North Chadderton Brass Ensemble, a small group of brass and percussion players led by John Collins, that all attend North Chadderton Comprehensive School in Oldham has gained a fantastic award at the National Festival of Music for Youth in Birmingham.

A lot of the players aged between 12 to 17 years, who also play in Oldham Band (Lees) put together a fnatastic performance to wow the audience and take away the 'Outstanding Performance' award.

Anything goes

John Collins told 4BR: "There are not enough players to make up a brass band so we compete in the ensemble section of the Music for Youth Festival series. In the ensemble section just about anything goes, recorder trios, percussion ensembles playing plastic chairs to barber shop choirs. As the Music for Youth series has its own “Brass Band” section to compete in what is traditionally a non brass band section and to win is incredibly hard."

As the Music for Youth series has its own “Brass Band” section to compete in what is traditionally a non brass band section and to win is incredibly hardMD, John Collins

Programme

The groups programme was “Cortege for Mlada”, Toselli’s Euphonium solo “Serenata” featuring up and coming star euphonium player Harrison Heeley, “The Drunken Sailor” and “The Hawaii 5-O theme” — complete with stunning choreography.

Stiff competition

The young band played number 21 out of a 22 strong field and the competition was incredibly stiff.

This is the fourth consecutive time that the brass ensemble have appeared at the Music for Youth National Festival series having gained a 'Highly Commended' Performance award in 2005.

This is the first 'Outstanding Performance' award the group have achieved and now stand a chance of being picked as one of the performers in the Schools Proms held in November at the Royal Albert Hall.

Waxed lyrical

The performance was described as truly outstanding and superb by the adjudicator Val Brody. When speaking about the group she waxed lyrical about their ability to play together, in tune and with such dynamic flair when the programme was undirected and totally without music.