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Desford Colliery Band was delighted to have been awarded 2nd place at this year’s All-England International Masters Championship. Defending the title won last year conductor Jason Katsikaris produced a rhythmically detailed reading of “Master of Space and Time” which was well received by all three adjudicators, audience and band alike.
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Looking towards the British Open in September, the band has announced its conductor for Birmingham, and the Nationals Finals, as James Gourlay. James is currently musical director of Grimethorpe Colliery, but with professional conductor, Allan Withington directing them that day, James was able to accept Desford’s invitation.
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The Area competition this year was one of those days when all went well. We won, retaining our title for the first time since 2003!
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Close on the heels of Skegness came a trip to Manchester to the Royal Northern College of Music. This was a very welcome invitation, our first since 1993. The theme of the festival being a celebration of the music of Gilbert Vinter.
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The 2009 Mineworkers Butlins - Skegness
January 2009 found the band bracing themselves once again as we headed for the seaside glory of Skegness to defend our Mineworkers title! Russell Gray was to conduct us as he had the previous year and hopes were as strong as the wind from the sea as we set out for the bracing east coast.
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The All England Masters International
The Desford band is delighted that the Jason Katsikaris has agreed to conduct the band in its defence of the Master’s title on 24th may. Jason has a proven pedigree at the highest level; he is currently the principal conductor of the Leyland band. In addition to the contest Jason will be taking the band on Saturday 23rd for a pre contest concert also in the Corn Exchange in Cambridge.
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Desford crowned 2008 All England Masters International Champions
Cementing the band’s best ever start to a year, Desford have recorded a hat-trick of wins in 2008. The performance of Martin Ellerby’s “Malcolm Arnold Variations” found favour from the panel of three judges - Eric Crees, David Read and Philip Sparke.
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Desford Colliery Band recorded their second Contest win of the year at Bedworth Civic Centre on Sunday. Their thirteenth Championship Section Midland Area title had been a long time coming after their last win in 2003 with two second place qualifications to the National Finals in the interim...
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A well balanced mixture of Life Divine and divinely inspired entertainment gave Desford it’s second successive Butlins Mineworkers’ title at Skegness in January, conducted by Russel Gray. The band did just enough over the two days of contesting to pip the on-form Wingates into second place. Adjudicators Major Peter Parkes and David Read were in the box, and deemed Desford to have that extra stamp of class about them over both days...
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Desford’s year started in good spirits, coming off the back of its podium finish at the British Open Brass Band Championships at the end of end of 2006, it seemed that the work was starting to pay off. A cold January weekend in Skegness culminated in the Band’s second National Mineworkers title at three attempts and a blistering individual performance by David Smith was deemed worthy of the soloist prize...