Michelmersh Silver carried on their fine 2019 form with victory at the Oxfordshire & District BBA Entertainment Contest held at Malborough School in Woodstock.

Led by the experienced Melvin White, the West of England First Section Area champion successfully defended the title they won last year with an excellent 'Dance' themed set that opened with the spirited rhythmic pulse of Etienne Crausaz's 'Balkan Dance'.

Their outstanding xylophonist Ella Walker deservedly took the 'Best Instrumentalist' award with a super rendition of 'Taps in Tempo', before contrast came with 'Moon River Cha Cha' and the MD's arrangement of Malcolm Arnold's 'Sarabande'. They closed with the up-tempo 'Mambo' from 'West Side Story'.

Plaudits

Speaking about the success, Melvin White told 4BR that the plaudits should be directed at his players. "They are a great bunch to work with, so committed and enthusiastic.

They've really worked hard this year and the results show that with the success at the Area Championship, a great fourth place at the National Finals and now this victory. Next year will be a big challenge in the Championship Section, but they are determined to make their mark."

Second place went to Championship Section Kidlington Concert Brass, who incurred a 3 point time penalty, with First Section Brunel Brass in third. The entertainment and presentation award was also claimed by Michelmersh, with Brunel in second and Kidlington in third.

Reading victory

In the Section B competition there was a victory for Reading Spring Gardens Band conducted by Matthew Ruel, who claimed a clear victory over rivals Olney Brass with Hemel Hempstead in third. They in turn took the entertainment award ahead of Great Western Youth with City of Oxford Training in third.

Reading opened their 20-minute programme with Jacob Vilhelm Larsen's 'Call of the Brave' march, followed by principal cornet Jack Porter's fine rendition, from memory, of the Brian May 'Queen' classic, 'Save Me'. The evocative 'The Witch of the Westmerlands' was followed by the final section of Edward Gregson's 'Laudate Dominum' to close.

The winning MD told 4BR that the result shows that the band is now ready to take the step back to regular contesting at next year's Regional Championship in Stevenage. "That is something we've been working on for some time. The amount of work put in by the players has been outstanding and this has been the end result.

We are now hoping to be appropriately graded so that we can take to the stage at Stevenage next year and carry on our development."

Results:
Section A: (Championship/First/Second Section)

Adjudicators: Gordon Eddison & Duncan Beckley

1. Michelmersh Silver (Melvin White) — 197
2= Kidlington Concert Brass (Duncan Wilson) — 192*
2= Brunel Brass (Daniel Hall) — 192**
4. Oxford Cherwell Brass (Terry Brotherhood) — 191
5. City of Bristol (Ian Holmes) — 188
6. Chinnor Silver (David Pegram) — 185**

* 3 point time penalty
** 1 point time penalty

Best Instrumentalist Championship Section: Ben Abbott (Kidlington Concert Brass) — euphonium
Best Instrumentalist First Section: Ella Walker (Michelmersh Silver) — xylophone
Best Instrumentalist Second Section: Stephen Clapton (Oxford Cherwell) — cornet

Section B: (Third/Fourth/Unregistered Section)

Adjudicators: Gordon Eddison & Duncan Beckley

1. Reading Spring Gardens (Matthew Ruel) — 188
2. Olney Brass (Kevin Nicholls) — 186
3. Hemel Hempstead (Paul Fothergill) — 184
4. Whitney Town Band (Chris Barker) — 182
5= Great Western Youth (Ben Halstead) — 178*
5= Shipston Town (Howard Gibbs) — 178
7. Chinnor Training (Alison Andrews) — 176
8. Coventry Festival Band (Alan Wheelhouse) — 174
9. Yarnton (Guy James) — 172
10. Watford (Ian Graves) — 169**
11. City of Oxford Training Band (Catherine Westbury-Cook) — 168
12. Moulton '77 Brass (Kevin Spencer) — 166

* 3 point time penalty
** 1 point time penalty

Special Prizes:
Best Percussion: City of Bristol Brass
Best Tenor Horn: Barbara Page (Hemel Hempstead)
Best Conductor: Daniel Hall (Brunel Brass)
Best Soprano: Ben Halstead (Brunel Brass)
Best Compere: Great Western Youth
Band with most players under the age of 19: Great Western Youth
Youngest Player: Alexander Balantine Drake (City of Oxford Silver Training Band)