As we enter the final week of rehearsals for the 2026 First Section Area Contest at Blackpool Winter Gardens this coming Sunday (March 1st), the weeks of extra Sundays and sectional rehearsals which began at the start of January are finally making sense to everyone as we put the finishing touches to performing Andrew Wainright’s excellent piece Variations on ‘Was Lebet’ conducted by our MD Chris.
With attendance at rehearsals as amazing as ever (please see Gallery), as one of the promoted bands from the 2nd Section tasked with taking on some bands who were still Championship Section only eight weeks ago, the challenge is just for us to play our absolute best and enjoy performing once again on the iconic Opera House stage for the third year in a row.
This is our band as we begin our 176th year in the 1st Section on Sunday.
SOPRANO CORNET Harvey Crombleholme SOLO CORNET Lynsey Hayes, Stephen Wheeler, Sarah Ferguson, Martyn Walsh REPIENO CORNET Dom Ferguson SECOND CORNET Les Fellowes, Emily Colgan THIRD CORNET Paul Field, Rebecca Stretch FLUGEL HORN Janet Walsh SOLO TENOR HORN Deb Lyons FIRST TENOR HORN Hollie Lancaster SECOND TENOR HORN Caitlyn Vining FIRST BARITONE Kay Brannon SECOND BARITONE Tina Banks FIRST TROMBONE Stephen Breen SECOND TROMBONE Jo Fellowes BASS TROMBONE Gus Woodward EUPHONIUM Marcus Rowbotham, Eleanor Knowles E FLAT BASS Dec Cullen, Ciaran Stranks B FLAT BASS Adam John, John Stranks PERCUSSION Leo Turner-Patel, Sophie Dunlevy, Dom Patel, Jill Stranks
EAGLEY BAND 