A cold blustery day in Cornwall did not deter the bands who played in this unique open air contest last Saturday.
Clothes pegs
A heavy shower just before they set off on the march through the Bugle village to the contest field was happily the last of the day, though a large application of clothes pegs to the music on the Bandstand proved essential to combat the gusty wind.
William Relton, making his fifth appearance at the Festival, praised all the bands for the high standard of performance they achieved and was particularly impressed with the four bands in the Training Section, which he adjudicated in the open, praising the organisers for giving the very young players the chance to perform in public.
Hat trick
Camborne Town, conducted by Kevin Mackenzie, captured the famous Royal Trophy for the third year in a row by winning the Championship Section. The band’s soloists took the majority of the individual awards for their contribution towards their winning performance of ‘Carnival Overture’.
Forest victory
Foresters Brass 2000, visiting the Festival from Leicestershire, was victorious in the First Section, with a revived Bodmin Town, under Gary Lannie, taking first place in the Second Section.
Redruth Town were the sole entry in the Third Section, with Liskeard Silver, another band that has been making great strides recently, coming out top of the four contenders in the Fourth Section.
Youth
There was just one entry in the Youth Section, Mount Charles, whilst Launceston Town Training Band won the Training Section for the second year running.
In a spontaneous gesture of affection and respect, after the last band had played in the Festival, numerous bandsman gathered together to play his piece, 'A Special Place' in his honourPhilip Hunt
Musical honour
During the day information had been received that the Cornish composer, Goff Richards, was gravely ill at his home in Cheshire.
In a spontaneous gesture of affection and respect, after the last band had played in the Festival, numerous bandsman gathered together to play his piece, ‘A Special Place’ in his honour.
Written by Goff to raise funds for The Children’s Hospice South West and conducted by the Festival Chairman, Leonard Adams, the performance was relayed to his bedside by mobile phone.
Philip Hunt
Results:
Adjudicator: William Relton
Championship Section:
Test Piece — Carnival Overture (Dvorak)
1. Camborne Town (Kevin Mackenzie) – 93
2. St Dennis (Darren R Hawken) – 92
3. Mount Charles (John Maines) – 90
4. Foresters Brass 2000 (Peter Collins) — 87
Hymn Tune:
Ave Verum, Mozart arr. A H Jakeway
1. Mount Charles (John Maines) – 96
2. St Dennis (Darren R Hawken) – 93
3. Camborne Town (Kevin Mackenzie) – 92
4. Foresters Brass 2000 (Peter Collins) — 90
Best Player Award: Kayleigh Mitchell (Cornet) — Camborne
First Section:
Test Piece – Peniel (Eric Ball)
1. Foresters Brass 2000 (Peter Collins) – 82
2. Camborne Brass (Alan Pope) – 79
3. Rogerstone (James Jones) — 77
March:
The President (William German)
1. Foresters Brass 2000 (Peter Collins) – 88
2. Camborne Brass (Alan Pope) – 86
3. Rogerstone (James Jones) – 85
Best Player Award: Lucas Wong (Euphonium) — Foresters Brass 2000
Second Section:
Test Piece: The Dark Side of The Moon (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)
1. Bodmin Town (Garry Lannie) – 92
2. Bugle Silver (Jeremy Willcock) – 90
3. Heyl Town (David Loukes) – 88
4. St Stythians (James Burns) — 87
March:
Cornish Cavalier (W E Moyle)
1. Bugle Silver (Jeremy Willcock) – 88
2. Bodmin Town (Garry Lannie) – 86
3. Heyl Town (David Loukes) – 82
4. St Stythians (James Burns) — 80
Best Player Award: Laura Matthews (Cornet) — Heyl
Third Section:
Test Piece: Three Memories for Brass (William Relton)
1. Redruth Town (Norman Johns) –74
Best Player Award: Ieuan Harries (Trombone)
Fourth Section:
Test Piece: The Prizewinners (Philip Sparke)
1. Liskeard Silver (Gerard Morgan) – 80
2. Okehampton Excelsior (Richard Beardon) – 79
3. Launceston Town (Adrian Harvey) – 77
4. Tiverton Town (Gilly Taylor) — 76
Best Player Award: Adrian Letts (Euphonium) — Liskeard
Youth Section:
Test Piece: Voices of Youth (Edward Gregson)
1. Mount Charles Youth (Jeremy Willcock) — 92
Awards:
Best Players Awards:
Best Player: Rachel Crabb, Euphonium
Best Cornet: Stephanie Wilkins
E J Williams Memorial Trophy to the Winning Conductor: Jeremy Willcock.
Training Section:
Test Piece: 10 minutes own choice
1. Launceston Town (Ann Brown) – 90
2. Plymouth Soundhouse Junior (Emma Heard) – 88
3. St Austell Juniors (David Loukes) – 87
4. Lostwithiel Junior (Jane Whitehead) — 86
Best Player Awards:
Best Player: Beth Every (Trombone) Launceston
Best Cornet: Kirsty Heard (Plymouth Soundhouse Junior)
Special Awards: Open to all Sections.
Best Soprano: Les Kneebone (Camborne)
Best Solo Cornet: Kayleigh Mitchell (Camborne)
Best Euphonium: Robert Jose (Camborne)
Best Solo Horn: Sarah Whitehead (Mount Charles)
Best Set of Basses: Foresters Brass 2000
AR Trudgian Youth Awards:
Yasmin Stevens (St Austell)
Dominic Turner (Camborne Brass)
Deportment Class:
1. Bugle Silver
2. Okehampton Excelsior