The band enjoyed performing at the Welsh Open Entertainment Contest, held at the Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl on February 16th 2019.
Making a first appearance at the contest since 2016, and in a strong field of Championship and 1st Section bands, the band had the difficult task of catching the ear of adjudicators Philip Harper and Sarah Hayward, with a programmed entitled ‘The Eye of a Child’. The set list was as follows:
- Activate, Matthew Hall (Soloist: Gareth Halfpenny)
- Carnival of Venice, James Benedict/Harry James arr. Mark Freeh (Soloist: Chris Jenkins)
- Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel), Billy Joel arr. Philip Harper (Soloists: Owain Evans, David Kelly, Gareth Halfpenny, Adrian Hiscock and Martyn Llewellyn)
- Helter Skelter, W. G. Lemon arr. Ray Woodfield (Soloist: Sara Llewellyn)
- Tale of the Dragon, Paul Lovatt-Cooper (Soloists: Kevin Shanklin, Chris Jenkins, Owain Evans, Tara Smith, Lyndon Harris and Gareth Halfpenny)
Though the band didn’t feature in the prizes on this occasion, the performance puts the band in good stead ahead of the Welsh Regional Championships in Wrexham in a month’s time.
Another positive from the day was the first contest appearance with the senior band for brothers Tom and Dylan Fowles, who have both progressed through the Junior band. While Tom already has some contesting experience under his belt, this was Dylan’s first ever contest appearance, and both brothers sportingly agreed to play percussion for the demanding final piece of the programme, which even involved playing Japanese Taiko drums!
Full results for the day are below.
| Position | Band | Conductor | Draw | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Filton Concert Brass | Tom Davoren | 13 | 193 |
| 2 | City of Cardiff M1 Band | Chris Bond | 4 | 190 |
| 3 | Llwydcoed Band | Chris Turner | 7 | 189 |
| 4 | Thundersley Brass Band | Melvin White | 12 | 188 |
| 5 | Jackfield Brass Band | David Maplestone | 6 | 187 |
| 6 | Tongwynlais Temperance Band | Gareth Hann | 1 | 186 |
| 7 | Enderby Band | Ryan Richards | 10 | 185 |
| 8 | Haverhill Silver Band | Paul Filby | 8 | 184 |
| 9 | Burry Port Town Band | Ceri John | 9 | 182 |
| 10 | Pontardulais Town Band | Paul Jenkins | 11 | 181 |
| 11 | Tylorstown Band | Gary Davies | 5 | 180 |
| 12 | A.W. Parker Drybrook Band | Joshua Ruck | 2 | 178 |
| 13 | B. T. M. Band | Jeff Hutcherson | 14 | 177 |
| 14 | Abergavenny Borough Band | Sean O’Neil | 3 | 176 |
Most Entertaining Band: Filton Concert Brass
Best First Section Band (not in main prizes): Jackfield Brass Band
Best Soloist: James McLeod – Euphonium (Thundersley Brass Band)
Best Cornet: Tim Pannell (Haverhill Silver Band)
Best Soprano Cornet: Adrian Williams (Burry Port)
Best Horn Section: Filton Concert Brass
Best Percussion Section: Jackfield Brass Band
Youngest Player: Dylan Rowlands – 12 (Burry Port)
Spring Festival Invitation: Thundersley Brass Band
