The band is looking forward to competing at the Butlin’s Mineworkers Open National Brass Band Festival over the weekend of 11th and 12th January 2020. This is the first time that the band has attended the festival which, years ago, was solely for Colliery bands. However, the demise of the coal industry lead to Butlin’s opening the festival up to the wider banding community.
As with most Brass Band competitions, the bands are placed in sections or divisions (rather like the football league) according their previous contesting history. There are 5 sections: Championship. First, Second, Third and Fourth, and BAE will be in the Second Section. Again, like most contests, every band in a a section plays the same piece which is chosen by the organisers. This year the second section bands will perform Simon Kerwin’s ‘Galdhopiggen’ which is proving to be an interesting challenge in rehearsals.