BTM travelled to the Severn Vale School in Quedgeley on Sunday 19 November, to compete at the GBBA (Gloucestershire Brass Band Association) Own-Choice March & Test Piece contest.
It was the band's debut appearance at this event, and the players felt "match-fit" after the previous day's appearance at the SEWBBA competition in Penarth. The band felt confident on putting out a good performance against a strong field of 15 bands.
Programme:
March - Praise (Wilfred Heaton) Paganini Variations (Philip Wilby)
We only went and won!!!! The band achieved the following prizes:
1st Overall Best Cornet (Seamus Gallagher) Best Flugel (Andrew King) Best Bass Section Best Soloist - Section 1 (Tom King, soprano) Best Overall March Best Section 1 March Best Overall Test Piece Best Section 1 Test Piece Best Conductor - Jeff Hutcherson
A total of eight trophies to bring back to South Wales! Not a bad day at the office... and the band celebrated in true BTM style on the coach ride home and at the bandroom.
Thanks go to "deps" Tom King (Llwydcoed Brass Band) & Geraint Warlow (Lewis Merthyr Band), as well as returning familiar faces Samuel Levy, Nick Jones & Jordan Williams. What a performance!
Congratulations to the Gloucestershire Brass Band Association for such a well-run contest, and to all the staff for making us feel so welcome on our debut at the event. We hope to be back next year to defend our trophies!