Concert band are the best in the land – official!
A LOWER EARLEY concert band has been making sweet music after achieving a top award in a national finals earlier this month.
Trinity Concert Band achieved the Platinum award in the finals of the National Concert Band Festival at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester
The group, which regularly performs across the borough, were the only British band in the Community Wind Band category to receive this top accolade.
Under the direction of Paul Speed they performed three pieces for the judges to showcase their versatility.
They were: Exultate by Samuel Hazo, Nigel Hess’ Dark Lochnagar and John Barnes Chance’s Variations on a Korean Folk Song.
The two adjudicators said: “[It was] a very musical performance with lots of colour, variety and clarity. Very balanced in style, and plenty of contrasts and vitality.
“Thank you very much for your performance, it was very enjoyable and delivered with a real sense of occasion. Congratulations.”
Trinity Concert Band was formed just 17 years ago and was the youngest band in the their category.
It is the third time that the group has been invited to the finals, each time improving, from a Silver award, then Gold, to this year’s Platinum.
Band chairman Phil Graham said: “We pulled out all the stops on Sunday and our band members can be justly proud of their achievement.
“We must, of course, thank Paul Speed for his tireless efforts in developing Trinity Concert Band over recent years.”
Their success, on Sunday, April 8, came days after their recent St Patrick’s Day concert in All Saints Church in Wokingham town centre.
They will be taking part in the Sunny Saturdays programme in Wokingham town centre on August 4, and also planning to return to All Saints Church on November 10 for an Armistice commemoration as part of the Wokingham’s planned programme of events remembering the end of the Great War.
For more details, log on to www. trinityband.co.uk