Second Section A.W. Parker (Drybrook) Band ended their 2014 contest season on a historic high by winning both the Wessex Open BBA Championship and the Gloucestershire BBA contests on the same weekend recently.

Ambitious choice

Having enjoyed attending the Wessex event last year, the band was keen to make their mark this time around against higher ranked and graded opposition — and ambitiously chose ‘Cloudcatcher Fells’ in their bid to claim the overall title under MD Joshua Ruck.

And with a performance described by adjudicator, Paul Holland, as being, ‘…a clear two points ahead’, they did just that, taking the scalps of a number of Championship Section rivals in the process.

Awards

The band also scooped awards for being the highest placed Second Section band and for giving the best performance of a march by a lower section band, thanks to their rousing rendition of Kenneth Alford’s ‘Army of the Nile’.

Their tuba team of Nigel Galliot, Andy Shepherd, Tom James and Hayley Hymans added the ‘Best Bass Section’ prize, whilst there was also an award for MD Joshua Ruck, for giving the ‘Best Musical Interpretation’ of the day.

Couldn't be happier

Joshua told 4BR: “The band really did pull out all the stops and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

To have beaten off such stiff opposition at this stage of our development is beyond what I had anticipated in just our second year together.”

Top things off

However, to top things off, the following day the band competed closer to home at the Gloucestershire BBA event in Ross on Wye.

Following a reprise of ‘Cloudcatcher Fells’ and ‘Army of the Nile’, this time in a competition made up of Third and Second Section rivals, the band once again walked away with the award for the best performance of a test piece, although they were just beaten by fellow Forest of Dean band, Cinderford for the march honours.

To have beaten off such stiff opposition at this stage of our development is beyond what I had anticipated in just our second year togetherMD, Joshua Ruck

Looking forward

Soprano cornet, Tom King took home an individual award as the best soloist of the section, as did flugel, Steve Ruck, with the tuba team once more adding yet more silverware to their personal collection and the horn section doing likewise.

The band now look forward to taking further strides forward as they set their sights on the Second Section Regional Championships in March in Torquay.