The Yorkshire Regional Championships has announced its schedule for its 2026 event to be held at Huddersfield Town Hall on the weekend of the 7th & 8th March, as well as the adjudicators tasked with judging the performances from the competing bands.

Panel

The schedule will see the First Section, followed by the Third and Fourth on Saturday 7th March (9.00am start), with the Second (9.30am) and Championship Section (3.00pm) on Sunday 8th March.

The Championship Section will see Stephen Cobb, Bandmaster of the International Staff Band of The Salvation Army, return for a second time (first appearance in 2023), alongside Mareika Gray, who will be making her first Championship Section, Regional Championship appointment, although she has judged at the elite level in Belgium, France and Sweden.

The experienced duo of Gary Davies and Steve Pritchard-Jones will judge the First Section contenders — both having judged at this level at the Regional Championships on previous occasions.

Two critically acclaimed composers in Jacob de Haan and Philip Wilby will judge the Second and Third Sections. There is sure to be a warm welcome, with both making their regional championship debuts (although Philip has judged at the National Finals).

Composer, Alan Fernie, whose works, 'Music for Jock Tamson', 'St Andrews Variations' and 'The Spanish Impressions' have been popular choices for the Fourth Section in recent years will be joined by Area debutant Colum O'Shea.

Schedule

Saturday 7th March:
First Section: Stephen Pritchard-Jones and Gary Davies
Third Section: Jacob de Haan and Philip Wilby
Fourth Section: Alan Fernie and Colum O'Shea

Sunday 8th March:
Second Section: Philip Wilby and Jacob de Haan
Championship Section: Mareika Gray and Stephen Cobb

Tickets:

Tickets go on sale on Monday 12th January from the Box Office: 01484 225755 or online www.kirklees.gov.uk
More information: www.regional-contest.org.uk/yorkshire