Newstead Make Contest Progress with Titans

Newstead Brass opened their 2011 contest season with a solid performance at the prestigious ‘Brass at the Guild’ competition which attracted 40 bands to the Preston Guild Hall on Sunday February 6th.

Newstead played 4th of the 12 bands in the ‘Championship Section’ and chose to give an early run-out to Titan’s Progress by Hermann Pallhuber, the set piece for this year’s Grand Shield competition at Blackpool in May. This immensely challenging piece, based on a theme by Mahler, was originally used at the British Open Brass Band Championship finals in 2009.

Musical director Duncan Beckley led a good performance by the band which drew positive comments from many in the audience and was awarded 6th place by adjudicator David Horsfield. Top prize went to Pemberton Old Wigan DW with runners up Felling from the north-east and the third prize to the Hammonds Saltaire band.

Our special thanks to former principal euphonium Simon Rotchell who returned at less than a week’s notice to stand in for Lynden Cooper, recovering from a recent road accident, as well as Rob, John and Minesh who helped us for this event.

The band now focus on the Midlands area championships in March and the test piece preview evening at the Newstead Centre from 7.00 pm on Sunday February 27th when Newstead will be joined by bands from Hathern, Long Eaton, Shirebrook and Whitwell with each band playing the music set for its grade of the championship as well a hymn tune.