On Sunday 18th September 2011, the Worcestershire Youth Brass Band took to the stage at the Wychavon Festival of Brass in Pershore. The previous year the band came home with their hands full of trophies and awards; could this be repeated this year?

The band opened their programme with a Philip Harper arrangement of the ever popular ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’  originally sung by Freddie Mercury and the rest of the members of Queen. The band had the crowd ‘rocking’ to the music, a great opener to the bands programme. The band featured a flugelhorn solo next and up stepped Emma Williams to play an arrangement of George Michaels, Faith. A tricky solo which the audience and adjudicator agreed was well played by Emma. Death or Glory was the next piece the band played; MD Nicky Daw had said before the contest that it’s always great to play a traditional march at any competition to show the roots of brass banding. With its dynamic contrasts and fantastic melodic lines the march was a great item to play before the band concluded their programme with a fantastic arrangement of Elton John and Tim Rice’s ‘The Circle of Life’ from the lion king.

Members of the band stayed behind for the results and presentation ceremony. The band was awarded the Best Percussion section award for the second year in a row. The band finished overall a creditable 5th place in the 4th Section. The band enjoys a 3 day break before returning to the band room to await the first rehearsal of the full Worcestershire Youth Brass Band including the arrivals of new members.