Winter Gardens Winners
Wardle Anderson Brass Band has around 30 players with the majority being former pupils of Wardle Academy, a few current pupils and about 6 staff members – Brad McCulloch (Conductor), Pete Clark (Principal cornet) Patrick Cooke (Solo Trombone) Patricia Doney, Jane Conway, and Alician Atherton. The band was set up by former headteacher Mr Anderson over 30 years ago for former students to be able to continue playing.
The band played in the First Section of the North West Area Competition held in Winter Gardens, Blackpool and came 1st out of 16 bands!
There was also an overwhelming victor in the First Section, as the filmatic challenges of Philip Lawrence’s ‘A Day in the Life of a Knight’ severely tested all but the title credentials of new champion, Wardle Anderson Brass.
Theirs was the “very clear winner” according to adjudicator Ian Brownbill at the end of a contest that itself felt as drawn out as an Oscar Ceremony as the 16 contenders battled their way through the demanding episodic score.
4Bars Rest – First Section
They also won Trophies for the Best Trombone Section, Winning Conductor and Winning Secretary and have now been invited to the Nationals which is being held in Cheltenham in September.
Not so Wardle, with Brad McCulloch inspiring a performance of confident intensity and musical flow. The quality of the soloists was matched by the ensemble (with award winning sackbut troms), whilst the MD cleverly notched up the drama to a close of technicolour triumph. They will head to Cheltenham as a formidable challenger.
Ian Brownbill admitted that behind the winner, “the next 3 or four were close together”, with bold accounts from Silk Brass and Freckleton just missing out on this occasion, whilst the final top-six place went to Accele8.
Behind them it was the familiar tale of consistency, confidence and cohesion as bands struggled to totally command the Knightly adventures from start to finish.
4Bars Rest –
Well done everyone!
The official Wardle Anderson Brass Facebook page can be viewed here.
