Winning young composer to be honoured at Gorge Brass Band Festival

Published in General on 2013-06-18 by Empty Chairs

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A 17-year old pupil from Shrewsbury School who has won a competition to compose a piece of music for Brass Bands is to see his piece developed and played at a major music event taking place in Coalbrookdale this summer.

The ‘Nock Deighton Challenge’, set up as part of the Ironbridge Gorge Brass Band Festival’s commitment to youth work, was won by Harry Sargeant with his composition “Colonel Custard and Major Mustard”. Runner-up was Trystan Gifford who plays in the Abraham Darby School Band.

Both Harry’s and Trystan’s compositions will be played at this year’s Ironbridge Gorge Brass Band Festival which takes place on The Green at the Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron and Enginuity on 13th and 14th July, when they will be presented with certificates to recognise their successful compositions.

Competition winner, Harry, who lives in Gloucester and plays cornet in Tewkesbury Town Band when he is at home, said: “I am honoured and delighted to have won. I have been composing for the cello, my second instrument, for some years and have arranged for brass, but I have never before composed for brass.”

Now in its ninth year, the Ironbridge Gorge Brass Band Festival which in 2012 had around 4,000 visitors, has for the last four years run a workshop for younger players during the Festival weekend, culminating in them performing in a Youth Festival Brass programme slot on Sunday afternoon.

The idea for the competition grew out of last year’s youth workshop, in recognition of a growing interest in brass banding among young people that in turn reflects the support given to this branch of music by a number of local schools.

The competition was sponsored by local estate agents Nock Deighton, whose managing director Graham Taylor is a noted post horn player. Almost a dozen entries were received and were judged by a panel of local brass band specialists.  

Festival Chairman, Neil Fury, said: “This has been a very worthwhile exercise and we are proud to be making a contribution to encouraging this aspect of young musicians' development'.”

Nock Deighton MD, Graham Taylor, said: “We were absolutely delighted to have supported the Ironbridge Gorge Brass Band Festival this year in its quest to find a talented young composer from the local region. We are proud of our position at the heart of the local community, as well as our 180 year Shropshire heritage, and always look to support fantastic initiatives such as this. We’d like to offer a huge congratulations to Harry Sargeant, and look forward to hearing his music come to life at the festival in July.”