Success for brass band in Clonakilty
DROGHEDA Youth Brass Band is celebrating after winning three prizes at the South of Ireland Band Championships in Clonakilty, including second place in the intermediate section.
The band put on a hugely entertaining programme of music and did extremely well to secure second place in a section containing 16 bands.
Adjudicator Philip Harper awarded the Drogheda band secod prize, just behind Fermoy who won and ahead of third place winners Cork Barrack Street.
Drogheda Youth Brass Band conductor Anthony Murphy was awarded an adjudicator’s prize, and the band won a celebratory music award for their upbeat performance of Bruno Mars’ ‘Runaway Baby’.
Their programme featured a very special introduction. The band marched into the venue and onto the stage, where their first number was called ‘Sousa Samba Sandwich’ – a mixture of famous marches by JP Sousa with some improvised samba in the middle! They also played a beautiful arrangement of ‘ Amazing Grace’ and – replete with singers – the Rolling Stones hit ‘Paint It, Black’.
‘ They were amazing,’ said conductor Anthony Murphy about the band afterwards. ‘It was 15 minutes of pure joy. They gave it everything they had, and the audience and the adjudicator clearly loved every minute.’
‘ This band has come so far in the past few years. They were up against many more senior and adult bands. They are blossoming and are a great credit to themselves.’ Videos of the performances are available on YouTube under the search ‘Drogheda Youth Brass Band Clonakilty 2017’.