Champions to come home

Press, 15 April 1980, Page 6

Champions to come home

The Skellerup-Woolston Brass Band, now the champion brass band of Australia and New Zealand, will return to Christchurch this evening. The band swept the pool in the Australian nation band championships held at Gambier, South Australia. - Competing against 40 Australian bands, the SkellerupWoolston band won the overall championship and took first place in every on-stage event. It won the hymn test, the entertainment item, the

test piece, the “own choice” test, and the quick-step. The band came second in the street march, which was performed before more than 20,000 people. Individual members of the band were also successful. Brent Hoy won the junior cornet championship and was the junior champion of champions. Winners of senior championships were Barrie Aldridge (trombone), Richard Hogarth (bass trombone), Allan Brown (E flat bass),

and Jack Elliott (percussion). Five members of the band i were second in their chami pionships — Tony Lewis i (senior trombone), Bruce Wright (senior B flat bass), : Ray Thome (euphonium), . Gary Bilton (baritone), Chris ■ Reside (cornet), and Kenneth ; Oxford (percussion). : David Johnstone (soprano cornet) and Chris Phillips • (junior cornet) were third in ■ their events. I Richard Hogarth was the , runner-up in the senior , champion of champions

event. The Skellerup-Wool-ston No. 1 ensemble won the ensemble competition, and the No. 2 ensemble was third. The two-week tour was the band’s first visit to Australia for more than 40 years. However, members of the band will not be getting much rest after the tour. On Thursday, the band will begin rehearsals for the New Zealand centennial brass band championships, to be held in Christchurch from May 13 to 18.