The 65th South West Brass Band Association Contest will be held on Saturday 5th November at The Riviera International Conference Centre, Torquay.

Popular event

The popular event will commence at 9.30am, where a host of bands will have to impress adjudicators Peter Bassano and Brian Minear.

The Association has also reported that 38 bands will compete in seven sections this year with bands taking the opportunity to lock horns from Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Hampshire and beyond.

Numbers are up again this year and it is especially pleasing to see three youth bands and five training bands taking partSWBBA spokesperson

Numbers up

A spokesperson told 4BR: "Numbers are up again this year and it is especially pleasing to see three youth bands and five training bands taking part."

The Championships will conclude with a short concert presented by the Mount Charles Youth Band, conducted by Jeremy Willcock, as a tribute to Dr Goff Richards, the former President of the Association who died earlier this year. His widow Sue will be the Association’s guest of honour and will present the prizes to the winning bands.

Proud

The spokesperson added: "The Championships offer no monetary awards, which dispels the cry from some quarters for more and bigger prize money, and we are extremely proud that our member and guest bands continue to show such loyalty to the Association."