The final line up of bands that will compete at the 2015 Butlins Mineworkers Festival in Skegness on the weekend of 17th/18th January has been announced.

In the Championship Section, title holders Flowers will be looking to kick-start what they hope will be yet another memorable contesting year by claiming the £10,000 first prize for the fourth time in five years, as they head to Skegness as favourites to lift the imposing Warwick Vase Trophy once again.

Nine top section bands

There are only nine bands in the top section this year (down from 14 last time out), although there is sure to be a strong challenge from the likes of 2013 champion Virtuosi GUS, and last year’s third placed finisher East Yorkshire Motor Services amongst others.

The Championship set work is Tom Davoren’s engaging ‘Facets of the Heart’, which will be judged by Stephen Roberts and Michael Fowles, although bands will have to couple their musical emotions with their entertainment spirit if they are to claim part of the generous prize fund once again on offer.

Sunday’s entertainment discipline sees Stephen Roberts joined by the fantastic trumpet playing, Brass Band of Central Florida MD, Chad Shoopman.

First Section

In the First Section, a strong line up of 19 bands will battle for the £2,000 top prize on Mike Kilmartin’s warm hearted arrangement of Andrew Boyson’s ‘Three Folk Song Settings for Band’, which is dedicated to his great friend, the late Graham O’Connor.

There will be a new champion this year as Sandhurst Silver does not return to defend its title, but with the likes of former winner Becontree Brass and four times Second Section champion Mossley making the step up alongside welcome American visitors Oakland University Brass, there should be plenty of great action for Steve Sykes and Chad Shoopman to enjoy at Reds.

Second Section

David Holling’s exciting test piece, ‘Phoenix’ is a stern test in the Second Section at Lakeside, where the experienced duo of Alwyn Green and David Horsfield will have the task of separating out the 13 contenders.

With Mossley’s four year hegemony finally at a promotion led end, there will be a new name on the £2,000 winner’s cheque this year, with three of last year’s top six finishers in Eccles Borough, Pemberton Old Wingan DW B and Kippax back again in what looks like a well matched field of rivals.

Third Section

There is also strong looking line up of 18 contenders for Kevin Wadsworth and Mark Walters to compare and contrast in the Third Section on Nigel Hall’s neat arrangement of the little known 1920 Percy Fletcher light orchestral work, ‘Woodland Pictures’.

With the likes of reigning champion BMP Europe Goodshaw up against 2012 & 2013 winner Boarshurst Silver, promoted Fourth Section champion Ifton Colliery , as well as a host of other bands that enjoy their Skeggy trip, it should be a contest to savour for the £2,000 first prize.

Fourth Section

There will be a whiff of Gallic French impressionism in the air in the Fourth Section as a dozen keen ‘Europhile’ bands tackle Chris North’s uplifting ‘Five French Masters’ — from Pissaro and Cezanne to Monet, Renior and Toulouse-Lautrec.

With 2014 champion Ifton Colliery battling it out in the Third Section this year, a new champion will be crowned if they can gain a resounding ‘Oui!’ from the judges David Ashworth and John Doyle.

Junior Ensemble & Youth Section

Butlins excellent support of the grass roots of contesting once again sees generous prizes on offer in Reds on Sunday afternoon.

Youth Brass 2000 will be looking to make it seven in a row in the Youth Section and to retain their iron grip on the Keith Wardle Trophy, although they are sure to come under a great deal of pressure from three cracking rivals.

Meanwhile, Wardle Junior will be looking to retain its title in the Junior Ensemble class, although they too will be pushed all the way by a trio of fabulous rivals.

Make sure you get along to have a listen – it’s the best entertainment you are likely to hear all weekend.

A full preview and the usual 4BR ‘kiss of death’ predictions will be made in the next few days.

There will be a whiff of Gallic French impressionism in the air in the Fourth Section as a dozen keen ‘Europhile’ bands tackle Chris North’s uplifting ‘Five French Masters’4BR

Championship Section

Venue: Centre Stage
Saturday Draw: 12 noon
Commence (Saturday): At conclusion of Fourth Section

Test Piece: Facets of the Heart (Tom Davoren)
Adjudicators: Stephen Roberts & Michael Fowles

Sunday Draw: Made on Saturday evening
Commence: 11.00am

Adjudicators: Stephen Roberts & Chad Shoopman

Aveley & Newham (Richard Ward)
East Yorkshire Motor Services (Alan Morrison)
Flowers (Paul Holland)
Friary Guildford (Chris King)
Redbridge Brass (Alan Duguid)
Thoresby Colliery (Leigh Baker)
Virtuosi GUS (Adam Cooke)
Wantage A (Phillip Bailey)
Woodfalls (Paul Lovatt-Cooper)

First Section

Venue: Reds
Draw: 9.00am
Commence: 10.00am

Test Piece: Three Folk Song Settings for Brass Band (Andrew Boysen Jnr. arr Mike Kilmartin)
Adjudicators: Steve Sykes & Chad Shoopman

Becontree Brass (Nigel Taken)
City of Coventry (Stephen Cooper)
Diggle (Alan Wycherley)
Enderby (Simon Jones)
Fulham Brass (John Ward)
Gresley Colliery (Simon Jones)
Harborough (Chris Groom))
Haverhill Silver (Mark Ager)
Hebden Bridge (Trevor Halliwell)
Ipswich & Norwich Co-op (Ian Johnson)
Jackfield (Elcock Reisen) (Simon Platford)
Langley (Cliff Parker)
Leicester Co-operative SMW (Graham Jacklin)
Longridge (Mark Peacock)
Mossley (Duncan Byers)
Oakland University Brass (Kenneth Kroesche)
Shirebrook Miners Welfare (Mark Wilcockson)
Unite the Union (City of Sheffield) (David Hirst)
Whitworth Vale & Healey (John Binns)

Second Section

Venue: Lakeside
Draw: 8.50am
Commence: 11.00am

Test Piece: Phoenix (David Holling)
Adjudicators: Alwyn Green & David Horsfield

Amington (Bob Stradling)
Cawston (David Stowell)
Colchester (David Maddocks)
Dodworth Colliery MW (Eliot J Darwin)
Dronfield Genquip (Simon Kerwin)
Eccles Borough (Mareika Gray)
Emley Brass (Garry Hallas)
Haydock (Mark Quinn)
Ibstock Brick Brass (Simon Willis)
Kippax (Keiron Anderson)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW ‘B’ (Peter Ashley)
Rushden Town (JOhn HUdson)
Shirland Welfare (Lynden Cooper)
Tilbury (Andrew Austin)

Third Section

Venue: Royal Arthur Suite
Draw: 8.40am
Commence: 10.30am

Test Piece: Woodland Pictures (Percy Fletcher arr Nigel Hall)
Adjudicators: Kevin Wadsworth & Mark Walters

BMP Goodshaw (Mike Cotter)
Boarshurst Silver (James Garlick)
Coppull & Standish (Matt Stringer)
Crofton Silver (Kevin Belcher)
Dodworth Colliery (M.W.) (Eliot J Darwin)
Dunston Silver (Steven Archer)
Foss Dyke (Simon Oates)
Golborne (Matthew Whitfield)
Great Yarmouth Brass (Colin Swaep)
Greenfield (Tom Haslam)
Hucknall & Linby (Paul Whyley)
Ifton Colliery (Wayne Ruston)
Kingsway Printers Cleethorpes (Steven Askew)
Maltby Miners Welfare (Terry Clifford)
Melton Band (Graham Sutton)
Old Hall Brass (John North)
Stamford Brass (Robert Prew)
Worsbrough Brass (John Roberts)

Fourth Section

Venue: Centre Stage
Draw: 8.30am
Commence: 9.30am

Test Piece: Five French Masters (Chris North)
Adjudicators: David Ashworth & John Doyle

Banovallum Brass (Steve Ingham)
Brighton & Hove City Brass (Matt Hackett)
East Coast Brass (Paul Speed)
Pleasley Colliery Welfare (Geof Benson)
Sale Brass (Joshua Hughes)
Sherwood Forest Brass (Christine Lippeatt)
Skelmerdale Prize (David Chapman)
Syston (Dennis Powell)
Thurcroft Welfare (Matthew Wright)
Whitwell Brass (Kevin Holdgate)
Woodbridge Excelsior (C J Lewos-Garnham)
Ynyshir (Gary Davies)

Junior Ensemble

Sunday 18th January
Venue: Reds
Draw: Pre-drawn
Commence: 12 noon

Programme of music not to exceed 10 minutes but must include a hymn tune
Adjudicator: John Doyle & Mark Walters

Shirland Training (Lynden Cooper)
Wardle Junior (Gwen Smith)
Wigston Enterprise (Pat Allsopp)
Youth Brass 1000 (Cathy Fountain)

Youth Section

Sunday 18th January
Venue: Reds
Draw: Pre-drawn
Commence: at the conclusion of the Junior Ensemble contest

Programme of music not to exceed 20 minutes but must include a march and a hymn tune
Adjudicator: John Doyle & Mark Walters

Enderby Youth (Trevor Hounsome)
Gresley Colliery Youth (Duncan Jackson)
Wardle High School Youth (Sean Conway)
Youth Brass 2000 (Chris Jeans)