Fair trade competition comes to Milton Keynes

The ethos of fair banding on a level playing field will be on show at Milton Keynes next weekend — and plenty want to be a part of it.

Friday, 20 November 2015

The Stantonbury Theatre in Milton Keynes will play host to one of the most welcoming brass band events of the year next weekend as 20 bands take to the stage for a full day of high quality, relaxed contesting.

Organised by well known conductor Jeremy Wise it offers bands the opportunity to perform in a festival atmosphere — with no registration rules to adhere to — only a sense of fair play and a level playing field.

10 A bands

The ten bands in the A Section contest will be asked to perform a 'starter' piece, followed by a solo and an own choice test piece. These will feature selections as diverse as 'Breath of Souls', 'Of Distant Memories', 'Essence of Time', 'Isaiah 40', 'Salute to Youth' and 'Pageantry' amongst others to try and tickle the fancy of adjudicators and top-flight band conductors, Richard Ward and Adam Cooke.

The ten bands in the B Section will play their own-choice test piece to impress judges Paul Fensom and John Ward.

Kick off

It all kicks off at 10.30am at Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes, MK14 6BN and tickets are just £5.00 for the whole day!

Festival

Jeremy told 4BR: "We had a great response last year so we have decided to again make the event a 'band festival'. We have been over-subscribed once more — and with no registration requirements or prize money, bands can embrace the ethos of the day. It's about competitive musical enjoyment — not narrow minded musical competition."

He added: "However, there are prizes to take home thanks to the generous sponsorship by The Clinical Trial Company owned by Ewan Campbell who was a former colleague of mine at Oxford Concert Brass in the 1980's."

We have been over-subscribed once more — and with no registration requirements or prize money, bands can embrace the ethos of the dayJeremy Wise

Competing bands:

Section A:
Ipswich & Norwich Co-op
Redbridge (defending champions)
Aveley & Newham
Thundersley
City of Coventry
Becontree
Littleport
Shepherd Group
Horsham
Gresley Colliery

Section B:
Soham Comrades
Wantage B
Towcester Studio
Amersham
Olney Brass
Burbage Silver
Bradwell Silver
Brighton & Hove
Regent Community

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