Aylesbury Concert Band entered the Midlands Regional National Concert Band Festival in Northampton on November 18th and received a Gold Award in the Community Band class.
The festival gives bands the opportunity to have their performance assessed by eminent adjudicators, which on this occasion were Rob Wiffin, previously Principal Director of Music of the Royal Air Force, now Professor of Conducting at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, and John Greaves, advisor and conductor to the European Youth Summer Music School and acting Head of Service for Music Cornwall.
Bands can be awarded bronze, silver, gold, or platinum based on their performance of a short programme. Aylesbury Concert Band played three pieces: Shining Sword, by Rob Wiffin, October, by Eric Whitacre and Stephenson’s Rocket, by Nigel Hess.
The adjudicators were impressed with the standard and quality of the playing summarising their adjudication with “A well-contrasted programme with good colours, blends and dynamics, overall a very commendable effort”.
Conductor, Claire Lawrence, was particularly pleased “I’m delighted that all the band’s hard work in the weekly rehearsals has earned them a Gold Award. The festival performance contained a consistently high level of musicality, some accomplished solo and section playing and a great team effort to show the band at its very best.”
Martin Brown, Chairman of the band added “it is always great to see a band whose origins began in the Aylesbury community do so well in a festival such as this as it further reinforces our belief that Aylesbury Concert Band is one of the best in the area. Our band members come from in and around Aylesbury and we are hopeful following this result we will attract further players”.
This is the fifth time the Band has entered the festival, gaining bronze in 1999, silver in 2004, gold in 2006 and silver in 2008.