MK Brass compete in the London and Southern Counties Region contest

Like hundreds of brass bands all over the country, on 18 March MK Brass travelled to The Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage, to compete at the qualifiers for The National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.

MK Brass has been preparing for this, the London & Southern Counties regional qualifier or ‘area’ contest for several months. For those who aren’t aware, this is the competition which grades the bands in their respective divisions/sections (see https://www.regional-contest.org.uk/lsc/), the placings at the ‘area’ are averaged over a three year period, and that’s how the division/section placings are calculated, with the top bands being promoted and bottom 2 or 3 being demoted.

The piece selected for the band this year was A Day in The Life of Knight by Phil Laurence, a seriously descriptive piece of music, depicting (you guessed it!) a typical if somewhat fantastical daily activities of a medieval knight. The composer describes it below….

The opening scene would depict standing on the battlements of a castle hearing the thundering hoofs of our brave Knight's horse miles in the distance. His arrival is expected, and his reputation is known across many lands. Today, he is to joust amongst mere mortal knights and compete for the hand of the fair (and local) Princess.

He vanquishes all competitors and wins the day. The scene moves to evening and court where reception and dance is to be held for our winning knight. Both Knight and Princess become centre of attention during the dance. Their eyes only for each other.

At last, the Knight has a chance to be a lone with his Princess as they steal away from the celebrations to a star lit rampart above the castle gardens, where the Knight declares his ever-lasting love and pledges his life and of honour to her. He asks her hand, meanwhile monks pray in the below chapel hoping for union. She says yes. It is announced in court, then blown from the battlements.

Day breaks: he is brought word of evil doings back in his own land. He leaves word to the Princess that he will be back soon to take her hand. The trouble back home was a rouse to get him away from the Princess so one of the vanquished, a dark knight in yesterday’s joust, has summoned a dragon to kidnap the princess for his own.

As the truth of the deception reaches our Knight, he quickly returns to face the varlet that has taken his Lady. This time tis no joust, but a fight to the death with the dark knight and dragon. Our champion proves his best once again and wins the day and the hand of his Princess forever!

The band produced a fine show, with many players and our MD Jonathan Mott leaving the stage very happy with the performance both musically and technically.

The adjudicators placed the band 8th out of a field of 16th. A credible result, but slightly disappointing considering how well – it turned out that the judging panel was looking for a perhaps more lyrical and musical performance, something which was quite the opposite in the Midlands area which took place a couple of weeks before.

The 8th place does however maintain MK Brass’ status at the very top of the first section grading table, topping the section as the two bands above are promoted and as such remaining in strong contention for promotion to the top-flight, Championship section next year.