Epsom & Ewell have been doing rather well on the contest stage of late - in fact, our silverware cabinet is starting to run out of room!

To add to our pair of trophies from SCABA's Spring Entertainments Contest, we now have a handsome cup and plaque for a second place result in the second section at the London & Southern Counties Regional Contest in February for a fantastic rendition of Edward Gregson's 'The Plantagenets'. We also swept the board at the Oxford & District Brass Band Association's winter contest with the same piece and the march Castell Coch, and a well deserved Best Instrumentalist prize was awarded to euphonium player Mike Hensor.

A number of changes in the line-up at Epsom & Ewell Silver Band have led to a reshuffle as the band prepares for its first outings of 2013.

The band welcomes Mark Goodwill on Eb bass, who has signed on a long-term basis, and also Alison Knight on 2nd euphonium, who will be helping the band for the Area contest at Stevenage.

Meanwhile Chris Hobdey moves to solo baritone, acting as maternity cover, and Claire Slee returns to the band on 2nd baritone for the next couple of months. Elsewhere in the band, military man Lewis Shaw has moved from the solo cornet bench to take up the soprano cornet chair, and Dan Temple has been 'supersized' onto BBb bass.

Musical Director Jack Smith is confident that these changes will play to the band's strengths: "We now have a full-line up of strong players across the bass section and middle of the band, which will compliment and support the other sections enormously. 'The Plantagenets', which we will be playing at the Oxfordshire & District Association contest in preparation for Stevenage, requires both strength and depth of sound from across the band. Despite the number of recent changes, everyone is settling in well, and we are already shaping a very promising performance of this demanding work."

The band still has a vacancy for a tutti cornet player (front or back row) - for further information and contact details, please click here.

Epsom & Ewell Silver Band will also be playing at the 'Herald of Spring' festival at Bourne Hall, Ewell, over the first weekend of March (date & time TBC).

Our summer concert is nearly here - head for the Adrian Mann Theatre at Nescot in Ewell on June 9th for an evening of summer music. Click here for more details.

After a slight drought and the gathering of dust in the trophy cabinet, the band got back to winning ways at the SCABA Entertainments Contest this weekend (held at The Hawth in Crawley) with an impressive haul of two trophies. From a number 7 draw we opened with 'HMS Pinafore Overture' ("good stylistic contrast, fine attention to detail throughout"), Andy's rendition of 'My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose' was "musical with a very nice tone"; we then put our 'Best Foot Forward' with "real swagger and style" before "capturing the style" of 'Breezin' Down Broadway' with an "impressive ensemble".

Adjudicator Robert Childs placed the band third overall (out of 9 bands) praising our "very well balanced programme", and also awarding us the prize for best trombone section. MD Jack Smith was delighted at picking up this special award, saying that "all the band have worked hard towards today's performance, and as this was the only section award on offer today, I'm very glad that such hard work has been recognised.

"Third place at such a widely-varied and unpredictable contest is no small achievement, and I am sure that the band will take confidence from this. We all had a good time performing on stage today, and the adjudicator's remarks highlighted the security of style and consistency of detail throughout our programme. Dr. Childs did remark that he would have preferred us to have been more ambitious in our selection of music and presentation, but I felt it was more important to deliver a simple and effective performance very well. The band certainly gave their best on stage today, and I am more than happy with that."

The band now look forward to a busy summer season, with all items from the Crawley entertainments programme being featured in our Summer Concert on Saturday 9th June. We also look forward to returning to The Hawth stage for the SCABA Autumn own-choice contest in September.