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Town gears up for influx of brass bands

PREPARATIONS are gathering pace for an 11-hour brass band bonanza at a Ryedale town.

The Malton Brass 2002 contest comes to the Milton Rooms on Sunday, November 3, as the 15th annual contest gets under way at 10am.

Musicians from across the district will be competing in the event, alongside bands from as far away as Bradford and Huddersfield.

Co-ordinator Alan Martin said he expected 18 individual groups to attend.

"It's somewhat unique really, the only one of its kind in the whole of the area," he said.

"The competition is a concert contest, and each band is given an allocated time when it is allowed to play."

Concert-goers will have to follow their programmes carefully, said Mr Martin, because none of the bands would be announced out loud.

"The adjudicator will be in a box screened so that he cannot see the bands," he explained.

"The first one he hears will simply be band one, then band two and so on.

"Nothing must be said or announced to identify which band is playing."

The competition is split into three categories, with six nationally graded championship bands competing at the top level, including a group from Hull-based East Yorkshire Motor Services, which runs buses through the Ryedale area.

The group was at the Royal Albert Hall two weeks ago playing in the final of the national championship of Great Britain.

Home-grown talent from Kirkbymoorside Town Brass will be taking part. Cornet-playing member Mr Martin said he would be dashing on to the stage in between organising the day-long event.

Joy Starkey, from the Bilsdale Silver Band, said band members had decided to enter the contest for the first time in years.

"The band don't normally compete in contests, although 20 years ago members did a competition in Easingwold for the best hymn.

"The band prefers to focus on entertaining people, concentrating on playing concerts on most Sunday afternoons at village fetes, charity fairs and agricultural shows."

But Bilsdale's amateur players are in with a good chance - their band is the only one entered in its class.

Mrs Starkey said: "None of us are professional, we are all complete amateurs, and some of us are self-taught.

"We like to go out and entertain people - it's definitely a one-off for us."

liz.todd@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 09:11 Friday, October 25, 2002