Contests – Carlton Brass

Midlands Area 2020

8th March 202017th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

The band have been exceptionally busy preparing for the 2020 Midlands Regional Contest in Bedworth. We’ve had some ups and downs over the last year or so and some serious ground to make up in the First Section table after last year’s disappointing result. We were hoping for a good result this year and we got one: 7th! This was only possible thanks to the hard work of all involved, especially those new to band. We had to find a whole new percussion section and one or two other players, but everyone that joined fitted in wonderfully with our existing members. Everyone pulled together and we were really happy with our preparations. Legacy Our performance on stage was everything we wanted - nothing was left in the band room. We played it absolutely as best as we could and we were delighted with the result. We avoided relegation to the Second Section and have improved our position for next year too. We had some really...

Good result for Carlton Brass in Bedworth

16th March 200910th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

Saturday 14th of March 2009 saw Carlton Brass compete at the Midlands Regional Contest in the First Section. This was the band's second year in this section and there were high hopes of repeating last year's excellent 4th position. The test piece was the rather difficult Pentacle by talented, young composer Graham Cole. Graham had created a piece of music that would have tested most Championship Section bands and comments around the various regionals have shown that many bands have struggled at rehearsals with Pentacle. Opinion of the piece has been divided. Some people love it and some don't but the band managed to find enough music in the piece to be adjudged sixth in a field of 16 bands. Despite a wobble during the Fire movement the other four movements featured some good ensemble work and many fine solos that impressed the two adjudicators enough to give us a top six finish. The band were delighted with the result considering the difficulty...

Midlands Regional Contest 2009

11th March 200910th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

The Midlands Area approaches and Carlton Brass are busy working up this year's challenging test piece Pentacle. Written by Graham Cole, and based on the myths and legends surrounding the ancient symbol of the same name, the piece is proving to be a bit of a handful. Pentacle is a very modern brass band piece of music and contains some very clever, if difficult, musical ideas. Most themes are created around the use of fives which makes for some interesting intervals and time changes, however the band has been working hard at rehearsals and will be ready for the challenge. Once again the area contest is being held in Bedworth with 16 bands competing in the first section. Results from the North-West and Yorkshire regionals have suggested the piece is proving to be a real test for many bands. Brass band news website 4barsrest is predicting us to come third on Saturday. We will see, but if we do achieve that position we...

Whit Fun

21st May 200810th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

Carlton Brass have enjoyed a fun day (and night) in the delightful region of Tameside for the traditional Brass Band event Whit Friday Marches. The band loaded themselves into a large, red Premier coach at two in the afternoon and headed across the Derbyshire Dales towards the beer-soaked, band-loving villages of Lancashire. The drive over was made more interesting by the Satnav device favoured by the driver - it seemed intent on taking us around tight, tree-lined corners and roads so narrow that they make cyclists breathe in a bit on the way through. We arrived a little later than planned at Stalybridge Celtic, our first venue. Our tardiness didn't seem to matter, though, as we still arrived earlier than the adjudicator, a certain Mr Duncan Beckley. The traffic is appalling around here during the Whit Friday Marches so perhaps he managed to get stuck behind some other TomTom-following coach on a narrow road somewhere. Once the adjudicator was tucked away in his...

Friday 16th May 2008 – Whit Friday Marches

12th May 200810th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

Carlton Brass will be attending the famous Whit Friday Marches this coming Friday 16th May 2008. The band will be heading to t'other side of t' Pennines to compete against some of the country's finest Brass Bands around the beautiful villages around the Oldham and Saddleworth area. If you're in the area then please either gives a cheer or buy us a drink. This marching lark is thirsty work! We could do with a couple of cornet players for the day, so if you're free and happy to help us out then please check out the list of contacts and give us a call....

Success at the Midlands Area

13th March 200810th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

2008 has seen Carlton Brass in the First Section for the very first time in its history, and so the band was expecting a tough task at this year's area contest in Bedworth. The chosen test piece, James Cook Circumnavigator by Gilbert Vinter, was a difficult piece and we had spent many extra rehearsals polishing our performance. It would be fair to say that every band had its problems with James Cook on the day and the winners, the excellent Glossop Old, were clearly superior to all the other contenders in the section. However, we somehow managed to produce a polished, sympathetic performance of the test piece and were rewarded with a superb fourth place. Considering that this was our first year in the higher section this was an outstanding result and something that we're all very proud about. The only disappointment was the fact that, yet again, we had missed out on a trip to the National Finals by a single...

Butlins Mineworkers Contest 2008

23rd January 200810th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

The 2008 contesting season got underway in sunny Skegness last weekend with the 2008 Butlins Minworkers Championships. Carlton Brass joined the First Section for the very first time in a huge field of 24 bands, vying for the top prize of £1500 and the much sought-after champions banner. The choice of test piece was a golden oldie - Edward Gregson's The Plantagenets - a piece we'd been practising since last year for the Leicester and Leamington contests. It's a great piece, full of clever musicality and the odd trap-door for the unsuspecting soloists. Our performance was one of great potential - there were some lovely moments here and there - but spoiled by too many mistakes from all around the stands. In the end it was a case of "what might have been" as we came a creditable 9th, but we knew that we'd left a much better performance at our rehearsal the night before. The band was suitably disappointed with our performance...

Carlton wins in Leicester

23rd November 200710th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

Carlton breaks its long run of minor 3rds with a major 1st, as well as retaining the Soloist Prize. Walter Ritchie and Carlton Brass are over the moon after winning the 2nd Section at the Leicester Open. Playing band number 4 they broke their long running spate of 3rd places, (Butlin’s and the Area three times). Also it was great news for Steve Parker on Soprano Cornet who retained the soloist prize yet again, well done Steve see you in the club on Monday It was with a twinge of sorrow ...

Stannington sweep the board

17th September 200710th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

Lakeside Entertainments Contest Stannington band took home 1st prize and the George Slattery Memorial Cup as well as the prize and trophy for the most entertaining band. The entertainment adjudicators commented: "Looked Good…..All Round Entertainment.....The Best & Most Entertaining Band". These prizes were received on stage by the band’s youngest member - Cornet player Becky Ball who has recently progressed from Stannington’s training band and promises to be a ‘star of the ...

The 3rd Annual Lakeside Open Invitation Contest

2nd September 200710th January 2022 By Dave RuttNo Comments

Carlton Brass in association with Lakeside presents: 3rd Annual Open Invitation Contest Sunday 16th September 2007 Adjudicator: David Read Compare: Lyndon Cooper of Newstead Welfare Band Draw 11am Start 12 Noon Full outdoor BBQ Breakfast and Dinner plus cheap outdoor bar at Lakeside Enjoy good music in the fantastic settings of Lakeside, located on Mansfield Road, Arnold, Nottingham NG58PH (more…)...