Members of the Long Eaton Silver Prize Band have travelled south to attend the Midlands Regional Brass Band Championships.
The band, which is led by musical director Sharon Stansfield, was pitted against thirteen other brass brands from around the Midlands in performing ‘Chorale and Toccata’, penned by composer Stephen Bulla.
Despite the pressure of being the last competitor of the day, the band gave what has been described as a "fantastic" rendition of the piece, and clinched 2nd place overall - the band’s highest placing in the competition since 2012, with a performance which adjudicators said contained “very good musical moments, style, and lots of details”.
The result means that the band will have the honour of representing Long Eaton and the Midlands at the finals of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, to be held in Cheltenham in September.
Speaking about the latest success, Sharon said: “I am delighted with the way the band played and the commitment they have shown, and we are looking forward very much to representing our town, borough and midlands area at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain”.
The band’s attention now turns to preparing for the National Finals, including fundraising to ensure they can attend and do Long Eaton proud.
Any support is hugely appreciated, and there are numerous ways to do so:
- Listen to the band – the band regularly performs around the borough and in the wider Midlands, a calendar of upcoming concerts is on the band’s website.
- The band has recently released a CD – 'Pass Time with Good Company' – priced at £5, these can be bought at any band concert or by contacting Sharon or the band through Facebook.
Alternatively, fundraising is being carried out to pay for the costs of attending the National Finals through GoFundMe - the band is immensely grateful for any support received on their journey to Cheltenham.