A National Finals to remember
It was a weekend to remember for the East of England Co-op Band as we travelled to York to compete in the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain – and returned home with the highest National Finals placing in the band’s history.
The journey from Suffolk to York on Friday was not without its challenges, with traffic problems making the trip rather longer than anticipated. Eventually, though, the band arrived at our base for the weekend, the Burn Hall Hotel, where we settled in before a first rehearsal (in a room with fairy lights and a disco ball!) and a well-earned band meal.
Our rehearsal room at the Burn Hall Hotel
A table at the band meal for some of the younger members of the band (and Shippy!)
Saturday morning saw an unusual start to the day for two members of our bass section, who managed to fit in the York Community Woodland parkrun before joining the rest of the band for our final rehearsal. Quite a way to warm up before a National Final!
Garry (EEb Bass) and Andy (BBb Bass) ready for their 5K parkrun before our Saturday rehearsal
The National Brass Band Championships Finals bring together the winners and runners-up from each of the nine regional championships across Great Britain, making it one of the major occasions in the brass band calendar. This year, 18 bands gathered at the York Barbican to compete for the First Section title.
Our draw saw us playing 15th, giving us plenty of time to listen to some of the other bands before taking to the stage.
The test piece for the First Section was Beyond the Falls: The Smoke That Thunders by Andrew Wainwright. Inspired by the story of the Victorian explorer and missionary, Dr David Livingstone and his discovery of the mighty Victoria Falls, the work gave the band plenty to get their teeth into, with contrasting sections requiring precision, control, powerful playing and plenty of musical detail.
When our turn finally came, the band delivered a performance we were hugely pleased with. There was a real sense that the hard work of the weeks and months leading up to York had come together on the day. Our full performance is available to watch on wobplay, and we would encourage anyone who wants to experience the performance to take a look.
The Band on stage at The Barbican, York
That preparation has been a real team effort, with Musical Director Mark Ager working tirelessly with the band to develop the performance and get the very best from us. Every member of the band has contributed to what has been a fantastic year.
Then came the results – and 6th place for the East of England Co-op Band.
To finish sixth at a National Final is a fantastic achievement, and represents the highest placing the band has ever achieved at this level. The adjudicators, David Hirst, David Thornton and Mark Wilkinson, had some particularly encouraging comments, describing the performance as having “lots to admire”, with “great soloists” and praising the “detail/accuracy and attention to balancing”.
For the band, those comments were a fitting recognition of the work that has gone into reaching this point. Sixth in the country is something everyone connected with the East of England Co-op Band can be proud of.
And there is another exciting chapter still to come. Following our successful season, the band will be promoted to the Championship Section in 2027.
Before then, though, we can look back on a memorable weekend in York – a weekend that saw the East of England Co-op Band compete on one of the biggest stages in British brass banding, achieve its best-ever National Finals result, and enjoy an experience that will live long in the memory.