Despite heavy rain and high winds twenty bands competed at the West of England Bandsmens Festival held in the village of Bugle on Saturday.

Praise

Adjudicator Stan Lippeat praised the bands for their fine performances in very difficult conditions.

He thanked the contest committee for their choice of music noting that some of the older compositions such as Vinters ‘Salute to Youth’ in the championship section was still a very tough test for the bands and said although the standard of playing was very high from all bands, picking the winners in each section proved to be a relatively easy job.

A delighted St Austell who last won the Royal Trophy in 1987 also took home the Cornish Challenge Cup and £1,000 top prize4BR

Royal Trophy winners

The Royal Trophy this year was won by the St Austell Town Band whose performance of Greigs ‘Spring’ and Vinters ‘Salute to Youth’ caught the ear of the adjudicator right from the outset off a number one draw.

20 year wait

A delighted St Austell who last won the Royal Trophy in 1987 also took home the Cornish Challenge Cup and £1,000 top prize, plus and prizes for Best Soprano Cornet (Rachel Whitaker), Best Solo Cornet (Hannah Hawken) and Best Basses (Barney Donohew, Clive Fewins, Bev Bennett and Iain McKnight).

St Austell also won the seperate melody section of the contest with a sublime performance of Greig's 'Spring' in what was a repeat of the full results of the test piece result.

Camborne Town picked up the prizes for second place along with Mark Letcher being named Best Solo Horn and Robert Jose, Best Euphonium.

First Section

The First Section was won by Helston Town under the direction of John Hitchens, who also won the deportment class, whilst the Second Section saw victory go to local band Bugle Silver to the delight of the home crowd.

Hatherleigh Silver were the only band in the Third Section but gave a very good performance of Bryan Kelly’s ‘Malvern Suite’.

Youth winners

Conductor Garry Lannie directed Mount Charles Youth to victory over local rivals St Dennis in the Youth Section with what adjudicator Stan Lippeat described as a very mature sounding band.

Gary also steered St Breward Silver to victory in the Fourth Section with a 3 point lead over their rivals.

Full Results:

Championship Section:
Test Piece: Salute to Youth — Vinter
Elegiac Melody No. 2 — Spring

1. St Austell Town (Gareth Pritchard)- 196pts
2. Camborne Town (Frank Renton) — 194pts
3. Wantage (Philip Bailey) — 191pts
4. St Keverne (Stuart Chappell) — 190pts
5. St Dennis (Brian Minear)- 189pts

Best Player: Robert Jose(Euphonium – Camborne Town)

First Section:
Test Pieces: Beatrice & Benedict — Berlioz
March Mephistopheles — S. Douglas

1. Helston Town (John Hitchens) — 193pts
2. Egham (Gareth Green)- 190pts
3. Lanner & District (Colin Toghill) — 189pts

Best Player: Jeremy Squibb(Soprano Cornet – Helston Town)

Second Section:
Test Pieces: Three Saints — Goff Richards
Hymn Crimond arr. Peter Graham

1. Bugle Silver (David Pope) — 188pts
2. Camborne B (Alan Pope) — 186pts
3. Heyl Town (Derek Johnston) — 184pts
4. Soundhouse Brass (Gary Pumford) — 181pts

Best Player: Helen Dunstan(Solo Trombone – Bugle Silver)

Third Section:
Test Piece: Malvern Suite — Bryan Kelly

1. Hatherleigh Silver (Robin Wonnacott) — 179pts

Best Player: Gregory Morgan(Solo Cornet – Hatherleigh Silver)

Fourth Section:
Test Piece: Suite in Bb — Gordon Jacob

1. St. Breward Silver (Gary Lannie) — 180pts
2. Lostwithiel Silver (Denzil Stephens) — 177pts
3. Hatherleigh Silver (Adrian Edwards)- 176pts
4. St Agnes Silver (David Olds)- 175pts

Best Player: Jeff Swan(Euphonium – St. Breward)

Youth Section:
Test Piece: Music For A Festival — Philip Sparke

1. Mount Charles (Gary Lannie) — 188pts
2. St Dennis (Brian Minear) — 187pts

Best Player:Zac Lawrence(Soprano – Mount Charles)
Best Cornet Player:Sarah Matthews(Mount Charles)
Winning Conductor: Gary Lannie(Mount Charles)

Special Awards:
Best Soprano: Rachel Whitaker — St Austell Town
Best Solo Cornet: Hanah Hawken — St Austell Town
Best Euphonium: Robert Jose — Camborne
Best Solo Horn: Mark Letcher- Camborne
Best Set of Basses: St Austell Town

March

The contest was concluded with the tradition of Royal Trophy winners St Austell playing a short programme in the village square.

They chose to play the March ‘Knight Templar’ followed by the hymn ‘Whitburn’ and finished with a performance of ‘On the Quarter Deck’ full of swagger and style from the overjoyed band just as the heaviest rain of the day began to fall.