Oxford Contest – How did it go?
Despite 4 of our members having severe accidents and injuries on the week of the contest (resulting in us significantly down on players and needing to borrow a soprano from other band), we gallantly tried our best at the Contest in Oxford and gave it our all.
We used this contest as an opportunity to premiere our March Area contest piece, “The Rise of the Phoenix”. The Areas determine our placing in the section (a bit like football leagues), so giving the test piece an airing is always something we try to do.
Our principal solo cornet player and flugel horn players pulled off beautiful solos and the incredibly difficult solo bass part was nailed by the E flat bass and then abley helped by the B flat during the difficult ensemble.
Philip Littlemore, the adjudicator, gave some really constructive remarks and we are grateful that we now have a couple more weeks to work on these before the Area Contest.