L&SC National Qualifying Contest
Every year the biggest contest a band can play in is the qualifiers for the National Brass Band Championships, which are currently held every March in Stevenage for the London & Southern Counties region.
The highlights of this contest have been in reaching the National finals five times in three different sections. In 1997 the band became the London & Southern Counties Second Section Champions much to the delight of the players and their conductor Christine Nonoo in her first contest with the band. The prize for winning was a trip to the finals held in the marvellous setting of the new Symphony Hall in Birmingham.
Our most recent visit to the National Finals was in 2008 when Brighton were one of two bands from Sussex to qualify for the finals at Harrogate. The band achieved 3rd place at the London & Home Counties regional heats, competing against 18 other bands all performing 'Dark Side of the Moon by Paul Lovett Cooper'. On the finals day in September, the band performed a 15 minute piece called 'Suite for Brass' (originally written for a string ensemble) and were adjudged to have come 11th. We may not have won a prize, but to have been placed as the 11th best 3rd section band in the England, Scotland and Wales was considered an excellent achievement.
Qualifying Results
| Year | Section | Conductor | Test Piece | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1988 |
4th |
John Williams | Statonbury Festival | 4th |
| 1989 | 4th | John Williams | Suite for Brass | 3rd* |
| 1990 | 3rd | John Williams | Divertimento for Brass | 15th |
| 1991 | 3rd | Dave Allen | Triptych | 18th |
| 1992 | 3rd | Dave Allen | Suite for Brass | 17th |
| 1993 | 3rd | Dave Allen | Shipbuilders | 15th |
| 1994 | 3rd | Christine Nonoo | Chorale & Toccata | 1st* |
| 1995 | 3rd | Christine Nonoo | Snowdon Fantasy | 9th |
| 1996 | 3rd | Christine Nonoo | Divertimento | 10th |
| 1997 | 2nd | Estelle Flood | New Buckingham Suite | 1st* |
| 1998 | 1st | Estelle Flood | Purcell Variations | 12th |
| 1999 | 1st | Estelle Flood | Kenilworth | 12th |
| 2000 | 1st | Estelle Flood | Music for the Common Man | 11th |
| 2001 | 2nd | Estelle Flood | The Moor of Venice | 8th |
| 2002 | 2nd | Estelle Flood | Symphony for Brass | 7th |
| 2003 | 2nd | Estelle Flood | Celestial Prospect | 3rd* |
| 2004 | 2nd | Estelle Flood | Kaleidoscope | 13th |
| 2005 | 2nd | Christer Aberg | Variations for Brass Band | 12th |
| 2006 | 2nd | John Williams | Images of the Millennium | 8th |
| 2007 | 3rd | Matthew Hackett | Prelude & Jubilate | 8th |
| 2008 | 3rd | Matthew Hackett | The Dark Side of the Moon | 3rd* |
| 2009 | 2nd | Matthew Hackett | New World Sketches |
15th |
| 2010 | 2nd | Matthew Hackett | Kingdom of Dragons |
16th |
* Denotes qualified for the finals
Final Results
| Year | Section | Conductor | Test Piece | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 4th | John Williams | Contrasten | London | 3rd |
| 1994 | 3rd | Christine Nonoo | Partita for Brass Band | London | 15th |
| 1997 | 2nd | Estelle Flood | Partita for Band | Birmingham | 11th |
| 2003 | 2nd | Estelle Flood | Sunset Rhapsody | Dundee | 10th |
| 2008 | 3rd | Matthew Hackett | Suite for Brass | Harrogate | 11th |