The line-up of bands has been announced that will take part in the West of England Regional Championships at the Riviera Centre in Torquay on the weekend of 12th & 13th March.
Saturday Championship
83 bands will take part this year (up three) in a format that has been revised to incorporate the Fourth, Third and Championship Section bands competing on the Saturday with the Second and First Sections on the Sunday.
Qualifiers
Three bands will qualify for the Royal Albert Hall for the first time since 1994, thanks to Flowers (above) fine fourth place finish last October, with two each in the First and Second Sections and three in the Third and Fourth making it through to Cheltenham.
83 bands will take part this year in a format that has been revised to incorporate the Fourth, Third and Championship Section bands competing on the Saturday with the Second and First Sections on the Sunday4BR
Championship Section:
Test Piece: Cambridge Variations (Philip Sparke)
Saturday 12th March
The Forum
Draw: 1.00pm
Commence: 3.30pm
Adjudicators: Jacob Dijkstra and Richard Marshall
Aldbourne (David Johnson)
Alder Valley Brass (Roger Burke)
Bournemouth Concert Brass (Matthew Brown)
Camborne Town (Ian Porthouse)
Filton Concert Brass (Tom Davoren)
Flowers (Paul Holland)
Lanner & District Silver (Leonard Adams)
Lydbrook (Glyn Williams)
Mount Charles (Nigel Seaman)
St Austell Town (Steve Sykes)
Verwood Concert Brass (Kevin Smith)
Woodfalls (Dr Robert Childs)
Yeovil Town (Ian Holmes)
First Section:
Test Piece: Essay (Edward Gregson)
Sunday 13th March
The Forum
Draw: 1.00pm
Commence: 2.30pm approx
Adjudicators: Jappie Dijkstra and Alan Fernie
A W Parker (Drybrook) (Josh Ruck)
Brunel Brass (John Winterflood)
Chalford (Steve Tubb)
Forest of Dean (Gareth Ritter)
Helston Town (David Johnson)
Hyde (Jonathan Lush-Camps)
Michelmarsh Silver (Major David Barringer)
Otterbourne Brass (Melvin White)
Pendennis Brass Falmouth (John Woodrow)
Roche Brass (Garry Cutt)
Sherborne Town (Steve Rogers)
St Dennis (Darren Hawken)
St Keverne (Gareth Churcher)
St Pinnock (Jane Whitehead)
Wooton-under-Edge & District (Ian Dickinson)
Second Section:
Test Piece: Mermaid of Zennor (Philip Harper)
Sunday 13th March
The Forum
Draw: 8.45am
Commence: 10.00am
Adjudicators: Philip Littlemore and Richard Marshall
Andover Town (Steve Large)
Bodmin Town (John Maines)
Bream Silver (Philip Turner)
Bugle Silver (Steve Osborne)
Camborne Junior Contesting (Alan Pope)
City of Bristol Brass (Bryn James)
Denmead Brass (Estelle Flood)
Downton (Paul Williams)
New Forest Brass (Ian Luxford)
Ocean Brass (Edward March)
Poole Borough (Dr Chris Davis)
Shrewton Silver (Michael Dunford)
Sidmouth Town (Adrian Harvey)
Soundhouse Brass (Lee Clayson)
S W Communications (David Shead)
Swindon Pegasus (David Mace)
Third Section:
Test Piece: A Cambrian Suite (Michael Ball)
Saturday 12th March
The Forum
Draw: 8.45am
Commence: 10.00am
Adjudicators: Jappie Dijkstra and Richard Marshall
Bath Spa (Martin Perry)
Bratton Silver (Simon Carr)
Chalford Academy (Steve Tubb)
Cinderford (David Hayward)
Corsham (Colin Hogg)
Gillingham Imperial Silver (Jim Bennett)
Heyl Town (Shaun Marsden)
Midsomer Norton & Radstock Silver (Joanne Sykes)
Phoenix Brass (Crewkerne) (David Boorer)
Porthleven Town (Tom Bassett)
South Molton Town (Gil Taylor)
Spinnaker Brass (Ted Howard)
St Stythians (James Burns)
Swindon Brass (Francis Cowley)
Tewkesbury Town (Nigel Morgan)
Weston Brass (Bryn James)
Weymouth Concert Brass
Wilton & District (Colin Herbert)
Fourth Section:
Test Piece: The Journal of Phileas Fogg (Peter Graham)
Saturday 12th March
The Arena
Draw: 8.30am
Commence: 9.30am
Adjudicators: Alan Fernie and Phillip Littlemore
Bideford Town (Mark Durham)
Cheltenham Silver (Nigel Galliott)
Gosport Silver Brass (Colin Garner)
Hatherleigh Silver (Matt Green)
Indian Queens (Mark Arnold)
Launcester Town (Colin Gay)
LostwithielTown (Norman Pendray)
Lydney Town (Kevin Ford)
Nailsworth Silver (Paul McLaughlin)
Newquay (Ben Martin)
Okehampton Excelsior Silver (Richard Beardon)
Pendeen Silver (Darren Jenkin)
Pillowell Silver (Ian Whitburn)
Redruth Town (Sara Munns)
Saltash Town (Bob Julian)
Shaftesbury Town Silver (Martin Hill)
Shanklin Town (IoW) (Malcolm Lewis)
Test Valley Brass (Matt Pithers)
Tiverton Town (Colin Dance)
Totnes (Phil Cleave)
Verwood Town (Emma Button)