Sidmouth Town Band heads for Cheltenham on Saturday to compete in championships

GOOD luck wishes to Sidmouth Town Band as they head off to Cheltenham on Saturday for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.

After winning the third section in March at Torquay for the second year running, the band will be competing as West of England Champions, third section, and hope to do well against champion bands from all over the country playing the test piece Darkness Visible by Richard Grantham.

Band chairman, Chris Holland, said: “Last year we managed an incredible third place, but you have to remember that all the bands competing have won in their area and there are 15 of them.

“We will be representing Sidmouth and the West of England, so we’ll certainly do our very best. The support we are receiving from the town is magnificent.”

When they arrive in Cheltenham they will have one last chance to rehearse before the following day’s competition.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, chairman of Sidmouth Town Council, said: “On behalf of the town council I wish the band every success and hope they come home with some silver.”

He is supporting the band by awarding it �2,000 to pay for a new CD to be launched next year.

Congratulations, too, to the band’s musical director, Adrian Harvey, who married principal solo cornet player Fiona Bell in a private ceremony last month, “far enough from Sidmouth to guarantee the band didn’t turn up with their instruments,” said Christopher, who added: “We had a small celebration at our local, The Volunteer, in that week just to make sure that they didn’t get away with it!”