Lanner Brass Academy - West of England Bandsman’s Festival at Bugle

Lanner Brass Academy brings home the silver at first contest appearance

The Lanner Brass Academy, formed in 2010, took part in the Annual West of England Bandsman’s Festival at Bugle on Saturday, 16th June 2012. This saw the Academy take part in its first ever contest and despite battling strong wind and rain, were rewarded with second place in the Training Section. There was a further reward when the band’s principal cornet player, Siana Rouse, was awarded the special prize as she was judged by adjudicator, Derek Greenwood, to be the best cornet player in the section.

Mr Greenwood commented that the choice of music, A London Prelude, A Whole New World (cornet solo) and Children’s March, was a good program.

Both audience and adjudicator had trouble hiding their surprise when 8 year old Siana walked on stage to collect her award; she was the only solo cornet of the day whose feet couldn’t even reach the music stand to stop it blowing over!

Academy Director, Phil Matthews, said, “The Academy has made massive strides since it was started from scratch 2½ years ago. I knew they were progressing well and they all worked hard to play the music that was chosen for them but to be placed 2nd exceeded all our expectations. We put tremendous significance at Lanner into bringing young people in brass music making and all our members receive a lot of tuition and support from the organisation. I’m really looking forward to see what we will achieve over the next 2½ years”.

Band Chairman (and very proud father of Siana!), Lee Rouse added, “We are all delighted at what our Academy has achieved at its debut contest performance. It is very pleasing that we have a stable membership in the Academy. As an organisation we have invested heavily in attracting young people into banding and this has led to us outgrowing our current band HQ. We have well developed plans to move from our current HQ into a purpose built facility and much of the work that has gone into designing this has focused on the need to create a building that is very suitable for brass teaching. All being well, we will have relocated in time to prepare for next year’s West of England Bandsman’s Festival”.

The full contest results are;

Championship Section

Test Piece – Tallis Variations

1st St Dennis 191
2nd St Austell 190
3rd Mount Charles 189

Melody – I’ll Walk with God

1st St Dennis 188
2nd St Austell 187
3rd Mount Charles 186

Best Player – Lee Wylde Cornet (St Dennis)

First Section

Test Piece – A Cornish Festival

1st Helston Town 187
2nd Bugle Silver 186
3rd Camborne Brass 185

March – Arnhem

1st Helston Town 186
2nd Camborne Brass 185
3rd Bugle Silver 184

Best Player – Leanne Osbourne Flugel (Helston Town)

Second Section

Test Piece-Symphonic Suite for Brass Band

1st Heyl Town 180
Hymn-Aurelia
1st Heyl Town 180

Best Player – Matt Livingstone Solo Horn (Heyl Town)

Third Section

Test Piece-Anglian Dances

1st Tiverton Town 180

Best Player Tina Pillivant Cornet (Tiverton Town)

Fourth Section

Test Piece – English Folk Song Suite

1st Tiverton Town 178
2nd Redruth Town 177
3rd Lostwithiel Town 176
4th Liskeard Silver 175
5th Okehampton Excelsior Silver 174
6th Camborne Junior Contest 173
7th St Newlyn East 172

Best Player Tanya Gilbert-Davis Cornet (Redruth Town)

Youth Section

10 minutes Own Choice

1st Mount Charles Youth 185

Best Player Rachel Crabb Euphonium (Mount Charles)

Best Cornet Player Tom Feeney (Mount Charles)

Training Section

10 minutes Own Choice

1st St Austell Junior 175
2nd Lanner Brass Academy 174
3rd Plymouth Soundhouse Junior 172
4th Launceston Junior 171
5th Lostwithiel Junior 170

Best Player – A Brown, Percussion (Launceston Junior)

Best Cornet Player – Siana Rouse (Lanner Brass Academy)

Deportment

1st Okehampton Excelsior Silver 34
2nd Bugle Silver 32

Special Awards (Open to all Sections)

Best Soprano – Paul Richards (St Dennis)
Best Solo Cornet – Lee Wylde (St Dennis)
Best Euphonium – Kim Bazeley (St Dennis)
Best Solo Horn – Joanna Powell (St Austell)
Best Set of Basses – St Austell