The band is celebrating a great start to the 2015 contesting year with a win at the annual Brass Band League NI entertainments competition which was held in the Valley Hotel, Fivemiletown on Saturday 7th March. A packed hall watched and listened to the band’s winning performance. This impressive win, with a maximum of 20 points – being top in both music and entertainment, means that the band have won this contest for the 4th year running. The band also won the section’s Most Entertaining Band prize.
The adjudicator this year was Mr Jonathan Corry.
The music played by the band was:
Caravan – Duke Ellington/Juan Tizol arr. Steve Sykes
Live & Let Die – Paul & Linda McCartney arr. Ray Farr – Soloist: Peter Arthurs (soprano cornet)
The New Colonial – R B Hall
Liszteria – Franz Liszt arr. Sandy Smith – Soloists: Matt Brown & David Hawthorne (xylophone)
Climb Ev’ry Mountain – Rogers and Hammerstein arr. Philip Harper
We would like to thank Amanda Cooke who guested on Principal Trombone today for her outstanding work at such short notice and to Philip McCurrie for his excellent assistance on 1st Horn.
Congratulations also to the 1st Old Boys Association Silver Band, Dungannon Silver Band and Maguiresbridge Silver Band who won in their respective sections and to all the other winning soloists.
Full results of the day were as follows:
Total Points (music points, Entertainment points) N.B. In the event of tied points, precedence will be given to the band with the highest music points.
Fourth Section
1st: Maguiresbridge Silver Band – 20 points (10,10)
2nd: Letterbreen Silver Band – 17 points (9,8)
Dynamic Brass – 17 points (8,9)
Warrenpoint Silver Band – 14 points (7,7)
Poyntzpass Silver Band – 12 points (6,6)
Entertainment Prize: Maguiresbridge Silver Band
Best March: Maguiresbridge Silver Band (Gruss An Thuringen)
Best Soloist: Rodney McCabe, Flugel Horn (Warrenpoint Silver Band) – Meeting of the Waters
Third Section
1st: Dungannon Silver Band – 20 points (10,10)
2nd: Comber Silver Band – 18 points (9,9)
St. Mark’s Silver Band – 16 points (8,8)
Wellington Memorial Silver Band – 14 points (7,7)
Entertainment Prize: Dungannon Silver Band
Best March: Wellington Memorial Silver Band (Our Director)
Best Soloist: Amy Eakin, vocalist (St. Mark’s Silver Band) – Hine e Hine
Second Section
1st: Third Carrickfergus Band – 20 points (10,10)
2nd: Roughan Silver Band – 17 points (9,8)
Ballyduff Silver Band – 17 points (8,9)
CWA Brass – 14 points (7,7)
Entertainment Prize: Third Carrickfergus Band
Best March: Roughan Silver Band (Cornish Cavalier)
Best Soloist: Vicky McAree, euphonium (Roughan Silver Band) – Whirlwind
Championship Section
1st: 1st Old Boys Association Silver Band – 20 points (10, 10)
2nd: Murley Silver Band – 16 points (9,7)
Downshire Brass – 16 points (8,8)
Laganvale (Metal Technology) Band – 16 points (7,9)
Entertainment Prize: 1st Old Boys Association Silver Band
Best March: Downshire Brass (Blaze Away)
Best Soloist: Brendan Coyle, trombone (Downshire Brass) – Feeling Good