The popular Doctor Martin Contest returns to Middlesbrough Town Hall on Sunday 15th September, when 11 bands compete for the Wainstones Cup and a hefty share of the large £8,000 prize pot.

Open

The contest is open to Championship and First Section bands who will all play an own choice march, solo item and championship standard test piece, to see if they can get their hands on the first prize of £4,000, courtesy of adjudicator John Doyle.

The generous prize fund will give the runner-up £2,000, £1,000 for third and £500 for fourth, together with £250 for the best march and solo prize winners.

Co-op head

The competing bands are headed by Co-operative Funeralcare, fresh from their podium finish at the British Open in Birmingham on Saturday, whilst Reg Vardy will want to put behind them their Open relegation as they look to successfully defend the title they won last year.

Strong challenge

There is a strong Yorkshire challenge in the form of Rothwell Temperance, Hammonds Saltaire, Unite the Union (City of Sheffield) and Yorkshire Imperial Urquhart Travel, with Blackburn & Darwen making the trip over the Pennines from the North West and Thoresby Colliery travelling up from the Midlands.

Meanwhile, local support is sure to be strong for Easington Colliery, Fishburn and GT Group Peterlee.

The competing bands are headed by Co-operative Funeralcare, fresh from their podium finish at the British Open in Birmingham on Saturday4BR

Music

Music being performed includes the marches, ‘Mephistopheles’, ‘Honest Toil’, ‘Keighley Moor’, ‘The President’, ‘The Wizard’, ‘French Military March’, ‘Roll Away Bet’ and ‘Knight Templar’, as well as the own choice selections of ‘Dances & Arias’, ‘Contest Music’, ‘St Magnus’, ‘Harmony Music’, ‘A Tale As Yet Untold’, ‘Arabian Nights’, ‘Titan’s Progress’ and ‘ Un Vie de Matelot’.

Top class soloists

There are also some top class soloists on show with selections such as, ‘Saturday Night is the Loneliest Night of the Week’, ‘Devils Duel’, ‘Flowerdale’, ‘Pandora’, ‘The Paragon’, ‘Neath Dublin Skies’, ‘Capriccio Brilliante’, ‘Finale from the Haydn Cello Concerto No 1’, ‘Song for Ina’, ‘Aria’ and ‘Be My Love’.

Get there and support

It all starts at 11.00am and tickets are £12 from the Town Hall Box Office with concessions £8, and under 16s free.