Despite a lower than usual entry of competitors due to the late Easter Holiday this year, the Buxton Brass Band Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary in fine style with a wonderful day of music making (just one own choice work was repeated) in the heart of the famous Derbyshire Spa town.

Adjudicator Mike Kilroy, fresh from adjudicating at the Spring Festival in Blackpool certainly enjoyed the standard of playing the Fourth Section, which he described as ‘the best he had adjudicated’.

Ifton win Fourth

Ifton Welfare’s excellent winning performance of ‘Royal Parks’ under the baton of Wayne Ruston continued to show that the Butlins Champion will be one of the hot favourites at the National Finals in Cheltenham later this year.

They took home with them the £450 first prize and the Charles H Kitchen Trophy, as well as the prize for the best bass section.

Second place went to a fine rendition of ‘The Aeronauts’ by Formby under Louise Hough with Deepcar Brass in third playing ‘Oregon’ directed by Lindon Bolt.

Third Section Dinnington victory

Yorkshire Regional champion Dinnington Colliery also maintained their excellent start to the season as they claimed the Tarmac Trophy and £450 first prize in the Third Section off the number 1 draw.

Conducted by Jonathan Beatty, their classy rendition of ‘Between the Two Rivers’ enabled them to repel the strong challenge of Hawk Green (Marple) conducted by Neil Hewson, who reprised the Area test piece, ‘Partita for Band’.

Third place went to Stalybridge Old conducted by James Hunter who played ‘Labour & Love’, which also earned their euphonium duo the Barry Hindle Memorial Trophy as the best euphonium section.

Hazel Grove on top

David Horsfield also enjoyed his trip from Blackpool down to Buxton to judge the Second and Championship Section contests.

It was Hazel Grove under the baton of Nigel Beasley, who certainly impressed him the most, as they took the Second Section Octagon Catering Cup, the £450 first prize and the Geoff Milner Trophy for having the best cornet section.

Matlock eventually ended second with Royal Buckley Town making the trip over from Wales to end third.

Wonderful Whitworth

Although the joint Championship/First Section contest was hardest hit by the reduced numbers, the three bands taking part provided a fitting ending to a fine day of contesting.

Whitworth Vale & Healey conducted by John Binns delivered an outstanding performance of ‘Connotations’ to take the Brian Stead & Gordon Nelson Memorial Trophy plus the £450 first prize, whilst Andrew Baldwin of Blidworth Welfare took the best soloist award for his fine contribution to their performance of ‘Tallis Variations’.

Third place went to Bollington for their performance of ‘Triumphant Rhapsody’.

The final accolade of the day came when NWABBA President Malcolm Brownbill presented a new trophy dedicated to former President Roy Newsome on behalf of Muriel Newsome and her family, to the conductor of the winning top section band, John Binns.

Whitworth Vale & Healey conducted by John Binns delivered an outstanding performance of ‘Connotations’ to take the Brian Stead & Gordon Nelson Memorial Trophy plus the £450 first prize4BR

Results:

Championship/First Section:
Adjudicator: David Horsfield

1. Whitworth Vale & Healey (John Binns)
2. Blidworth Colliery Welfare (Martin Heartfield)
3. Bollington Brass (Peter Christian)

Best Soloist: Andrew Baldwin (Blidworth)
Highest Placed NWABBA Member Band: Whitworth Vale & Healey
Highest Placed First Section Band: Whitworth Vale & Healey

Second Section:
Adjudicator David Horsfield

1. Hazel Grove (Nigel Beasley)
2. Matlock (Andrew Denis)
3. Royal Buckley Town (Scott Lloyd)
4. Bakewell Silver (Roland Spence)

Best Cornet Section: Hazel Grove
Highest Placed NWABBA Member Band: Hazel Grove

Third Section:
Adjudicator: Mike Kilroy

1. Dinnington Colliery (Jonathan Beatty)
2. Hawk Green (Marple) (Neil Hewson)
3. Stalybridge Old (James Hunter)
4. Old Hall Brass (John North)
5. Greenalls (P. Boardman)
6. Blackpool Brass (Tariq Ahmed)

Best Euphonium Section: Stalybridge Old
Highest Placed NWABBA Member Band: Hawk Green (Marple)

Fourth Section:
Adjudicator: Mike Kilroy

1. Ifton Colliery Welfare (Wayne Rushton)
2. Formby (Louise Hough)
3. Deepcar Brass (Lindon Bolt)
4. Maltby Miners Welfare (Terry Clifford)
5. Fairfield (Buxton) (Charles Kitchen)
6. Greenfield (Tom Haslem)
7. Whaley Bridge (Matt Shaw)

Highest Placed NWABBA Member Band: Fairfield (Buxton)