Elland Silver Youth claimed their third Action Medical Research Youth Entertainment crown in spectacular style at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool on Sunday.

Charlie Chaplin

Under the direction of Samantha Harrison, their choreographed Charlie Chaplin themed programme, full of mature musicianship beyond the tender years of the young players, reclaimed the honour they last held in 2012 from a field of high class rivals.

Reigning champion Seindorf Beaumaris did everything they could to retain their grasp on the trophy, as they produced a substantive musical defence of their title, but it was Elland’s combination of second place for musical quality and first place for entertainment that eventually pipped the Welsh band’s hopes.

Third place went to the increasingly impressive Houghton Area Youth, with British Open Youth champion Youth Brass 2000 in fourth.

High class playing

With such high class playing on show from all of the eight contenders, Frank Renton and Barrie Chappell also had a difficult job in choosing the winners of the many individual awards, with Elland eventually adding the ‘Best March’, ‘Best Trombone Section’, ‘Best Euphonium’ and ‘Best Stage Deportment’ to their haul of silverware.

Pippa Scourse of Beaumaris once again thrilled the audience, this time with her sparkling rendition of ‘Hailstorm’ to take the ‘Outstanding Soloist’ prize, with the North Walians also claiming the prizes for ‘Best Soprano’ and ‘Best Basses’.

Entertaining Houghton

Meanwhile, Houghton Area Youth took home the prize for ‘Most Entertaining Item’ with their super rendition of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, with Egglescliffe School Brass gaining the award as the band with ‘Most Potential’.

However, Elland’s victory ensured the stage of the famous Winter Gardens Opera House was a fantastic sea of red as they excitedly gathered around their inspirational MD in their band hoodies to celebrate their success.

Cloud Nine

And even 24 hours later, MD, Samantha Harrison was still on cloud nine when 4BR caught up with her.

"What a fantastic achievement this is for the band,” she said. “This our third win in five years, but it’s undoubtedly one of our greatest achievements.

Beaumaris inspired everyone last year to improve standards. The young players have worked so hard in the past twelve months and have developed a mature sound — and that’s with five players on stage that made their contesting debuts.”

Brilliant band

Sam also congratulated Seindorf Beaumaris for coming top in the music category, — “...they are a brilliant band to listen to,” she said, before giving 4BR an insight into how their own Chaplin themed programme came about.

“'It was a very simple idea: A lonely chap joins a brass band and it changes his outlook on life. A lot of the choreography was inspired by his silent movies.”

Polished ease

The band opened with ‘One Voice’, before moving with polished ease through ‘Old Comrades’, ‘Puttin on the Ritz’, ‘I Feel Pretty’, ‘Smile’ and ‘I’m a Brass Band’ to close.

She added: “My players just love being in the band, and my thanks and congratulations go to them all for what they have achieved. They made it a very memorable day.”

BiC invitation

Victory now means Elland Silver Youth will receive an invitation to appear at the high profile Brass in Concert Championship weekend in November, whilst there is also a real possibility that they could also find themselves being featured on the iconic children's programme, Blue Peter.

Contest organiser, Gary Walczak confirmed to 4BR at the end of the competition that they had been approached by BBC programme about a possible feature on the winning band — although at the moment it is still a question of ‘watch this space’.

Adjudication praise

Adjudicators Frank Renton (music) and Barrie Chappell (entertainment) were full of praise for all the competing bands.

Frank also informed the audience that his written remarks were designed to be helpful and constructive to the conductors, before closing his comments by reminding those who lead and manage the bands that their main objective should always be first and foremost to instil a passion for music in their players.

So near for Beaumaris

Defending champion, Seindorf Beaumaris Youth opted for a programme based around their homeland and the Welsh diaspora of Patagonia in Argentina, with many of their arrangements coming from the band's MD, Gwyn Evans.

They opened with ‘Fanfare Patagonia’ before moving through ‘Castel Caerfilli’, ‘Hailstorm’, ‘Guide Me Oh!’ and the closing ‘Hireath Cofia ‘n Gwald’.

Despite being placed first in the music category, it was their placing of third on entertainment that meant they missed out on retaining the title by the narrowest of margins.

Best ever

Houghton Area Youth under Brian Adams made the journey back to the North East having secured their best ever result at the contest in finishing third.

The band's ‘party’ theme saw them finish fifth in the musical element and second on entertainment, thanks in no small part to the sparkling choreographed presentation, which encapsulated everything from a ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’ march, to a fizzing ‘Kongolela’ finale.

Youth Brass

Having participated in three contests over four weekends, Youth Brass 2000 had to be content with fourth overall, with a well delivered set under Chris Jeans, whilst Macclesfield Youth's 'Tyrolean' themed programme saw them achieve their highest placed finish of fifth, much to the delight of MD, Louise Renshaw.

The emerging talents of Wardle Academy Junior Band showed that they will be a band to fear in coming years as they ended sixth, with excellent performances from both Enderby Youth and the cracking youngsters of Egglescliffe School Brass Band filling the remaining places.

Recorded

Once again the contest was recorded and bands will be able to buy copies of their performance as well as highlights of yet another wonderful day of brass band entertainment.

Costing just £5 per DVD, further details are available at www.action.org.uk/youth_brass_band

Acknowledgement

Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Gary Walczak acknowledged the contribution of everybody involved in what continues to be a special contesting day in the banding calendar, with £1,300 being raised for Action Medical Research.

Although the late withdrawal of Rochdale Borough Youth, meant only eight contenders made it to the starting line, the contest continues to attract high quality, ambitious youth bands.

Feedback

However, Gary also told 4BR that his team would welcome constructive feedback through the appropriate channels to find out what they can do to make the event even more attractive to potential competitors.

Next year's contest will take place on Sunday 14th February.

A retrospective of the contest will appear on 4BR later this week

Malcolm Wood

What a fantastic achievement this is for the band. This our third win in five years, but it’s undoubtedly one of our greatest achievementsMD, Samantha Harrison

Results:

Adjudicators:
Frank Renton (Music)
Barrie Chappell (Entertainment)

Music/Entertainment = Total

1. Elland Silver Youth (Samantha Harrison): 2/1 = 3
2. Seindorf Beaumaris Youth Band (Gwyn M. Evans): 1/3 = 4
3. Houghton Area Youth Band (Brian Adams): 5/2 = 7
4. Youth Brass 2000 (Chris Jeans): 3/5 = 8
5. Macclesfield Youth Brass Band (Louise Renshaw): 4/6 = 10
6. Wardle Academy Junior Band (Gwen Smith): 8/4 = 12
7. Enderby Youth Band (Trevor Hounsome): 6/8 = 14*
8. Egglescliffe School Brass Band (Matthew Haworth): 7/7 = 14

*Music placing takes precedence in event of a tie

Outstanding Soloist: Pippa Scourse (cornet) — Seindorf Beaumaris
Most Entertaining Item: Singin’ in the Rain, (Houghton Area Youth)
Best March: Old Comrades (Elland Silver Youth)
Best Soprano: Seindorf Beaumaris Youth Band
Best Trombone Section: Elland Silver Youth
Best Basses: Seindorf Beaumaris Youth Band
Best Euphonium: Elland Silver Youth
Best Stage Deportment: Elland Silver Youth
Band with Most Potential: Egglescliffe School Brass
Winning Conductor: Samantha Harrison

withdrawn: Rochdale Borough Youth (Steve Walsh)

Programmes of Music

1. Egglescliffe School (Matthew Hall)

Sovsarama
Trailblaze
Tico, Tico
American Trilogy

2. Houghton Area Youth (Brian Adams)

March Teddy Bears Picnic
Moon River
Singin’ in the Rain
Summertime
The Bare Necessities
Kongolela

3. Elland Silver Youth (Samantha Harrison)

One Voice
Old Comrades
Puttin On the Ritz
I Feel Pretty
Smile
I’m a Brass Band

4. Wardle Academy (Gwen Smith)

Everybody
Raiders March
Londonderry Air
The Bare Necessities
Singin in the Rain
ABBA Gold
Rockin around the Clock

5. Macclesfield Youth (Louise Renshaw)

Berne Patrol
Alpine Samba
Edelweiss
Tryollean Sounds
The Cuckoo

6. Youth Brass 2000 (Chris Jeans)

Nightmare from Cry of the Celts
Monteverdi Three Miniatures
Virtuosity (Thomas Fountain)
The Cossack
Valero

7. Seindorf Beaumaris (Gywn Evans)

Fanfare Patagonia
Castel Caerffili
Hailstorm
Guide Me OH!
Hiraeth Cofia ‘n Gwald

8. Enderby Youth (Trevor Hounsome)

Ronde
Death or Glory
Be Thou My Vision
The Great Battle
Fortune, My Foe
Grand March from AIDA