From a first concert in a local cricket club in July 2023, and just six months after making a successful contesting debut at the North West Regional Championships in Blackpool, Wardle Community Brass has now been crowned Fourth Section Champion Band of Great Britain.

Led by the inspirational figure of Jayne Conway, an organisation that at one point was looking at being mentioned in the brass band obituary notices has now got its name proudly inscribed in the record books.

Heard in Bergen

A remarkable achievement came courtesy of a cracking rendition of Peter Graham's Nordic inspired 'Heroes of the North' that set an early contest marker that could not be beaten. The screams of delight when their name was announced as champions could have been heard Bergen.

It also saw Wardle pip some impressive rivals, with another band that has only recently returned to contesting in Queensbury Music Centre coming runner-up for the second year in row, with Matlock, who set a very fine marker from the number 1 draw, in third. Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Brindle and Brighton & Hove City completed a top-six of well delivered musically engaging accounts of character and style.

Wardle ethos

Just a few years ago they were down to a handful of players, but thanks to an incredible determination not to see the band fold, they now have an over-subscribed membership made up of players aged 13 to 80 plus.

With great support volunteers and a proactive link to their local community, Wardle's ethos of inclusion (from beginners to returnees) and a love of music making is now a beacon of all that is good about the banding movement.

Little wonder they later said on their Facebook page that it has been "an incredible journey", but also one that that they are "proud and excited" to see what happens next on their promotion to the Third Section. On this evidence it won't be the last time they enjoy a memorable victory.

What makes the band special they said was that everyone was "united by a love of playing and the community spirit that sits at the heart of the band". It is an ethos that never turns new players away, always encourages and supports. What they get in return has also helped propel them to the top — from rehearsal facilities at Wardle Academy and Wardle Club, to families, friends and supporters putting in the hard yards of practical help.

Utter disbelief

Each in their own way contributed to the success — none more so than their conductor, who admitted to still being in "utter disbelief" three days after the event.

"We have an absolutely fantastic band, but more than that, we have an incredible team of people behind it," Jayne Conway wrote on her Facebook page. "The support, friendship, hard work, laughter and commitment from everyone involved has made this journey so special."

Those certainly included her own family (her husband and daughters have also enjoyed their fair share of success over the years) who were proudly on hand with her parents to witness a triumph led by an inspirational wife and mother.

"What started as a little community band just over three years ago," she added, "has turned into something I could never have imagined: Wardle Community Band — National Champions of Great Britain. What a journey. What a band. What a team. Absolutely priceless."

Priceless success

The memories of the success will remain priceless for those who performed on stage on the day — the adjudicators (Nicholas Garman, Stephanie Binns and Steve Pritchard-Jones) summing up their written observations by saying that, "as a whole, much to enjoy", "a very secure and accomplished performance with some great attention to detail," and a rendition that had, "a strong sense of style... and good dynamic contrast".

Those findings echoed what Stephanie highlighted to the audience before the announcement of the results — the salient points touching on adhering to the score with elements of musicality, tempo choices, horizontal progression of main lines and tonal sustainability.

It was a precis that ensured everyone knew what the trio were looking for in the box. And whilst she admitted that it in the end it had been "an easy decision" to pick the winner, it was also one that "left the door open" to the very last performance of the day.

Character portraits

The character portraits in 'Heroes of the North' offered bands an ideal opportunity to perform with technical confidence and stylish musicality — from the noble opening and crisp pacing of 'Mr Brevik's Galop' to the tricky stylistic inflections of the Greig inspired 'Frode's Dance'.

The cool guy interlude of 'The Bjorge Walk' with its 'West Side Story' finger clicks moved into a lyrical 'Hymn for Knut-Harald' before an exciting, but not frenetic Howard Snell meets Khachaturian ending.

Wardle did it all splendidly — the youthful verve and exuberance mixed in with more mature musicality, always controlled in pacing and dynamic by the MD.

Polished rivals

Alan Hobbins also used his years of top-flight experience to draw out the same elements in a polished account from Queensbury Music Centre, as the Yorkshire champion missed out on the honours for the second year in a row by a short Nordic neck.

Close on their heels came Matlock, whose number 1 draw account was an admirable one. Led by Chris Banks (who also took Shirebrook Miners Welfare in the Third Section), and with their classy principal cornet, Andy Abele taking the 'Best Instrumentalist' award on a day when so many soloists did themselves proud, it richly deserved its reward.

On a somewhat barren weekend of success for Wales, Gwaun Cae Gurwen gave a richly characterised account under Alex Parker to end fourth, just ahead of well delivered accounts from Brindle (Steve Hartley) and Brighton & Hove City (Rom Stanko).

Good quality

Elsewhere the usual minor errors, nerves and over-enthusiasm saw bands almost deliver four linked sections of consistency and cohesion, with little to separate the likes of Bon Accord B in seventh down to Swinton & District Excelsior in what was a series of good quality top-10 performances.

Just behind, Cubbington (who had the contest's 'Youngest Player', 10 year old Kyra Fernandes in their ranks) down to Coalburn Intermediate produced performances of merit on a day when the ultimate contesting heroes of the north in York came from Wardle.

Iwan Fox

Led by the inspirational figure of Jayne Conway, an organisation that at one point was looking at being mentioned in the brass band obituary notices has now got its name proudly inscribed in the record books4BR

Result:

Test piece: Heroes of the North (Peter Graham)
Adjudicators: Stephanie Binns; Nicholas Garman; Stephen Pritchard-Jones

1. Wardle Community Band (Jane Conway)
2. Queensbury Music Centre (Alan Hobbins)
3. Matlock (Chris Banks)
4. Gwaun Cae Gurwen (Alex Parker)
5. Brindle (Stephen Hartley)
6. Brighton & Hove City Brass (Rom Stanko)
7. Bon-Accord B (Harry Marshall)
8. Crystal Palace (Jim Lynch)
9. Driffield Silver Peter Kench)
10. Swinton & District Excelsior (Stephen Hague)
11. Cubbington Silver (Mark Scott)
12. City of Oxford (Douglas Brown)
13. Pendennis Brass (Harry Weir)
14. Garforth Brass (Gordon Eddison)
15. Shaftesbury Town Silver (Martin Hill)
16. Coalburn Intermediate (Gareth Bowman)

Best Instrumentalist: Andy Abele (cornet) — Matlock
Youngest Player: Kyra Fernandez (aged 10) — Cubbington Silver