Thirty six Bandmembers and supporters travelled to Brussels, Belgium to take part in the European Brass Band Championships. The Competition was held on the 3rd May in the Palais des Beaux-Arts. A total of 5 Bands took part in the 1st Section and Arklow were runners-up and won a Euphonium and a Manekin Pis Statue. Their Choice piece was Tam O'Shanter's Ride and the Test Piece was the very demanding Excalibur by Jan van der Roost. In coming second Arklow beat bands form Sweden, Germany and Italy. Brass Band Nord-Pas-de-Calais took the first prize.
The Band would like to thank is main sponsor Armitage Shanks (Irl) Ltd. for their support and help.
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Soprano Cornet: Anthony McCarthy
Principal Cornet: Tommy Byrne
Solo Cornets: Stephen Smith, Tommy Murray, Peter McDowell
Repiano Cornet: Cillian Wood
2nd Cornets:Pamela Egan, Neal O'Kennedy
3rd Cornets: John Mernin, Colm Gowran
Flugel Horn: Eamonn O'Reilly
Solo Horn: Kevin Fitzgerald
1st Horn: Lorraine Lee
2nd Horns: Aoife Kinsella, Denise Coburn
Euphoniums: James Connolly, Dick Lyons
1st Baritone: Tracey Byrne
2nd Baritone: Catriona O'Brien
1st Trombone: Liam Walsh
2nd Trombone: Pat Bass
Bass Trombone: Alan Duggan
E Flat Bass: Eilish Nolan, Paul Lyons, Michael Kennedy
B Flat Bass: Eddie O'Brien, Larry Daly
Percussion: Brian O'Reilly, Cormac Byrne, Deirdre NicStiric
Band Line-up for the Europeans:-
Three-in-a-Row Champions: 2000 - 2001 - 2002
National Open Quartet Champions
The Band's Senior Quartet comprising of Kevin Fitzgerald (Tenor Horn), Tommy Byrne (1st Cornet), Stephen Smith (2nd Cornet) and James Connolly (Euphonium) who won the Open Section of the National Quartet Championships held in Dublin on the 22nd September 2001. They played two pieces "Canzon a 4" by Gabrreilli and "Fancy's Knell by Vinter. The Adjudicator, Capt. Mark Armstrong, Conductor of the No.1 Army Band, commeting on Fancy's Knell, said: " This was a superlative performance where each player shone at some point in this showpiece. This Quartet did not put a foot wrong the whole way and sustained the energy right throught to the end".
Arklow Shipping Silver Band won their third-in-a-row of Championship Brass Band Titles when they succcessfully retained their national title in the John Count McCormack Hall in the Athlone Institue of Technology on Suday 7th April 2002. The Band played Malcolm Arnold's "Fantasy for Brass Band" (Test Piece) and "Tam O'Shanter's Ride" by Denis Wright (Own Choice). There were 3 Bands in total in the championship section and Drogheda were second and Stedfast third. The Band will hopefully (funding permitting) be in a position to represent Ireland in the 26th European Brass Band Championships in Oslo, Norway in 2003. The Adjudictor, Lloyd Landry, said "the winning band really stood out in this competition".
The Band also won the Own Choice competition for their performance of Tam O'Shanter's Ride.
This was an outstanding performance by the band and a special word of thanks goes to the Band's conductor John Bonner for the work he did in preparing these pieces.
2002 South of Ireland Champions
SOUTH EAST REGIONAL COMPETITION
The Arklow Shipping Silver Band competed in the South East Regional competition in the Mount Sion Hall, Waterford on Sunday 13th October 2002 and came away with the Best Senior Brass award, Best Senior Band in the competition and Best Soloist (James Connolly playing "Brillante" on the Euphomium).
The Adjudictaor, John Meehan, said "This was a performance all the other Bands in the competition should try to emulate and this Band had a mature sound and gave a ploished performance".
Anthony McCarthy
