The Reading Spring Gardens Brass Band enjoyed a somewhat historic day on Saturday last when it entered the unregistered section of the Oxfordshire & District Brass Band Association’s Winter Contest under the baton of David Ruel.
This marked the end of a 35-year absence from a local association brass band contest. Records show that the band last competed at Reading Contest in 1984 on the third section test piece ‘Sunset Rhapsody’ by Eric Ball with then conductor Ted Watkins.
Adjudicator Phillip Littlemore awarded the band first place for its performance of ‘St. Andrew’s Variations’ by Alan Fernie.
Some very good work throughout. Well done.
phillip Littlemore, Adjudicator
Phillip also presented a further award to the band’s principal euphonium player Michael Fowkes who was named ‘Best Instrumentalist’.
Looking forward, the band will be preparing a new repertoire of concert music for ‘Reading Festival of Brass’ which will be held at the ‘Michael Malnick Centre’ at Leighton Park School in Reading on Sunday 5th May with special guests Saint Sebastian Wokingham and Tadley Concert Brass Bands.
The player line-up who all contributed to this historic success under the baton of their Musical Director David Ruel are listed as follows:
Soprano Cornet
Matthew Ruel
Solo Cornets
Jack Porter, Meg Hope, Rebecca Devaney, Gaynor Popplestone
Back Row Cornets
Graham Netherton, Ella Smith, Oliver Williamson, Philip Edwards
Flugelhorn
Nigel Winter
Tenor Horns
Cheryl Heppenstall, Paul Barker, Jacqueline Ruel
Euphoniums
Michael Fowkes, Julia Bonewell
Baritones
Robin Welch, James Hope
Trombones
Chris Urwin, Mark Hawkins
EEb Bass
Keith Manning, David Holmes, Graham Dearman
BBb Bass
Thomas Gowers, Phillip Vanstone
Percussion
Tim Lain, Philip Davey
