Success for Johnstone at Wychavon

Louise Clark, of Johnstone Band, receives the prize for most entertaining band from adjudicator Duncan Beckley.

THE Johnstone Band has returned north after a prize-winning weekend at the 2016 Wychavon Festival of Brass.

Conducted by Martyn Ramsay, the Renfrewshire outfit took the award for most entertaining band in the first section after impressing adjudicator Duncan Beckley at the event on Saturday, October 29.

Johnstone took part in the championship and first section contests, coming eight and fourth respectively with its programme which included With A Little Help From My Friends, march They're Off and A Time for Peace, featuring solo horn player Jen Crockett. The band continued its programme with Softly Softly and finished off with Malaguena.

A spokeswoman for Johnstone Band said: "We had a great weekend taking part in the Wychavon Festival of Brass. It was refreshing to play in unknown venues against bands we hadn't come up against very often.

"The contest was really well organised and we would thoroughly recommend it to other Scottish bands."

Eccles Borough, led by Mareika Gray, became the first band to win both the championship and first section titles in the 26 year history of the contest.