WMBBA

The West Midlands Brass Bands Association held their annual Big Brass Band Concert at Cradley Heath Salvation Army on Saturday March 30^th.

The band was conducted by Dave Lea and comprised 65 players from 23 different bands with players travelling from as far as Stoke on Trent Hitchin and Humberside with the concert taking place in the evening after an afternoon’s rehearsal.

The programme was varied and included the ever popular overture Tancredi, the rarely performed T J Powell march the Bombardier and Valero by Jim Swearingen. Cornets Karl Slater, Luke Barker, Alister Rowe, Bob James, Byron Tucker and Rachel Dickens from 6 of the contributing bands gave a blistering performance of Twelfth Street Rag before the band’s programme concluded with William Himes majestic arrangement of Wagner’s Procession To The Cathedral.

The band’s contribution was interspersed with items by the excellent guest vocalist Hilary Crowhurst.

Commenting, Dave Birch said…
“The event was a big success which can be seen by the fact that emails have already started to arrive from players asking to be put down for next year’s event.”

Sunday March 24^th

The Annual Solo Duet and Quartet Contest was held at Studley High School and drew enthusiastic support over all categories. The adjudicators for the day were Paul White and Warren Bellshaw

Commenting on the day, organiser Dave Birch said

“The competition was a great success and was well supported. Both adjudicators Paul White and Warren Bellshaw were very impressed with the two competitors in the 15 to 18 section both with their lyrical playing the slow melody which Warren Bellshaw said simply took his breath away and the sheer excellence of technique which Paul White found impressive in the Air Varie. The Desford Chicks Quartet gave a sparkling performance in the Adult Quartet with Arrow Valley raising a few laughs with their title of Liquid Mud for their Tuba Quartet.”

Results

Slow Melody Aged 9 to 11

First Place     Jennifer Richardson                     Alcester Victoria

Second          Alec Banner                                     Shipston Town

Third              Tallula Matthews                           Shipston Town

Slow Melody Aged 12 to 14

First Place     Christopher Oddy                          Enderby

Second          Toula Thomas                                  Cubbington

Third              Ben Hone                                          Arrow Valley

Slow Melody Aged 15 to 18

First Place     Luke Barker                                     Jaguar Landrover

Second          Grace Coates                                     Shipston

Slow Melody Adult

First Place     Trystan Jones                                  A W Parker Drybrook

Second          Patricia Woodings                          Ratby

Third              Annette Cairns                               Cubbington

Air Varie Aged 14 and Under

First Place     Christopher Oddy                          Enderby

Second          Alec Banner                                     Shipston Town

Air Varie Aged 15 to 18

First Place     Luke Barker                                    Jaguar Landrover

Second          Grace Coates                                    Shipston Town

Duets Aged 11 and Under

First              Alec Banner and Tallula Matthews      Shipston Town

Second          Peter Coates and Tallula Matthews     Shipston Town

Duets Aged 15 to 18

First Place     Luke Barker Jaguar Landrover and Grace Coates       Shipston Town

Adult Duets

First Place     Trystan Jones and Rebecca Aston        A W Parker Drybrook

Second          Grace Coates and David Birch               Shipston Town

Quartet Under 19

First Place     Shipston Town

Quartet Adults

First Place    Desford Chicks

Second          Shirley Tubas

Third             Liquid Mud (Arrow Valley)

Percussion

First                Alec Banner