley Brass (Melvin White)
5. Bedford Town (Craig Patterson)
6. Aveley & Newham (Will Wilkins)
7. Regent Brass (Alan Duguid)
8. Hitchin (Andrew Kershaw)
9. Wantage Concert Brass (Simon Jones)
10. Epsom & Ewell (Tariq Ahmed)
11. Grimsdyke Brass (Stuart Quinlan)
12. Cawston (Leigh Sharpe)
13. City of Norwich (Mark Ager)
14. Soham Comrades (Jayne Murrill)
15. Jersey Premier Brass (Jason Mildren)

Best Bass Section: Kidlington Concert Brass
Best Soprano Cornet: Kidlington Concert Brass
Outstanding Cornet Player: Thundersley Brass

*Qualify for invitation to National Final

Second Section:
Adjudicators: John Ward & Steve Pritchard-Jones
Test piece: Triptych (Philip Sparke)

1. St. Sebastian Wokingham (John Watts)*
2. City of Cambridge (Philip Fisher)*
3. Tilbury (Melvin White)*
4. Chinnor Silver (Oliver Hallstead-Brooks)
5. LGB Brass (Ian Stewart)
6. Staines Brass (Gareth Trott)
7. Tendring Brass (David Rowland)
8. Waterbeach Brass (David Minchin)
9. BAE Systems (David Lockwood)
10. Oxford Cherwell Brass (Neil Brownless)
11. Alder Valley Brass (David Hatton)
12. Chiltern Hills Brass (Gordon Davies)
13. Epping Forest (Keith Schroeter)
14. Ware Brass (Mark Ager)
15. Fairlop Brass (Kevin Jordan)
16. Olney Brass (Philip Devine)
17. Chichester City (Alfie Hughes)
18. Simon Langton Brass (Andy Collins)

Best Bass Section: City of Cambridge
Best Trombone Section: City of Cambridge
Winning Conductor Award: John Watts (St. Sebastian Wokingham)

*Qualify for invitation to National Final

Third Section:
Adjudicators: Sam Fisher & Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale
Test piece: Corineus (Christopher Bond)

1. Putney & Wimbledon (Sam Topp)*
2. Amersham Concert Brass (Malcolm Peach)*
3. Welwyn Garden City (William Douglas)*
4. Hangleton (Richard Baker)
5. Hemel Hempstead (Dan Shave)
6. Littleport Brass (Ian Johnson)
7. Yiewsley & West Drayton (Bogdan Skrypka)
8. Cold Ash Brass (Jemma Johnstone)
9. Hungerford Town (Tim Crouter)
10. Crystal Palace (Jim Lynch)
11. Jubilee Brass (Oxford) (Clifford Sadler)
12. Bradwell Silver (Brian Keech)
13. Great Yarmouth Brass (Colin Swaep)
14. Tadley Concert Brass (Paul Chapman)
15. Brighton & Hove City Brass (Andy Wooler)
16. Regent Community Brass (Simon Tong)

Best Instrumentalist: Yiewsley & West Drayton
Best Bass Section: Littleport Brass
Winning Conductor: Sam Topp (Putney & Wimbledon)

*Qualify for invitation to National Final

Withdraw: Castleton Brass (Melvyn Stammers)

Fourth Section:
Adjudicators: Leigh Baker & Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale
Test piece: Music for Jock Tamson (Alan Fernie)

1. Betteshanger Colliery (Mike West)*
2. Reading Springs Gardens (Matthew Ruel)*
3. Watford (Ian Graves)*
4. Godalming (James Haigh)
5. Dereham (Tony Hampton)
6. City of Oxford (Douglas Brown)
7. Witney Town (Guy James)
8. Letchworth Garden City (Tim Welch)
9. Abbey Brass (Rob Tompkins)
10. Royston Town (Steve Earley)
11. Cottenham Brass (Peter Mackley)
12. Norfolk Wherry Brass (Steven Kemp)
13. Wantage Academy (Nikki Jones)
14. Woodbridge Excelsior (Alan Duguid)
15. Pangbourne & District Silver (Stewart Lewins)
16. Patcham Silver (James Benka-Coker)
17. Hadstock Silver (Diane Pannell)

Youngest Player: Witney Town
Best Instrumentalist: Dereham

*Qualify for invitation to National Final