The information in this potted history has been collected from many sources including the WEBF Website and its commemorative programmes.
It is a tribute to those who initiated this contest and to those who continue to run this very important festival for the benefit of the Cornish brass band community. Without it, Cornish banding would be much the poorer.
2021
West of England Bandsmen’s Festival (Bugle Contest)
The Festival was cancelled due to the Covid 19 (Coronavirus) virus restrictions.
2022
96th West of England Bandsmen’s Festival (Bugle Contest)
Molinnis Park
18th June 2022
Adjudicator: Tom Hutchinson
President: Ivor Bowditch
Chairman: Geraint P Richards
Promoter: Andrew Teague
Secretary: Ian Powell
Treasurer: David J Jane
There was great relief that the contest had resumed following its two-year suspension due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, it was not blessed with the best of weather and following a week of sunshine it was hit by severe winds and, at times, torential rain. Temperatures dropped and at one point the spectator’s marquee partially collapsed and had to be evacuated.
Chairman Geraint Richards appealed for a better attendance by Cornish bands with the phrase, “Use it or lose it”. The Festival, however, was well-attended by non-Cornish bands with one having travelled from the USA. Andrew Teague mentioned the physical effort in staging the contest and appealed for additional volunteers for next year’s contest.
This series of interviws was made during extremely windy conditions and despite severe editing this is very evident. Our apologies for this and to the interviewees for any comments which had to be omitted.
Tony Mansell chats to (and didn’t the wind blow!):
Anna Minear (St Austell Town Band player and St Austell Youth Band musical director)
Brian Minear (Former player and former St Dennis Silver Band musical director)
Ian Powell (Contest secretary and Bugle Silver Band cornet player)
Kevin Mackenzie (Camborne Town Band musical director)
Leonard Adams (Former Contest chairman, player and musical director)
Phillip Hunt (Contest publicity officer, radio broadcaster and brass band historian)
Class A / Championship Section
Test Piece: On Alderley Edge
Test Piece: March – The Wizard
On Alderley Edge | March – The Wizard | |||||
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Dennis | D R Hawken | 1st | 193pts | 2nd | 195pts | |
Camborne Town | David Hirst | 2nd | 192pts | 1st | 196pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | J. Hitchens (Euphonium) | Camborne |
Class B / First Section
Test Piece: Purpose
Test Piece: Hymn Tune – Love Divine
Purpose | Hymn – Love Divine | |||||
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Austell | Stuart Chappell | 1st | 194pts | 3rd | 91pts | |
AW Parker (Drybrook) | Joshua Ruck | 2nd | 192pts | 2nd | 92pts | |
Forest of Dean | Thomas Dunne | 3rd | 191pts | 1st | 95pts | |
Bournemouth Concert Brass | Matthew Brown | 4th | 189pts | 4th | 90pts | |
Lake Wobegone (USA) | Michael Halstenson | 5th | 187pts | 5th | 88pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Jim Mason (Soprano) | Forest of Dean |
Class C / Second Section
Test Piece: The Land of the Mountain and the Flood
Test Piece: Hymn Tune – Treskerby
The Land of the Mountain and the Flood | Hymn – Treskerby | |||||
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mount Charles | Jeremy Taylor | 1st | 191pts | 1st | 87pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Steve Fryett (Soprano) | Mount Charles |
Class D / Third Section
Test Piece: Napolean on the Alps
Napoleon on the Alps | ||||
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|
Indian Queens | Ben Martin | 1st | 192pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Nicola Pascoe (Solo Horn) | Indian Queens |
Class: Training
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|
Soundhouse Brass Juniors | G. Thompson | 1st | 193pts | |
St Dennis Training | L. Trethewey | 2nd | 190pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Dan Clements (Percussion) | St Dennis Training |
Best Cornet Player | Evie Tucker | Soundhouse Brass Juniors |
Class: Youth
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|
St. Dennis Youth | D R Hawken | 1st | 190pts | |
St. Austell Youth | Anna Minear | 2nd | 188pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Cory Williams (Trombone) | St. Dennis Youth |
Best Cornet Player | Lia Teague | St. Dennis Youth |
Winning Conductor | Darren R Hawken | St. Dennis Youth |
Class: Deportment
Adjudicator: Tom Hutchinson
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|
St. Austell | 1st | 36pts | ||
Indian Queens | 2nd | 34pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Soprano | Jim Mason | Forest of Dean |
Best Cornet Player | Luke Barker | St. Dennis |
Best Euphonium | John Hitchens | Camborne |
Best Solo Horn | Lauren Oliver | Mount Charles |
Basses | AW Parker (Drybrook) |
2023

97th West of England Bandsmen’s Festival (Bugle Contest)
Molinnis Park
17th June 2023
President: Ivor Bowditch
Chairman: Geraint P Richards
Promoter: Andrew Teague
Secretary: Ian Powell
Treasurer: Miss E Husband



Class A / Championship Section
Test Piece: The Essence of Time
Test Piece: Prelude on Lavenham
The Essence of Time | Prelude on Lavenham | |||||
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bodmin Town | S Badge | 2nd | 188pts | 2nd | 91pts | |
St. Dennis | D R Hawken | 1st | 192pts | 1st | 93pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Dewi Griffiths (Solo Cornet) | St. Dennis |
Best Soprano | Andrew Julian | St. Dennis |
Best Solo Cornet | Dewi Griffiths | St. Dennis |
Euphonium | Kimberley Kenderdine | St. Dennis |
Best Solo Horn | Francesca O’Neill | St. Dennis |
Best set of Basses | . | St. Dennis |
Class B / First Section
Test Piece: Ballet for Band
Test Piece: The Black Knight
Ballet for Band | The Black Knight | |||||
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forest of Dean | Martyn Patterson | 2nd | 179pts | 1st | 89pts | |
Lanner & District | D. Johnson | 1st | 180pts | 3rd | 87pts | |
Regent Brass | Alan Duguid | 3rd | 178pts | 2nd | 88pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Steve Thomas (Euphonium) | Lanner & District |
Class C / Second Section
Test Piece: Hollywood
Test Piece: Gruss an Thuringen
Hollywood! | Gruss an Thuringen | |||||
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mount Charles | Jeremy Taylor | 1st | 185pts | 1st | 185pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Simon Taylor (Flugel) | Mount Charles |
Class D / Third Section
Own Choice Test Piece | ||||
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bideford Town | Mark Durham | 2nd | 183pts | |
Indian Queens | Ben Martin | 3rd | 181pts | |
Verwood Town | Kevin Smith | 1st | 186pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Steve Rowland (Solo Cornet) | Verwood Town |
Class E / Fourth Section
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bugle Silver | Mark Phillips | 1st | 183pts | |
Indian Queens | Ben Martin | 3rd | 180pts | |
Lostwithiel Town | Norman Pendray | 2nd | 18pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Leanne Osborne (Flugel) | Bugle Silver |
Class: Youth
Own Choice Programme | ||||
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|
St. Austell Youth | Anna Minear | 2nd | 176pts | |
St. Dennis Youth | D R Hawken | 1st | 177pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
Best Player | Neythan Powell Jones (Baritone) | St. Austell Youth |
Best Cornet Player | Lia Teague | St. Dennis Youth |
Winning Conductor | Darren R Hawken | St. Dennis Youth |
Class: Deportment
Band | Conductor | Test Piece (if choice) | Place | Marks |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bugle Silver | 1st | 42pts | ||
Indian Queens | 2nd | 39pts |
Special Awards
Award | Name | Band |
---|---|---|
The Jane Family Cup | Norman Pendray. | |
The Lang Bennetts Trophy | Phillip Hunt |
2024
98th West of England Bandsmen’s Festival (Bugle Contest)
Molinnis Park
15th June 2024
President: Geraint P Richards
Chairman: Mr G Ball
Promoter: Andrew Teague
Secretary: Ian Powell
Treasurer: Miss E Husband
Championship Section
Test Piece: Paganini Variations (Wilby)
1. Camborne Town (Gareth Churcher): 194
2. St Dennis (Darren R Hawken): 192
3. Bodmin Town (Colin Hudson): 187
March:
The Australasian (Rimmer)
1. Camborne Town: 190
2. St Dennis: 189
3. Bodmin Town: 186
Best Player: Ellie Joy (St Dennis)
First Section:
Test Piece: Prisms (Peter Graham)
1. Roche Brass (Brendan Caddy): 189
Hymn Tune:
The Irish Blessing (arr. Bradnum)
1. Roche Brass: 189
Best Player: Andy Mitchell (flugel) — Roche Brass
Second Section:
Test Piece: Variations on Laudate Dominium (Gregson)
1. St Austell (Adam Glynn): 190
2. Mount Charles (Jeremy Taylor): 185
3. St Pinnock (Jane Whitehead): 184
Hymn Tune:
Mid all the Traffic (arr. Ballantine)
1. St Austell: 188
2. Mount Charles: 186
3. St Pinnock: 185
Best Player: Hannah Hawken (cornet) — St Austell
Third Section:
Own Choice
1. Bideford Town (Mark Durham): 188
2. St Stythians (James Burns): 186
3. Pendennis Brass (Harry Weir): 185
Best Player: George Watts (cornet) — Bideford Town
Fourth Section:
Own Choice
1. Bugle Silver (Mark Phillips): 186
2. Illogan Sparnon (Shaun Marsden): 184
Best Player: Wendy Chidgey (cornet) — Illogan Sparnon
Youth Section:
Own Choice Programme
1. St Austell Youth (Anna Minear)
2. St Dennis Youth (Darren R Hawken)
Best Player: Callum Pascoe (euphonium) — St Dennis Youth
Best Cornet Player: Violet Margetts (St Austell Youth)
Training Section:
Own Choice Programme
1. Soundhouse Brass Academy (Paul Norley)
Deportment:
1. Bodmin Town
2. St Dennis
Special Awards:
Best Soprano: Les Kneebone (Camborne Town)
Best Cornet: Luke Barker (St Dennis)
Best Horn: Jo Scott (Camborne Town)
Best Euphonium: John Hitchens (Camborne Town)
Best Basses: Camborne Town
David Jane Awards
Player Award: Hannah Hawken
Administrator Award: Tony Mansell