Spring Festival Success
Fifty-seven bands competed this weekend in sunny Blackpool as part of the 102nd Spring Festival. Oldham Band (Lees) under the direction of MD John Collins emerged victorious just ahead of Allan Withington’s Carlton Main Frickley Colliery. Both bands will now be planning their trip to Birmingham Symphony Hall later this year to compete in the British Open. Rothwell Temperance just missed out with a third-place finish. A spokesperson from Oldham Lees commented on social media, “After rehearsing for weeks and seven out of seven days this week we are so pleased to have won the Grand Shield at the Spring Festival. Thank you to all our supporters and to every person in the band who has made it happen.”
In the Senior Cup the winners, Amersham led by Paul Fisher, have gained promotion to the Grand Shield next year along with Wantage Silver, Stannington Brass and Ashton-under-Lyne who finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. The Senior Trophy will be making its way to Wales with a win for Gareth Ritter’s Ebbw Valley Brass. Newtongrange Silver, Haverhill Silver and Marsden Silver have also won promotion to the Senior Cup in 2025 by virtue of their top four placings.
Chief Contributor, Chris Thomas will provide a full retrospective of the event in the next edition of BBW.
Results:
Grand Shield
Test-Piece: A Brussels Requiem (Bert Appermont)
Adjudicators: Morgan Griffiths & Lynda Nicholson
1. Oldham Band (Lees) (John Collins)*
2. Carlton Main Frickley Colliery (Allan Withington)*
3. Rothwell Temperance (David Roberts)
4. Friary Brass (Nigel Taken)
5. NASUWT Riverside (Prof Nicholas Childs)
6. Desford Colliery (Ian Porthouse)
7. Skelmanthorpe (Jonathan Bates)
8. Rainford (Sarah Groarke-Booth)
9. Camborne Town (Gareth Churcher)
10. GUS (Dr David Thornton)
11. Redbridge (Chris Bearman)
12. City of Bradford (Matthew Ryan)
13. Wingates (Martin Heartfield)
14. St Dennis Silver (Darren R Hawken)
15. Fishburn (Duncan Beckley)
16. EverReady (Russell Gray)
17. Milnrow (Lee Skipsey)**
18. Ratby Co-operative (Chris Jeans)**
19. Llwydcoed (Joshua Ruck)**
20. City of Hull (Dean Jones)**
*Qualify for invitation to 2024 British Open
**Relegated to Senior Cup
Best Instrumentalist: Principal cornet — Oldham Band (Lees)
Senior Cup:
Test Piece: The New Jerusalem (Philip Wilby)
Adjudicators: Alan Morrison & Andrea Price
1. Amersham (Paul Fisher)*
2. Wantage Silver (Chris King)*
3. Stannington Brass (Sam Fisher)*
4. Ashton-under-Lyne (Martyn Evans)*
5. Thundersley Brass (Melvin White)
6. Dalmellington (Andrew Duncan)
7. Elland Silver (Brett Baker)
8. Pemberton Old Wigan DW (Ryan Watkins)
9. Unite the Union (Jonathan Beatty)
10. Shepherd Group (Richard Wilton)
11. City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) (Christopher Bond)
12. Kingdom Brass (Thomas Wyss)
13. Derwent Brass (Jack Capstaff)
14. Tylorstown (Robert Westacott)
15. Kirkintilloch (Hedley Benson)
16. Verwood Concert (Kevin Smith)
17. Acceler8 (Jef Sparkes)**
18. Boarshurst Silver (Jamie Prophet)**
19. Brass Band of Central England (Steve Cooper)**
20. Roche Brass (Keith Maxwell)**
*Promoted to the Grand Shield
**Relegated to the Senior Trophy
Best Instrumentalist: Principal cornet — Dalmellington
Senior Trophy
Test Piece: Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Peter Graham)
Adjudicators: Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale & John Doyle
1. Ebbw Valley Brass (Gareth Ritter)*
2. Newtongrange Silver (Anne Crookston)*
3. Haverhill Silver (Paul Filby)*
4. Marsden Silver (Andrew Lofthouse)*
5. Tongwynlais Temperance (Owen Farr)
6. Roberts Bakery (Mike Jones)
7. Pontardulais Town (Matthew Jenkins)
8. Enderby (Gareth Brindle)
9. Eccles Borough (Mareika Gray)
10. East London Brass (Jayne Murrill)
11. Blackburn & Darwen (Daniel Thomas)
12. Woodfalls (Paul Holland)
13. Longridge (Mark Peacock)
14. Parc & Dare (Dewi Griffiths)
15. Yorkshire Imperial (Garry Hallas)
16. Unison Kinneil (Raymond Tennant)
17. Easington Colliery (Michael Fowles)
*Promoted to Senior Cup
Best Instrumentalist: Solo trombone — Ebbw Valley Brass
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