The Wessex Brass Band Association Winter Contest recently took place at the Life Centre in Bournemouth, where 18 bands took to the stage to perform their own-choice test piece selections in their bid to catch the ear of adjudicator Graham Jones.
Great day
It proved to be a great day for Verwood Concert Brass as the First Section West of England band rounded off an excellent year of contesting achievement by claiming victory thanks to their well worked performance of 'Dances & Arias' under the baton of Kevin Smith.
It was also helped by a fine 'Best Instrumentalist' contribution from principal cornet Elaine Close with their percussion section also picking up a section award as they claimed their third success of the season following wins at Oxford and Weston Super Mare.
Musical Medway
Championship Section Medway had to be content with second place despite Melvin White's lyrical take on 'Elgar Variations' winning him the 'Conductor with Best Musical Interpretation' award and picking up the 'Best Euphonium' award.
First Section West of England contenders Hyde rounded off the contest with a powerful take on 'Checkmate' to pip Sandhurst to third spot.
Fifth placed Andover Town left with the 'Best Second Section' honours in addition to cornet and trombone awards thanks to their performance of 'The Plantagenets', with Gillingham Imperial taking the Third Section honours with a welcome reprise of the classic 'Prometheus Unbound'.
Not outdone
Not to be outdone by their senior counterparts, Verwood Town took the Fourth Section honours with a classy rendition of 'Haslemere Suite' under the direction of Emma Button.
It proved to be a great day for Verwood Concert Brass as the First Section West of England band rounded off an excellent year of contesting achievement by claiming victory4BR
Full result:
Adjudicator: Graham Jones
1. Verwood Concert Brass (Kevin Smith)
2. Medway (Melvin White)
3. Hyde (Jonathan Lush-Camps)
4. Sandhurst Silver (Andrew Porter)
5. Andover Town (Steve Large)
6. Poole Borough (Chris Davis)
7. Swindon Pegasus Brass (David Mace)
8. New Forest Brass (Ian Luxford)
9. Michelmersh Silver (Dave Barringer)
10. Bournemouth Concert Brass (David Hayward)
11. Gillingham Imperial Silver (Jim Bennett)
12. Corsham (Colin Hogg)
13. A W Parker (Drybrook) (Joshua Ruck)
14. Verwood Town (Emma Button)
15. Bath Spa (Martin Perry)
16. Swindon Brass (Fran Cowley)
17. Spinnaker Brass (Mike Pennicote-Henrie)
18. Midsomer Norton & Radstock Silver (Joanne Sykes)
Best Championship Section: Medway
Best First Section Band: Verwood Concert Brass
Best Second Section Band: Andover Town
Best Third Section Band: Gillingham Imperial Silver
Best Fourth Section Band: Verwood Town
Best March (A Section): Medway
Best March (B Section): Bath Spa
Conductor with Best Musical Interpretation: Melvin White (Medway)
Best Instrumentalist: Elaine Close (cornet) — Verwood Concert Brass
Best Euphonium: Medway
Best Cornet: Sections 2-4: Adrian Wallace (Andover Town)
Best Trombone Section: Andover Town
Best Percussion Section: Verwood Concert Brass
Best Bass Section: Michelmersh Silver
