Milnrow Band at the NW Regional Championships Preview

Boarshurst Band Club was the venue for the North West Area Brass Band Championships Preview Evening which was held last Sunday evening.

Organised by the band club, this now annual local event, provides an insight into the test pieces to be played at the Area Championships in the Winter Gardens Blackpool on Sunday 1st March. Four local bands were invited to represent their respective sections and demonstrate to a packed and appreciative audience how far along the 'road to perfection' weeks of rehearsals had taken them.

'Mock Adjudication' was provided by David Horsfield, executive member of the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators (ABBA) and he provided constructive criticism and advice after each performance.

Milnrow Band (under the baton of Mark Bentham) was first on stage and commenced with a couple of warm up pieces. First was the march 'The Thin Red Line' by Kenneth J Alford. First published in 1925 the march was in memory of a defence by the 93rd Highlanders (The Argylls) at the battle of Balaclava. This was followed by a short sample of the late Eric Ball's music before the band launched into the Championship Section set test piece 'The Torchbearer', variations based on themes from the music of Eric Ball and composed in his style by Peter Graham. An entertaining and well balanced performance.

Sale Brass then took to the stage with Joshua Hughes at the helm and commenced with the march '

Goldcrest'. Composed by the well respected Salvationist the late James Anderson, this bright march is more suited to the 'festival' rather than the 'processional'. The fourth section test piece 'An English Pastorale' by Dean Jones was then given an airing by the Sale band . Comprising of four sections depicting autumn, spring, summer and winter in, various rural settings, this music though perhaps not overly technically demanding has its pitfalls and nevertheless is musically pleasing to the listener.

Greenfield Band, were representatives of the third section and under MD Tom Haslam we were treated to a well rehearsed 'Evolution, Five States of Change' by Philip Sparke. Comprising of five movements depicting emotional cyclic relationships between the five elements of life, meditation, anger, fear, sorrow and joy - the music evolves organically, each movement evolving from the musical elements at the end of the previous one.

Delph Band (2nd Section) under the direction of Phil Goodwin was last band to perform and opened up with Eric Ball's 'Star Lake' (named after the Salvation Army retreat in Bloomingdale New Jersey), followed by the hymn tune 'Abide With Me'. The band's test piece 'Variations on Maccabeus' by Salvationist Kevin Norbury followed, based on a theme 'See,The Conquering Hero Comes' from Handel's oratorio Judas Maccabeus. The item features four varying styles, first scherzando, then comes the emotional core of the piece followed by the lightness of a Viennese waltz. Then the final section with it's declamatory unisons and an accelerando which will require a lot of rehearsals by bands in order for it to sound natural.

In his final summing up David Horsfield said he appreciated the hard work which had been put in by the bands to reach the standard exhibited, and hoped that his remarks would be helpful to the directors and their bands in achieving satisfactory results at Blackpool on the 1st March.

Thanks were accorded to Mr Horsfield for his services and to the bands, and the audience for their participation. Finally the Boarshurst Band and Boarshurst Club must be thanked for once again organising the event and for their generous support and sponsorship of Brass Banding in the North West.

Ken Watts - President

Milnrow Band