The Oxfordshire & District Brass Band Association (ODBBA) held its own-choice test-piece contest on the weekend at Cokethorpe School in Witney.

34 bands were adjudicated by Steven Mead who used his own criteria-based system which proved popular with the competitors.

Extremely positive

A contest spokesperson said that they received "extremely positive remarks" about its use and said that they hoped that the weekend had "helped all the bands in their preparation for their forthcoming Area contests."

Verwood win

The top section saw a quartet of performances of 'Diversions' by Derek Bourgeois. It was won for a fourth consecutive time by a confident Verwood Concert Brass as they looked ahead to their Area challenge in Torquay in a few weeks' time, ahead of Staffordshire and Medway.

Speaking about their success on their Facebook page they said: "Fabulous day at Oxfordshire BBA Contest! Won the Championships Section with prizes too for 'Best Cornet' and 'Best Tenor Horn'."

Lydbrook and Harborough

Meanwhile the stern challenges of Morley Calvert's 'Introduction, Elegy and Caprice' were on show in the First Section, which was won by another West of England contender in Lydbrook, ahead of St Sebastians Wokingham and East of England Co-operative.

Harborough claimed a first contest victory since 2000 as they secured victory in the Second Section under Ben Smith with a fine rendition of 'Friendly Takeover' by Oliver Waespi.

They now head to the Midlands Regional Championships on the 15th March boosted in confidence, whilst there was also much to enjoy from podium finishers Alder Valley Brass and Verwood Town.

Reflecting on their long overdue victory the band stated on their Facebook page that they had enjoyed "an amazing day".

Avonbank and City of Oxford

There were only two competitors in the Third Section where Avonbank (Evesham) took the honours to record their fist contest victory since 2011 with a compactly delivered account of 'Arkansas'.

Second placed City of Oxford Silver performed 'Olympus' — their second contest performance of the weekend as they also delivered a fine account of 'I Daedalus' in winning the Fourth Section under MD, Douglas Brown.

Second place went to defending champion Witney Town with third place claimed by Cubbington Silver. All five competitors played Andrea Price's colourful Area test-piece.

In the Unregistered Section there was success for Yarnton as they performed 'Oregon', ahead of Chinnor Training ('Neverland'), Parkend Silver ('Little Suite for Brass') and Hook Norton Brass ('The Journal of Phileas Fogg').

The date of the 2026 contest was confirmed as Saturday 28th February and Sunday 1st March.

It was won for a fourth consecutive time by a confident Verwood Concert Brass as they looked ahead to their Area challenge in Torquay in a few weeks' time4BR

Championship Section:

Adjudicator: Steven Mead

1. Verwood Concert Brass (Kevin Smith): 171
2. Staffordshire Band (Lee Woodward): 158
3. Medway Brass (Will Wilkins): 146
4. Milton Keynes Brass (Neil Brownless): 144

Best Instrumentalist: Soprano (Staffordshire Band)

First Section:

Adjudicator: Steven Mead

1. Lydbrook (David Johnson): 169
2. St Sebastians Wokingham Band (John Watts): 155
3. East of England Co-op Band (Mark Ager): 154
4. Epsom & Ewell (Tariq Ahmed): 153
5. Jackfield Band (Ryan Richards): 152
6. Weston Brass (Joshua Ruck): 151
7. Horsham Borough (Will Wilkins): 149
8. Kidlington Concert Brass (Jonathan Pippen): 148
9. Michelmersh Silver (Kevin Smith): 141

Best Instrumentalist: Soprano (Lydbrook)

Second Section:

Adjudicator: Steven Mead

1. Harborough (Ben Smith): 174
2. Alder Valley Brass (David Hatton): 172
3. Verwood Town (Kevin Smith): 158
4. Chinnor Silver (Oliver Halstead-Brooks): 156
5. Welwyn Garden City (William Douglas): 155
6. Staines Brass (Gareth Trott): 154
7. Markham & District (Gary Davies): 153
8. Ocean Brass (Andy Wareham): 151
9. Towcester Studio (Neil Brownless): 150

Best Instrumentalist: Flugel (Harborough)

Third Section:

Adjudicator: Steven Mead

1. Avonbank (Evesham) (Micah Parsons): 142
2. City of Oxford Silver (Douglas Brown): 135

Best Instrumentalist: Cornet (Avonbank)
Best Euphonium: Avonbank

Fourth Section:

Adjudicator: Steven Mead

1. City of Oxford Silver (Douglas Brown): 148
2. Witney Town (Guy James): 142
3. Cubbington Silver (Keiron Howe): 135
4. Godalming Band (James Haigh): 134
5. Test Valley Brass (Edward March): 123

Best Instrumentalist: Euphonium (Godalming Band)

Unregistered Section:

Adjudicator: Steven Mead

1. Yarnton Band (Guy James): 144
2. Chinnor Training (Chris Andrews): 142
3. Parkend Silver (Louis Thomas): 132

Adjudication purposes only: Hook Norton (Shaun Humphries): 140

Best Instrumentalist: Euphonium (Yarnton)

Special Awards: Saturday

Best Percussion: Staffordshire
Best Bass Section: Harborough Band
Best Cornet: Verwood Concert Brass
Best Tenor Horn: Verwood Concert Brass

Special Awards: Sunday

Best Percussion: Lydbrook
Best Bass Section: Lydbrook
Best Cornet: St Sebastian Wokingham
Best Tenor Horn: Lydbrook

Additional Awards:

Most players under 18 years of age: Yarnton Band (13 players)

Youngest Player: Lucy Stroud (aged 8) — Yarnton Band and Chinnor Training Band