Results:

2025 Champions: Youth Brass 2000

Winning smiles from Youth Brass 2000

The winners: Youth Brass 2000

Runner-up: Wardle Academy

Third place: Elland Silver Youth

Best Soloist: Darcie Dewhurst of Lancashire Youth Brass

Championship Section:

Adjudicators: Ashley Dixon; Chris Houlding

1. Youth Brass 2000 (Chris Jeans) (Gold)
2. Wardle Academy (Bradley McCulloch) Gold)
3. Elland Silver Youth Brass Band (Samantha Harrison) (Gold)

Best Soloist: Darcie Dewhurst (cornet) — Lancashire Youth Brass Band

Gold Awards:
Lancashire Youth Brass Band (Helen Minshall)
Lions Youth Brass (Ian Raisbeck)

Silver Awards:
Grimethorpe North of England Youth (Jamie Cooper)
Macclesfield Youth Brass Band (Louise Renshaw)
Northampton County Youth Brass Band (Iain McKnight)
Oldham Music Centre Youth Brass Band (Jonathan Leedale)
Tewit Youth Senior Band (Martin Hall)

Bronze Awards:
Dobcross Youth Brass Band (James Atkins)
Amersham Youth Band (Ash Horton)

2025 Champions: Shepherd Youth Band

Winners: Shepherd Youth Band

The new Champion: Shepherd Youth Band

Runner-up: Pembrokeshire Music Service for Youth

Third place: St Austell Youth

Best Soloist: Carys Wood of Pembrokeshire Music Service for Youth

Yamaha Performance Section:

Adjudicators: Jamie Smith; Thomas Dunne; Alan Duguid

1. Shepherd Youth Band (Craig Brown) (Gold)
2. Pembrokeshire Music Service Youth Brass Band (Ian Wilkinson) (Gold)
3. St Austell Youth (Anna Minear) (Gold)

Best Soloist: Carys Wood (cornet) — Pembrokeshire Music Service Youth Brass Band

Gold Awards:
Astley Youth Band (Toby Hobson)
Elland Silver Training Band (Samantha Harrison)
Fred Longworth High School Brass Band (Helen Robinson)
Kirkbymoorside Youth Band St Helen's Youth Band (Jeanette Hall)
St. Helens Youth Band (Jay Hall)

Silver Awards:
Horbury Victoria Youth Band (Michael Dodd)
Northampton County Training Band (Iain McKnight)
Egham Youth Band (James Begg)
English Martyrs' Senior Brass Band (Gary Perrin)
Enderby Youth Band (Samantha McClumpha)

Bronze Awards:
Barnet Youth Brass Band (Peter Yarde Martin)
Delph Youth Brass Band (Matt Simpson)
Dobcross Youth Training Band (Steve Beardmore)
Lions Academy Band (Peter McDonough)
Wardle Junior Blast (Lee Rigg)

Merit Awards:
Firth Park Academy and Sheffield Music Hub Brass Band (Andy Harris)
Tewit Youth Intermediate Band (Joe Fearnley)
Nicholas CoE Primary School Band (Chris Binns)

A new champion?

The title honours in this Championship Section have been shared between defending champion Wardle Academy and multiple winners Youth Brass 2000 ever since the event was revised.

They will certainly be in the mix come the results for once more, but it has been good to hear the growing depth of quality from the other contenders.

Chief amongst them has been, Tewit Youth (above), Lions Youth and Elland Silver Youth (below) — all of whom are waiting for a first title success at this level.

They could very well be in with a great shout today after neatly judged showcase programmes under MDs Martin Hall, Ian Raisbeck and Samantha Harrison.

We will have to wait and see, but they are now no longer bands just catching the coat tails of Wardle and Youth Brass 2000. All this and there was also plenty to enjoy with the rest of the contenders — from Dobcross Youth through to Grimethorpe North of England Youth.

Battle for the honours

The pre-contest favourites have certainly lived up to their reputations here with a trio of imposing performances from Youth Brass 2000, Wardle Academy and Lions Youth — and there is still the likes of Tewit Youth, Elland Silver and Grimethorpe North of England Youth still to come.

All the bands have played with bravura confidence (especially the fine soloists) and excitement — although the lively acoustic has meant dynamic cohesion has been somewhat lost in the Hogwart's architecture. It's a boomy old place.

Championship Section:

The serious contesting business of the day is being played out in the main hall with 12 bands hoping to catch the ears of judges Ashley Dixon and Chris Houlding.

The standard here is very high with the bands all having to feature the set-work, 'Fanfares, Songs and Dances' by Philip Sparke in their programmes.

The work is a joint Anglo/Dutch/Lithuanian commission, and having heard it at the Dutch National Championships late last year it is a 10 minute work full of trademark Sparke craftsmanship, lyrical lines and rhythmic pulse.

There have already been a few bands that have made their impressive mark with their playing, with a second half that includes former multiple champion Youth Brass 2000, defending champion Wardle Academy, and consistent title challengers in Lions Youth and Elland Silver all to play, the trophy (above) is really up for grabs.

Martyrs to a great cause...

There has been a great deal to enjoy with the bands in the Performance Section — with the wonderfully named English Martyrs' Senior Brass Band from Leicester the latest.

They were conducted by Gary Perrin who has worked at the inclusive Catholic public school for the past five years where students are encouraged to develop their own talents and help others to succeed with the school motto: 'May they all be One'. (John 17).

He has now developed the band so that it now close to full strength from just a handful of pupils playing, with more in the pipeline.

They certainly lived up to their motto with a super trombone soloist (centre) playing 'Misty' from memory, and a great arrangement of their school hymn based, as well as 'Ticket to Ride' and the march 'Slaidburn'.

They were all Martyrs to the best possible cause...

Yamaha Performance Section

The largest section of competition today sees 20 bands taking part in the Performance Section.

The aim is to give youngsters an introductory experience in competition performance. The bands are able to showcase their talents on their own selection of music with the aim to promote flexible teaching and suitable repertoire.

Prizes are allocated to the first three bands in order of merit plus a 'Best Soloist'.

There has certainly been plenty of variety and well chosen selections of music for the adjudication trio of Alan Duguid, Jamie Smith and Thomas Dunne to compare and contrast.

It's a bit of a marathon section — and we are only on band 9 at present, with hopes that the results will be announced around 8.30pm.

Lots to enjoy so far though with what appears to be half the population of Egham in the hall to support their talented young players.

The interestingly named English Martyrs' Senior Brass Band up next...

Besson Prodige Showcase presentations

Presentations were made to each of the bands that took part in the non-competitive section.

Warren Wood Primary School

City of Hull Youth Band

Maybury Primary School

Tewit Youth Junior Band

Besses Boys Training Band

Egham Training Band

Spennymoor Youth Band

A fantastic morning...

Both judges in the Besson Prodige Showcase Section emphasised just how much they had enjoyed both listening and watching the young performers in action.

Zoe Wright said that she used the word "super" so many times to describe the playing on show — and said that every player "should be proud of themselves".

Praise too for the "passionate" conductors who inspired their players and ensured everyone had a smile on their face.

Sam Wyne echoed her remarks, adding that he felt it was the right idea to keep this foundation level non-competitive, as had it have been, he wouldn't have known who to pick such was the great playing on show.

He also praised the quality of the presentation — from the smart waistcoats and polo shirts to the way the players showed so much communal pride in each others efforts.

The variety of music on show was great too he said — and you couldn't disagree as we heard everything from Elvis to Beethoven, ABBA to Dvorak.

Egham excellence

The final ensemble of what has been a great morning of uplifting brass band playing has come from Egham Training Band conducted by Hannah Griffin.

The organisation is based just outside Windsor and has taken a proactive role in reaching out into their community — with these youngsters coming from a trio of local primary schools.

The band goes into the schools each week to provide tuition and then provides a safe, inclusive environment for the youngsters to carry on their playing once a week at their base.

It's really working and the band now has three tiers — this great ensemble, a community band and its senior band.

Stars support next generation...

A number of today's conductors not surprisingly have brass band backgrounds, but it is always good to see current stars from our most famous, and busy bands, inspiring the next generation of players.

Jonathan Bates and Garry Curtin have played on some of the most iconic concert hall stages in the world, but here they were, one with the baton, the other with his euph, helping the youngsters from Warren Wood Primary School in Stockport in their performance.

The duo work at the school three days a week between them and have increased the number of players from four to a full band with even more now wanting to join the fun.

The smiles told the story about just how much they enjoyed the experience (Jonny and Gary too!)