NI band hits the right notes to win international title

A Belfast-based brass band has struck the right chords to become the first from the island of Ireland to win an international contest title.

First Old Boys Brass Band claimed the prize at the Dutch Open Brass Band Championships in the Netherlands.

Louise Bell, its principal cornet, said the band was hungry for gold after a few near misses at the European Championships.

“We don’t go competing unless we’re going to try and aim for the top prize,” she said.

The moment the win was announced was not clear-cut.

“A lot of the talking was in Dutch, so we didn’t really know what was going on,” said Ms Bell.

“We had to wait for the band’s name to come up on the screen.

“It was just incredible, like nothing we’d ever experienced before and probably something I’ll always remember the rest of my life.”

The band travelled to the Netherlands as guest artists of the Groningen Brass Experience before taking part in the contest.

Daniel Sharpe, the band’s principal tenor horn, said the Dutch Open contest had become “a heartland” for the art in continental Europe.

He said the band wanted to cut its teeth against the top tier of competition.

One of the standout moments for Ms Bell was the applause after the band finished its award-winning performance.

“There were so many people,” she said.

“Back home, you’d maybe get 50 people watching, and, of course, they’re your competitors that you have year in, year out.

“They were just really, really happy that we did well, and that came across and made us feel really happy to come off stage and feel like we did our country proud.”

The band’s conductor, Jonathan Corry, said the atmosphere felt “very collegiate and supportive”.

“We don’t often get that in the UK; it’s a bit more cutthroat,” he said.

“I felt that there was a real warmth in their applause and their cheers.”

He said he hoped the win would do more to raise the profile of the many brass bands based in Northern Ireland.

“The little stretch of water between here and Great Britain is very, very difficult,” he said.

“We almost feel cut off here musically, but we’re trying to make that slightly different now and show that people from Northern Ireland can actually perform at the same level as our counterparts in the UK and in Europe.”

It was an extra special weekend for Mr Sharpe, who hit the high notes to score the Best Soloist win for the band.

He memorised the Piper O’Dundee by Kenneth Downie, performing it without sheet music in front of him.

He was the only musician to do so that day.

The moment his win was announced came as a pleasant surprise.

“I was waiting for the correction to come out, first of all,” he said, laughing.

But Mr Sharpe was most excited for the band’s win.

“We’re a team, and this is a team sport. The most important thing is that feeling of togetherness in that celebration,” he said.

The band is made up of musicians aged 15-72 and takes part in about four local contests a year.

“People come from different walks of life, different families, different backgrounds, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, – and they leave all that stuff at the band room door,” said Mr Corry.

Ms Bell said the band was like her “second family”.

“You leave all your problems and everything that you have at the door,” she said.

“You go in, rehearse for two hours, and you feel so much better about yourself after, and the band are just there to support you through your problems.”

Mr Sharpe said he hopes the win encouraged more people to get involved in local music groups.

“Music organisers are crying out for people to help out and just be there,” he said.

“Be the answer. Turn up. Do your bit – and you may even get a trophy at the end of it.”