Lostock Hall Memorial Brass Band has beaten off competition from around the world to win the 3rd Section of the Cory Online Brass Band Championships.
As well as claiming the overall honours, the band scooped awards for ‘Most Entertaining Programme’, ‘Best Horns’ and ‘Best Percussion’.
The competition was organised by The Cory Band, which was founded in Wales in 1884, and is the world’s best brass band.
Led by MD Ryan Broad, the band came up against competitors from as far afield as Germany, South Korea, and Australia in the final on Saturday 26 September.
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The Lostock Hall band used events of the past year – including the Covid-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement – as inspiration for its performances.
After opening with a brand new composition ‘Lockdown’, baritone solo ‘We Shall Overcome’ followed. The finale was the Disney classic ‘Go the Distance’, which was performed with a lyrical twist referring to the need in 2020 to social distance.
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You can watch the band’s winning performance below. If the video doesn’t display, watch it on the Lostock Hall Memorial Brass Band Facebook page.
A spokesperson for the band said: “The band really enjoyed the challenge of performing distantly to the brand new pieces, and were delighted to be announced 3rd Section winners.”
A review of the band’s performance by 4barsrest magazine said: “The adjudicating trio of Rob Nicholson, Nigel Seaman and Glyn Williams were certainly impressed – with Glyn simply describing it with ‘Wow!’ – praising its imagination, delivery, confidence and production values.
“That was echoed by both Rob and Nigel who were equally bowled over – ‘ticking’ every box they were looking for.”
Band member Richard Kay, who has played in the band for 16 years since the age of seven, said: “We should have been representing the North West at the national finals in Cheltenham, but due to current circumstances it had been cancelled.
“The online competition was a great incentive for us all to play together remotely.”
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Have you heard the Lostock Hall brass band play before? Let us know in the comments below