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An Amazing Achievement
The Verwood Concert Brass Band has qualified to compete in the very prestigious Championship Section National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall on 3rd October – the first time in its 162 year history!
Furthermore, Verwood Town Band has qualified to compete in the Second Section National Finals to be held in York on 19th September – it is the fourth year in a row that they have qualified for the Nationals which very few non-Championship bands have achieved.
Why do we need your help?
Attending such contests cost a lot of money. It is expensive enough to send one brass band to the Nationals but Verwood Concert Brass has two to get there. This is as well as continuing to support our other bands in the organisation – the training band and community band – and carry on with all our normal engagements throughout the year.
Typically, the approximate cost to send one band, with coach hire at £2,500, hotel accommodation at £5,000, contest entry fees, music, extra rehearsals etc add up to well over £8,500.
So, as you can appreciate we have that ’nice’ problem of having two very successful bands to finance.
While the players often pay for or contribute to the costs of attending contests it is a big ask to expect them to have to dig deeper into their pockets to fully fund their amazing achievement of going to these extra special National Finals where they will not only be representing the band, but also Verwood and Dorset and the West of England Brass Band Region.
Your support would be greatly appreciated and will help see both our bands doing us proud.
What’s so special about the National Finals?
Hundreds of brass bands up and down the country compete in their Regional Contest at the beginning of each year where they will be striving for and hoping that they will do well enough to qualify to compete in the National Finals.
Each region has sections, like a football league, comprising Championship Section and then 1st through to 4th Section. Verwood is in the West of England region which covers the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Bristol. Therefore, Verwood Concert Brass Band competes against all the other Championship Section Bands in the region with the top few finishers gaining qualification for the National Finals. The National Finals will then be a contest between the top few finishers in the Championship Section from each of the regions. This means Verwood Concert Brass Band will be competing against the best of the best from around the UK. That’s 19 other top ranked bands including famous bands like Black Dyke, Grimethorpe Colliery and Cory. And if that weren’t enough it is made extra special by it being held at the iconic Royal Albert Hall.
In just the same way, Verwood Town Band, who compete in the Second Section, will be competing against the best 18 other Second Section bands for across the UK. As already mentioned, this will be their fourth consecutive trip to the Nationals, twice in the Third Section and after gaining promotion, now twice in the Second Section – quite an amazing feat of top performance consistency. This year though the venue has moved from Cheltenham to York, thus making travel cost more expensive and overnight accommodation essential.
What This All Means
A lot of effort is now being put in to preparing the bands for their big performance day. This requires huge commitment from the players with extra rehearsals and home practice.
Chairman Helen Dunnings praised the scale of the achievement, saying:
“What our bands have accomplished is nothing short of historic. It reflects years of dedication from players, volunteers, and our whole community. Verwood has proved that a town with heart, ambition, and teamwork can achieve something truly extraordinary.”
These achievements are rooted in Verwood’s unusually rich musical structure. The town supports not just one band, but four, with Verwood Concert Brass, Verwood Town Band, Verwood Community Band, and a thriving Training Band creating a pathway for musicians of all ages and abilities. This commitment to developing players and nurturing community music has laid the foundations for the town’s current success.
At the centre of this exceptional progress is Musical Director Kevin Smith, whose guidance has shaped both contesting bands over many years. His leadership has taken Verwood Town Band from the Third Section to the First Section as of next year having gained promotion again - an ascent rarely seen at such pace - and has now steered Verwood Concert Brass Band to the most prestigious stage in the brass banding world.
Your Support Is Valued
We really do value your support and no matter whether any donation you make is large or small, it will be much appreciated in helping us get our bands to the Nationals and undoubtedly doing us all proud.
Please do find out more about Verwood Concert Brass by going to www.verwoodconcertbrass.co.uk and you can find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VerwoodConcertBrass to keep up on all of our latest news.