Report & Results: 2015 NEMBBA Entertainment

Hat-trick gives Shirebrook Miners Welfare (Unison) Band contest boost before Bolsover Festival of Brass.

Sunday, 27 September 2015

The Shirebrook Miners Welfare (Unison) Band has enjoyed a great boost of contesting confidence ahead of their appearance in the First Section of the Bolsover Festival of Brass next weekend, by winning the 57th North East Derbyshire District Council 57th Entertainment contest.

Hat-trick

Under the baton of MD Mark Wilcockson they took the £400 first prize and T. H. Hallsworth Challenge Trophy to make it a hat-trick of wins at the popular invitation entertainment event, defeating local rivals Dronfield (Genquip) and Matlock.

Shirebrook caught the ear of adjudicator Mike Kilroy as they opened their 25 minute concert programme with the upbeat 'Valero', before principal cornet Neil Escott delivered an excellent rendition of 'Stars' from the West-end show 'Les Miserables'.

Finale

Musical contrast was shown with the choreographed cornet feature 'Yesterday' and the fun and games of 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' — complete with audience participation, before they rounded things off with the flugel and trombone showcase, 'You are the Sunshine of My Life' and the 'Finale' from 'Faust'.

"The band played really well and Mike Kilroy was very complimentary about our playing and presentation,"Band spokesperson Ruth Cartlidge told 4BR.

"We have been working on our programmes for this contest and Bolsover for some time, so to win here gives us a great deal of confidence as we head to Bolsover next weekend."

Good quality

The invitation contest once again attracted a large and enthusiastic audience with a wide variety of good quality music on show from all three bands — something picked up on by Mike in his pre-results remarks. Matlock's tenor horn soloist Jane Baldwin deservedly claimed the 'Best Soloist' award.

The band played really well and Mike Kilroy was very complimentary about our playing and presentationBand spokesperson Ruth Cartlidge

Result:
Adjudicator: Mike Kilroy

1. Shirebrook Miners Welfare (Unison) (Mark Wilkcockson)
2. Dronfield (Genquip) (Simon Kerwin)
3. Matlock Band (Geoff Hawley)

Best Soloist: Jane Baldwin (Matlock Band)

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