Difficult day for Cup and Trophy hopefuls

Kenneth Crookston reports from the Senior Cup and Senior Trophy sections of the Spring Festival, held in Blackpool's Winter Gardens

While the bands in the Opera House in the Winter Gardens were being tested to the limits by Wilfred Heaton's Contest Music, the Senior Cup section was taking place in the Pavilion Theatre, where Herbert Howells' Pageantry was proving an even bigger obstacle for the bands with the 2010 Grand Shield in their sights. Frank Renton and Roger Webster were the two experienced men charged with the task of separating the 20 hopeful contenders, and they must have thought they were in for a long day, with the first three to present themselves failing to really get to grips with the musical and technical challenges presented in Howells' timeless classic.
However, their fears were allayed when band number four, Marsden Silver Prize (Ossett Brewery), took to the stand under the steady baton of Foden's Band's euphonium star, Glyn Williams, producing a consistent level of performance that made an impression on the judges that was to last throughout the day and result in a well-deserved victory. Not only that, but Marsden's solo cornet, Jason Evans, also collected the Best Soloist award for his fine performance that included the call-to-arms in the third movement, Jousts, which provided a few banana skins for others over the course of the day.