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| Milnrow Band members with the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Award. |
Competing in the ‘Masters’ for the first time and against an exalted company of brass bands from England and the continent, Milnrow Band, under the direction of Mark Bentham, was placed above 12 other competitors with its performance being surpassed only by the winners, Virtuosi GUS Band (formerly the Munn & Felton band).
Playing from the number six position, Milnrow provided the audience with a sparkling and robust performance of the test piece, ‘Salute to Youth’ by Gilbert Vinter.
Written in 1961 the piece was used at the National Brass Band Championship qualifying rounds in 1962. Reflecting aspects of youth, it comprises of three technically challenging sections ‘resilience’, ‘romance’ and ‘relaxation’. It was Vinters' first composition for brass bands and in the period until his death in 1969 he was to have a great influence on music of the brass band genre. The first movement portrays ‘resilience’ with the use of a theme and heroic fanfare with a 'full blooded' ending.
Milnrow gave its all in a fantastic show of brilliant sound and team coordination, what a start to Milnrow's musical contribution, it has been proved in the past that Milnrow Band has the quality of soloists and support players with which to give any band a ‘run for its money’ in the smooth, sweet and lyrical playing such as required in the second movement ‘romance’.
The playing in this ‘love story section’ was as exquisite as it was impressive, with the band evoking a sense of true emotion, somewhat endorsed by the adjudicators favourable remarks.
Thus having so far provided the audience with what some listeners perceived as a near flawless performance, it was imperative that the players did not lose concentration and power in ‘relaxation’ the final movement. Musically anything but relaxing, this final movement, exhibited, in turn, youthful exuberance, drive, and energy with a reprise of the original theme, all in all a test of stamina for competing bands.
If the stamina of this ‘young’ Milnrow Band was ever in question, all doubts were confounded with its playing of this last section with which it completed its musical offering with a flourish, leaving both players and listeners with a sense of pleasurable exhaustion.
Adjudicators Mark Wilkinson and Stephen Roberts were suitably impressed with one remarking: "The performance was a technical tour de force, the detail was brilliant."
Ken Watts, Band President said: “We would also like to give thoughts and appreciation to past MDs and members who have made it possible over the years for Championship Milnrow Band to still exist and enjoy its most successful period in its long history of 146 years.
“Well done everyone, we are proud of you.”
