News Archive

Shanklin Town Brass Band, and Shanklin Youth Brass Band, both had a successful trip to Folkestone for the 2009 SCABA Autumn Contest, held at Leas Cliff Hall on Sunday 11th October.

The Youth Band won their section, retaining their title in both the Hymn Tune and Test Piece.  Euphonium player Robert Bartlett (pictured left) took the Best Instrumentalist Prize in the Youth section .  The adjudicator's comments about the Hymn Tune in particular (Eventide) were that the youngsters were capable of competing against some of the bands in the third section - and possibly beating them!

The senior band, recently promoted to the Second section also took a couple of unexpected prizes.  They played Diadem as the Hymn tune, winning with 188 points.

The most encouraging award however, went to the Horn Section, consisting of four girls with an average age of 15, who had competed against players of many years' experience.

This is not the first time the girls have won an award.  Several years ago they won the same prize in the Third Section at the Spring Contest in Hove, demonstrating that the Band have a strong and committed Horn Section with plenty of potential!

Malcolm Lewis, Musical Director, said "Folkestone was a great success for both bands.  I am very proud of the girls in the Horn Section, who once again took on players of many years experience, and once again won."

All four of the successful Horn Section.  Emma Cusworth, Charlotte Lewis, Lauren Sebastian, Millie Pusey

Pictured (from L-R) are Millie Pusey, Emma Cusworth (holding the Trophy - a cut down Tenor Horn!) and Charlotte Lewis.  Not pictured is Lauren Sebastian who returned to University on the evening of the Contest.

Shanklin Town Brass Band deeply regret to announce
the sad death of James Sparks
on 28^th June 2009

Spring 2008 Southern Counties Amateur Bands Association

Hove Town Hall

5^th April 2009

Shanklin Town Youth Brass Band Triumph at Hove Contest

The members of the Youth Band travelled to Hove in Sussex on Sunday 5^th April to take part in the SCABA Spring Contest. Despite stiff competition from Hangleton Youth, they won their section, the March Prize, and Ashley Wicks on Solo Cornet, scooped the Best Instrumentalist Award. MD Malcolm Lewis won the Conductor's Prize

The youngsters performed a  fundraising concert in February at the United Reformed Church in Shanklin to pay for the coach to take them to the Contest and their hard work and dedication has really paid off. 

The success of the Youth Band complements the achievements of the Senior Band who were recently promoted to the Second Section within SCABA and finished fifth overall in the competition.

Oscar Pusey and Sophie Cusworth, accompanied by MD Malcolm Lewis, receive the winner's trophy from John Wiliams, SCABA Chairman.

Talented Youngsters Receive their Associated Board Certificates

14 young players from the Shanklin Town Brass Academy received their certificates for their success in their Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Examinations held in early December last year.

Every youngster entered, passed, two with distinctions, and many more with merits.  The instruments represented almost all parts of the band, including cornets, flugelhorn, tenor horn, euphoniums and baritones and basses.

The levels assessed ranged from foundation level, with three members taking grade I, intermediate level where nine players took grades III-V, and advanced level with two girls taking grade VI.

Spring 2008 Southern Counties Amateur Bands Association

Hove Town Hall

6th April 2008

Shanklin Town Brass Band were represented by both the Senior and Youth Bands at this contest.  Each Band was required to play a March and an own choice Test Piece.  

Shanklin's Senior Band entered the Third section, playing Castell Caerdydd for the march and Four Cities Symphony for the test piece.  You may remember that this is the same Test Piece they played at the West of England Regional Championships that won them 5th place.  This time they came second, scoring 177 points for the March and 182 points for the Test Piece.    

As well as entering their own Section the Senior Band decided to test their musical abilities further by entering the Second Section.  Here they chose to play Punchinello, and scored 183 points.  The test piece they chose for this section was Dimensions, for which they also scored 183 points.  This placed the Band 5th in the Section, pleasing Musical Director Malcolm Lewis who said "I thought I'd made a mistake entering us for the higher section but the Band did me proud - we didn't come last and we didn't come second to last, we came 5th.  A good result"

In the Youth/Third Section the Youth Band played the march Slaidburn and the test piece Stantonbury Festival.  They scored 179 points for each (beating the Senior Band in the March!) and were the highest placed Youth Band. 

James Sparks (pictured left receiving his trophy from John Williams, SCABA Chairman) on Repiano Cornet won the Best Youth Instrumentalist and Musical Director Malcolm Lewis won the Best Youth Conductor's Prize.

2008 West of England Regional Championships

Riviera International Conference Centre

Torquay 

8th March 2008

Twenty five members of Shanklin Town Brass Band travelled to Torquay to take part in this competition.  They performed in the 4th Section, playing a piece written especially for the competition by Rodney Newton called Four Cities Symphony.  The competition was adjudicated by Peter Roberts and Rob Wiffin.

The draw for the running order was announced and STBB were drawn to play last...

Despite the flat acoustics in the Hall the Band managed to produce a crisp and dynamic sound.  Malcolm the MD felt they had played well enough, having heard all the competition play previously, to come 4th or 5th.

The results were announced, and a massive cheer was heard from the Island contingent when they were confirmed as 5th place.  The points showed that they were only two marks away from qualifying for the National Finals in Harrogate.

The top six positions were:

1. Brunel Brass, J. Winterflood
2. Wincanton Silver, B. Kelloway
3. Totnes, I. Wilkinson
4. Bream Silver, H. Cole
5. Shanklin Town Brass (IoW), M. Lewis
6. Weymouth Concert Brass, A. Glynn

4BarsRest, the internet Banding Site had this to say about the Band

"Shanklin Town had not travelled over the sea from the Isle of Wight to give anything less than their all at Saturday’s contest, and they did just that. After waiting all day to play (having drawn 20, and last), Shanklin gave an extremely confident performance of the test piece. Some of the players seemed to be incredibly young, but when listening this was not at all evident, as the sound of the band was easily one of the most balanced of the whole day.

The MD created some very nice shapes with the music, the solo euphonium had a lovely sound and the young chap on bass trombone will be one to watch out for in the future without a shadow of a doubt. Credit must also be given to the band’s percussion section, who really drove everything along and created a real sense of excitement in many places, and ensured the band’s effort ended with a bang (and together as well – something hardly any others actually achieved!).

There were several moments of tuning that was not quite 100% accurate, especially as the piece moved towards its conclusion, and the timpani on which the concert G was being played was horribly flat in places. These did not do too much to detract however, and 5th place was a fine reward for this band made up of mainly extremely young, but all extremely talented players."

23^rd February 2008 - YOUTH BAND FUND RAISING CONCERT