Report & Result: 2024 Senior Cup

Amersham claims the Senior Cup title as Wantage, Stannington and Ashton under Lyne gain promotion to the Grand Shield with them.

A second successive promotion performance, this time claiming the Senior Cup title in the process, now sees Amersham Band stand just one step away from the British Open.

It continues a remarkable rise to contesting prominence — one fuelled by a self-sufficiency ethos that encompasses its entire organisational and musical structure. A decade ago they were competing in the Third Section of the London & Southern Counties Regional Championships.

Musical inclusivity

The Senior Cup will now reside in the trophy cabinet of their bandroom in the small Buckinghamshire market town which has been its home for the past 181 years, and which has become a community centre of musical inclusivity that has seen the organisation receive a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

That was built after raising over £425,000 and now houses not only the new champion, but five other ensembles catering for players from 5 to 95.

"We are sure to have a big celebration," MD Paul Fisher told 4BR. "This is an organisation that embraces inclusivity, so this victory belongs to everyone."

Wonderfully exclusive

However, on this occasion 231 miles from home, there was something wonderfully exclusive about the win on Philip Wilby's 'The New Jerusalem', with the judges later confirming that they had headed a closely matched field in the Pavilion Theatre with "an excellent performance".

Paul, who later this year will receive the Mortimer Medal added: "It hard to put into words, as we felt we had perhaps not played at our very best. But as any conductor knows — you'll take it! The players are brilliant, and this is another achievement for us all.

Now we get back to get ready to send two of our bands up to Whit Friday, prepare for our first ever Amersham Brass Band Course and work on a programme for a concert with BBC Young Musician brass winner Sasha Canter."

Grand Shield qualifiers

Joining them in the Grand Shield in 2025 will be fellow L&SC Area contenders Wantage Silver, Stannington Brass from Yorkshire and Ashton under Lyne from the North West.

"The bands that did well paid respect to a wonderful work," adjudicator Andrea Price (joined by Alan Morrison) said in her pre-results remarks.

"We were pleased with the overall standard and there were a number of outstanding performances that paced the piece organically to draw a dramatic narrative."

In a detailed critique that pin-pointed just what the duo were looking for in the box (which was less than 20 feet from the front of the bands), she added: "Some bands got a little over excited with the intricacies of the score, but the best gave the music breadth and colour. The bands at the top did spectacularly well."

Angelic clarion call

Amersham's confidence was marked from the opening Angelic clarion call — with their principal cornet, one of many (although some stayed close to their bands) to step outside into the horseshoe thoroughfare that surrounds the theatre, to project a distant 'surround sound' beacon fanfare that was sweetly majestic as required.

By the time an angular, razor-edged rendition, joyful and swaggering came to a triumphant close, there was little doubt that it was to be in the title winning mix.

"A very well shaped performance, meeting the technical and musical demands of the music. Lots of super playing and well-shaped by the MD", was Andrea Price's written summation.

Alan added: "Some super playing here from all around the band and a super 'Voice of God'. Issues in tuning and ensemble were apparent early on, but this was a performance of stature and drama."

Podium finishers

These were elements that were also displayed with controlled brio and substance by both podium finishers in a second half of the contest that increased in quality.

Philip Wilby's work was certainly a demanding test, but one that as Andrea Price highlighted, rewarded a respectful understanding of its intertwined musical threads, that when brought together revealed a sumptuous textured canvas, intimately patterned with musical metaphor and analogy.

Stannington and Sam Fisher posted the impressive qualification marker off the number 12 draw. It had a polish and stylish, mature execution that captured that growing sense of drama — the triumphant close heralding their own second successive Spring Festival promotion.

Ashton under Lyne and Duncan Byers immediately followed with a performance of excellent individual elements that although occasionally lost it cohesion, still resonated with a fine ensemble sound to bounce back to the Grand Shield at the first attempt.

They in turn were surpassed by Wantage Silver as Chris King used his nous and experience in moulding a lighter toned account of precision, detail and clarity, that neatly found its triumphant voice with expert qualification timing.

Dramatic narrative

The remaining top-six or so performances also captured the dramatic narrative essence of the Wilby score — balancing evangelical zeal and purpose with elements of lyrical hymnal poise.

Melvin White's take was a theological musical delight with fifth placed Thundersley Brass, whilst Dalmellington (who had a superb 'Best Instrumentalist' award winner in principal cornet Rebecca Wilson-Paterson), very nearly, but not quite coalesced all their elements into a potential qualification whole led by Andrew Duncan.

Confident renditions from Elland Silver, Pemberton Old Wigan DW (off the number 1 draw), Unite the Union and Shepherd Group filled the remaining top 10 slots, with little to choose between welled accounts from Kingdom Brass down to Verwood Brass in sixteenth.

Few complaints your suspect from the bottom four of Acceler8, Boarshurst Silver, Brass Band of Central England and Roche Brass who will return next year in the Senior Trophy.

Iwan Fox

A very well shaped performance, meeting the technical and musical demands of the music. Lots of super playing and well-shaped by the MDAndrea Price's written summation on Amersham

Result:

Senior Cup:

Test Piece: The New Jerusalem (Philip Wilby)
Adjudicators: Alan Morrison & Andrea Price
Pavilion Theatre

1. Amersham (Paul Fisher)*
2. Wantage Silver (Chris King)*
3. Stannington Brass (Sam Fisher)*
4. Ashton-under-Lyne (Duncan Byers)*
5. Thundersley Brass (Melvin White)
6. Dalmellington (Andrew Duncan)
7. Elland Silver (Brett Baker)
8. Pemberton Old Wigan DW (Ryan Watkins)
9. Unite the Union (Jonathan Beatty)
10. Shepherd Group (Richard Wilton)
11. City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) (Christopher Bond)
12. Kingdom Brass (Thomas Wyss)
13. Derwent Brass (Jack Capstaff)
14. Tylorstown (Robert Westacott)
15. Kirkintilloch (Hedley Benson)
16. Verwood Concert (Kevin Smith)
17. Acceler8 (Jef Sparkes)**
18. Boarshurst Silver (Jamie Prophet)**
19. Brass Band of Central England (Steve Cooper)**
20. Roche Brass (Keith Maxwell)**