Milnrow Band prepare for North West Area Championships

Milnrow Band

Boarshurst Band Club was the venue  on Sunday 2 March for an evening of music by five local brass bands.

The bands are all due to compete at the North West Area Championships (2014) at the Winter Gardens Blackpool on Sunday 9 March.

Test pieces relevant to sections four through to championship were played to a large and appreciative audience by the bands present.

The evening was organised and compered by David Ashworth and each performance was “assessed", with relevant remarks by well known local musician, conductor and cornet player Rob Westacott.

First band on stage was Greenfield and with a performance of the fourth section test piec 'Three Spanish Impressions for Brass Band', by Alan Fernie. 

After a short break the second band was Boarshurst with its version of the third section test piece 'Partita for Band' (a post card from home), by Professor Philip Wilby.

Mossley band followed with a polished performance of the second section piece 'Chaucer Tunes', by Dr Michael Ball.

VBS Poynton showed its mettle with the first section music 'Cry of the Mountain'  (Howard Lorriman). 

The final offering of the evening was by local championship section band Milnrow with a performance of 'St Magnus', by Kenneth Downie.

It was evident that after weeks of preparation the music was well in the process of being honed to perfection and with one week to the contest all that is needed is a tweak here and there to enable them to give a good account of themselves at Blackpool and perhaps attain qualification in their respective sections for an appearance in the finals later in the year.

Milnrow Band will be performing the Champion Section Test Piece, St Magnus, with an open rehearsal at The Hollingworth Academy, Cornfield Street, Milnrow on Thursday 6 March at 7.00pm. All are welcometo this rehearsal with notes and explanations given by the band's professional conductor Mareika Gray. Entry is free.