Lancashire Contests has announced the list of 39 competing bands and adjudicators for its ‘Brass at the Guild Hall’ event, which will take place at the Preston venue on Sunday 1st February.

Showcase

The competitors will have the opportunity to showcase either the set work for the forthcoming Area contests or the set test used at the recent Butlins Mineworkers Championship as they seek to get their hands on the generous £4,500 prize fund on offer.

David Horsfield will judge the Championship Section entrants, with Adrian Morris the man to impress in the First Section and Dave Lea comparing the entrants in the Second Section. Michael Fowles will consider the rival performances in the Third and Fourth Sections.

Open link

In addition, the highest placed band in the Championship Section, who is not already competing at the British Open Spring Festival, will gain an automatic invitation to compete in the Senior Trophy in Blackpool in May.

Meanwhile, the British Open ‘Youth at the Guild Festival’ contest will once again take place in the Charter Theatre, where the prestigious British Open Brass Band title is on offer with the kind permission of Karyn & Martin Mortimer.

The format for the contest is a 20 minute own choice programme plus a short set work by composer Adam Taylor, entitled, ‘Monteverdi — Three Miniatures'. Adam will adjudicate alongside Dave Lea.

Grateful support

A Lancashire Contests spokesperson told 4BR: “We are immensely grateful to Martin & Karyn Mortimer and to Brian Halliwell, proprietor of R. Banks & Son (Funerals Ltd), for their support of our event this year. We express our thanks to them for their invaluable help.”

New awards

They added: “Since the recent essential restructuring of Lancashire Contests events, we have also ensured that Brass at the Guild would continue the 60 year legacy of the Fleetwood Contest and the 30 year history of the Northern Open by retaining the awards and their dedicatee’s names.

However, the decision has been made to replace all these fragile trophies with new engraved glass ones for the winners to keep, so we are also asking that any families who donated the original trophies, and would like them to be returned, contact us as soon as possible.

Lancashire Contests looks forward to welcoming old and new friends to Preston on what is always an enjoyable day in the contesting year.”

Reminder

The organisers have also reminded bands that they must inform the contest organiser of their choice of test piece selection in advance of the contest day.

The organisers have also reminded bands that they must inform the contest organiser of their choice of test piece selection in advance of the contest day4BR

Championship Section:
The Guild Hall
Test Pieces: Facets of the Heart (Tom Davoren) or Symphonic Variations on a Theme by Eric Ball — The Torchbearer (Peter Graham)

Draw: 2.00pm prompt
Start: 3.00pm approx

Adjudicator: David Horsfield

First Prize: The Stanley Winter Trophy + £400
Second Prize: The Bob Kerwick Trophy + £200
Third Prize: The Squire Eccles Trophy + £150
The Elizabeth and Jack Mills Trophy to the Best Soloist
The Buster Porter Trophy to the Best Basses
The Michael Brooke Trophy to the Best Euphonium
The Stuart Pullin Trophy to the Winning MD

Blackburn & Darwen (Huw Thomas)
Blidworth Welfare (Martin Heartfield)
City of Bradford (Lee Skipsey)
Drighlington (Jim Davies)
Oldham (Lees) (John Collins)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW (Stig Maersk)
Rainford (Gareth Brindle)
Skelmanthorpe (Martin Hall)
South Yorkshire Police (Leigh Baker)
Wingates (Paul Andrews)
Yorkshire Imperial Urquart Travel (Stig Maersk)

First Section:
The Guild Hall
Test Pieces: Three English Folk Songs (Andrew Boysen Jnr arr. Mike Kilmartin) or A London Overture (Philip Sparke)

Draw: 11.30am prompt
Start: 12.45pm approx

Adjudicator: Adrian Morris

First Prize: The Carol Baker Trophy + £400
Second Prize: The Poulton W.J. Taylor Trophy + £200
Third Prize: The R. Rigby Trophy + £150
The Dorothy Southern Trophy to the Best Soloist
The Stan Cook Trophy to the Best Soprano
The Bill Singleton Trophy to the Best Basses
The Tony Brown Trophy to the Winning MD

Hade Edge (Jonathan Beatty)
Haslingden and Helmshore (David Holland)
Lindley (Jessica Tredrea)
Longridge (Mark Peacock)
Poulton-le-Fylde (D. Collins)

Second Section:
The Guild Hall
Test Pieces: Phoenix (David Holling) or Variations of Maccabeus (Kevin Norbury)

Pre Drawn
Start: 10.15am

Adjudicator: Dave Lea

First Prize: The James Ogden Trophy + £400
Second Prize: The Alan Singleton Trophy + £200
Third Prize: The Norman Wilson Trophy + £150
The Don Redfern Trophy to the Best Soloist
The Peter Harrison Trophy to the Best Basses
The George Atherton Trophy to the Winning MD

Besses Boys (James Holt)
Dunaskin Doon (Garry Williams)
Farnworth & Walkden (Peter Ashley)
Haydock (Mark Quinn)
Pemberton Old Wigan ‘B’ (Peter Ashley)
Tyldesley (Robert Taylor)
Uppermill (Alan Widdop)

Third Section:
The Charter Theatre
Test Pieces: Woodland Pictures (Percy Fletcher arr. Nigel Hall) or Evolution—Five States of Change (Philip Sparke)

Pre Drawn
Start: 12.30pm approx

Adjudicator: Michael Fowles

First Prize: The Alan Mason Trophy + £400
Second Prize: The Graham Williams Trophy + £200
Third Prize: The Tommy Lyon Trophy+ £150
The Bill Lyon Trophy to the Best Soloist
The Phil Roughley Trophy to the Best Percussion
The Sarah Gardner Trophy to the Best Horn
The Tom Wall Junior Trophy to the Best Trombone
The George Heyes Trophy to the Best Basses
The Ken Lawton Trophy to the Winning MD

Blackpool Brass (John Pearson)
Eagley (Matthew Ryan)
Greenalls (Philip Boardman)
Littleborough Brass (Adrian Woodhead)
Lostock Hall Memorial (Brian Harper)
Pilling Jubilee Silver (Len Charnock)
Rivington & Adlington (Malcolm Wilson)

Fourth Section:
Charter Theatre
Test Pieces: Five French Masters (Chris North) or An English Pastorale (Dean Jones)

Pre-Drawn
Start: 10.00am prompt

Adjudicator: Michael Fowles

First Prize: The Pamela Baxendale Trophy + £400
Second Prize: The Ronnie Lindsay Trophy + £200
Third Prize: The Mike Hughes Trophy + £150
The Harold Thompson Trophy to the Best Soloist
The Rachel Holland Trophy to the Best Euphonium
The Gordon McPhee Trophy to the Best Basses
The James Ogden Scholarship to the Youngest Player
The Harry Bentham Trophy to the Winning MD

Audley Brass (Tom Hancock)
Blackley (Daniel Price)
Oughtibridge Brass (Gavin Somerset)
Rode Hall Silver (Nigel Butler)
Skelmersdale (David Chapman)
Tarleton (Gillian Bould)

The 2015 British Open Youth at the Guild Festival:
Charter Theatre
Test Piece: Monteverdi — Three Miniatures (Adam Taylor) and own choice programme

Pre-Drawn
Start: 3.00pm approx

Adjudicators: Dave Lea & Adam Taylor

First Prize: The Stanley Wainwright Trophy + £400
Second Prize: The Orrell Youth Trophy + £200
Third Prize: The Crook & Heaps Trophy + £150
The Bill Sherwood Trophy to the Best Soloist
The British Open Trophy for the Best Performance of the set piece
The Arthur Gillon Trophy to the Youngest Player
The Squire Eccles Scholarship to the Best Tenor Horn
The Tom Wall Senior Trophy to the secretary of the winning band
The British Open Trophy to the Winning MD

Pemberton Old Wigan DW Youth (Jon Don-Duncan)
Stockport Schools Brass (Tim Dines)
Youth Brass 2000 (Chris Jeans)

Further details:

Further details and enquires should be addressed to:

Frank Hodges
39, Broxton Avenue
Orrell
Wigan
WN5 8NP

Tel: 01942 212418
Email: frankhodges@btinternet.com

Further information on Lancashire Contests can be found at:
http:/-/-www.lancashirecontests.com/