2024 Music announcement

The WEBF music committee have chosen the Philip Wilby arranged 'Paganini Variations' as the test piece for the Championship Section at the 98th annual Bugle Contest to be held at Molinnis Park on Saturday June 15th 2024.

Ivor Bowditch 1949-2023

St Dennis retain Royal Trophy

WEBF (Bugle) 2023 Full Results

2023 Music announced

The Bugle 2023 test pieces have been selected and are as follows. 

Steve Sykes to adjudicate 2023

We are delighted to announce that Steve Sykes has agreed to adjudicate at our 2023 contest to be held at Molinnis Park, Bugle on Saturday 17th June.

St Dennis claim Royal Trophy victory

St Dennis Band under the baton of  Darren Hawken have won the Royal Trophy at Molinnis Park, Bugle today. In wet and windy conditions and with the odd rumble of thunder in the air, the clay country band beat Camborne Town into second place with their rendition of 'On Alderley Edge'.

Contactless payments at Bugle

Following receipt of a grant from Treverbyn Parish Council Community Fund we are pleased to announce that we can now accept contactless card payments at our contest for the first time. We will have card readers at both gates and in the tea tent.

13 Entries revealed for 2022

13 bands have entered our 2022 contest to be held at Molinnis Park, Bugle on Saturday 18th June. Adjudicator Tom Hutchinson.

Love Divine publisher

For those First Section bands trying to source Love Divine (Wilby) it is available from Music for Brass Ltd (01924261154)

Statement - Youth Section Music

The WEBF Music Committee met recently and decided that due to recent disruption to rehearsals caused by the Covid 19 pandemic it would be a good idea to change the music criteria for the Youth Section at Bugle. Bands will now be asked to perform an ‘Own Choice’ Entertainment Programme no long...

2022 Music chosen

Hutchinson to adjudicate in 2022

We are pleased to announce that Tom Hutchinson has agreed to adjudicate at our 2022 contest to be held at Molinnis Park on Saturday June 18th.

A statement from our Chairman

Dear Friends, Sponsors and Supporters of the West of England Bandsmen's Festival,

On behalf of the organising committee of the 'Bugle Band Contest' I want to extend my best wishes to you at a time when we would normally be looking forward to meeting up with one another at our annual and much-loved...

WEBF 2021 Cancelled

Statement.

"It is with great regret and a heavy heart that the Bugle Contest committee have taken the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 event planned for Saturday 19^th June.

Having taken into account the current and projected situation regarding Covid19, we are of the opinion that it would b...

HRH Duke of Cornwall to extend patronage

The West of England Bandsmen’s Festival is pleased and honoured to announce that HRH The Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, has agreed to extend his Patronage of the Festival, founded in 1912, for a further five years.

The Royal Family, and the Duke of Cornwall in particular, have had a long con...

VIRTUAL MARCH DOWN 2020

We might have had to cancel our actual contest this year due to the devastating consequences of Covid-19 but on Saturday 20th June we are going to bring to life the spirit of Bugle in a Facebook Live broadcast in conjunction with Shane Solomon and the Cornwall Channel. At 10am the bands will begi...

WEBF 2020 CANCELLED

2020 Music chosen

Hutchinson to adjudicate Bugle 2020

We are delighted to announce that we have secured the services of Tom Hutchinson, one of the foremost players and musicians in the brass band world, as the adjudicator for our 96th Annual Festival at Bugle on Saturday 20th June 2020.

Tom began learning the cornet at the age of nine and joined h...

Camborne regain Royal Trophy

Other than as a small shower as home band Bugle Silver took to the stage just after lunchtime, Molinnis Park remained dry and sunny for the whole day as Camborne Town walked away with the Royal Trophy following their performance of the Eric Ball classic 'Journey into Freedom'

2019 entries total 21 bands

2019 Music announced

Our Music Committee have chosen the following to be played at our 2019 contest on Saturday 15th June. Adjudicator Glyn Williams.

ST DENNIS REGAIN ROYAL TROPHY

St Dennis Band, led by their Musical Director Darren Hawken have won our 94th annual contest. During indifferent weather conditions at Molinnis Park today their performance of Isaiah 40 earned them a total of 195 points from adjudicator Mark Wilkinson.

Entries total 18 for 2018 Contest

Entries for our 2018 contest have been finalised and are as follows

2018 Music announced

The following music has been chosen for our 94th contest to be held on Saturday 16th June 2018

Championship Section

Isaiah 40 – R Redhead (Publisher Studio Music)

March – Jubilee - Paul Drury (Publisher World of Brass)

First Section

Symphony of Marches – G Vinter (Publisher Studio Music...

New Deportment Judge announced

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Jonathan Lush Camps as our new Deportment Judge. Jonathan succeeds Gareth Roberts who has held the position for the last 36 years.

Jonathan Lush-Camps LRSM was born near Coombe into a musical family; his mother known as a fine mezzo-soprano singer, wh...

CAMBORNE ROYAL TROPHY SUCCESS

The traditional march through the village by the competing Bands to the Contest field took place in glorious sunshine at Bugle. A large audience settled down to hear, what Adjudicator David Marshall called “a selection of good music” in ideal conditions for them and the Bands.

Commenting...

New Chairman for WEBF

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Geraint Richards as our new Chairman. He succeeds Leonard Adams, who has stood down after ten years in the post. In recognising the commitment and support Leonard gave to the Festival during his term the Festival has elected him a Life Member.

G...

2017 Preview

The Red, White & Blue Flag of The Netherlands will fly alongside the Black & White Cornish Flag of St Piran to open the 93^rd West of England Bandsmen’s Festival in the traditional way on Saturday 17^th June, as the competing Bands march through the village of Bugle to the Contest Field. As well ...

2017 entries announced

There are a total of 17 entries for our 2017 Festival to take place at Molinnis Park, Bugle on Saturday 17th June

Championship Section
Camborne Town - Kevin Mackenzie
St Austell Town - Steve Sykes
St Dennis - Darren R Hawken

First Section
Bodmin Town - John Maines
Bournemouth Concert Brass - Bill Ellis
F...

By Royal Appointment

Throughout the years brass bands have played the National Anthem countless times, but few have had the privilege of performing it directly in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen herself. This honour befell the St Dennis Band, conducted by Darren Hawken, at Poundbury in Dorset on Thursday 27^th O...

2017 Music announcement

The WEBF music committee have decided on the following music for our 2017 contest.

Championship Section

Les Preludes - F Liszt arr. Bram Gay (Publisher Studio Music)

Irish Tune from County Derry - P Grainger Arr. D Wright (Publisher Studio Music)

First Section

Royal Parks - G Lloyd (Publisher Studio M...

St Dennis regain Royal Trophy

St Dennis Band under MD Darren R Hawken have won the Royal Trophy. They scored 192 marks for their rendition of Variations on a Ninth to beat Roche Brass into second place.

Full Results

Championship Section

Test Piece - Variations on a Ninth

1st St Dennis 192
2nd Roche Brass 191
3rd Wantage Silver 19...

2016 entries announcement

Championship Section

Hyde - Jonathan Lush-Camps
Lanner and District Silver - David Shead
Roche Brass - Garry Cutt
St Austell Town - Simon Badge
St Dennis - Darren R Hawken
Wantage Silver - Craig Patterson
Yeovil Town - Jon Griffin

First Section

Fulham Brass - John Ward
Hyde - Jonathan Lush-Camps

Second Sec...

WEBF receives grant from local Parish Council

We are currently seeking funding to help with the purchase of a new set of music stands that we desperately need to have in place for our 2016 contest. Our current stands have been in use for over 30 years and are no longer fit for purpose. And so we are delighted to announce that our local (Trev...

2016 Music announced

Our music committee have chosen the following music for our 2016 contest.

Championship Section -
Variations on a Ninth - G Vinter (Publisher Studio Music)
ORB March - Anderson Arr. Creswell (Publisher Mostyn Music)

First Section -
Essay for Brass Band - E Gregson (Publisher R Smith & Co/SP&S)
Thine be ...

2015 REPORT

Camborne Town won our 91st annual contest on Saturday.

Under the baton of John Berryman they produced a fine rendition of the set work, 'The Wayfarer' by Eric Ball to retain the famous Royal Trophy and take the £1,000 first prize - their fifth win in the last seven years and the 38th time in ...

2015 FULL RESULTS

Camborne Town have won our 91st annual contest held at Molinnis Park. Their superb rendition of Eric Ball's The Wayfarer earned them 190 marks from adjudicator Derek Broadbent, £1000 and the coveted Royal Trophy.

Full results

Championship Section

Test Piece - The Wayfarer

1st Camborne Town 190
2nd ...

2015 Entries revealed

A total of 33 bands have entered our 91st annual contest to be held at Molinnis Park on Saturday 20th June. Due to the large number of entries, Christopher Bond has been engaged to adjudicate alongside Derek Broadbent and the morning march will now commence at 9am. The contest itself will start w...

Michael Fowles named as 2016 adjudicator

We are pleased to announce that Michael Fowles has agreed to adjudicate at our 2016 contest.

Michael's earliest musical education came from the peripatetic services of North Staffordshire. This led to honours degree studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, during which time ...

HRH The Duke of Cornwall to become Patron

We are pleased and honoured to announce that HRH The Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, has agreed to become Patron of the Festival as it enters its 102^nd year.

The Royal Family, and the Duke of Cornwall in particular, has a long connection with the Festival, and it was as far back as 1913, at t...

2015 MUSIC ANNOUNCED

Thoughts of summer are always welcome and these always accompany the announcement of the Test Pieces for the next yearsWest of England Bandsmen’s Festival, which will be held at Bugle in Cornwall on Saturday 20^th June 2015.   

Once again the Music Committee have chosen a varied and attractive ...

CAMBORNE WIN ROYAL TROPHY

The sun shone and the sun shone and the sun shone some more and there was a real 'feelgood' factor at our 90th annual contest today. Crowds flocked to Molinnis Park and all was well with the brass band community of Cornwall and beyond as 30 bands thrilled the spectators with a wonderful day of mu...

ROYAL TROPHY ON DISPLAY AT BARCLAYS

Recently we announced an exciting new partnership with Barclays Bank. The Barclays Community Scheme enables local organisations to benefit from staff donating their time and fundraising skills. As well as providing volunteers to help with all the work that goes on behind the scenes on the day its...

2014 Entries announced

Our 90th annual contest is set to be one of the most keenly fought in recent years as a record entry of 31 bands (33 entries) have decided to make their way to Molinnis Park on Saturday June 21st. Following a two year absence, Camborne Town return to Bugle looking to add to their impressive tally...

WEBF and BARCLAYS JOIN TOGETHER

For our 90^th Annual Contest to be held at Molinnis Park, Bugle on Saturday June 21^st, we are pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with Barclays Bank. The Barclays Community Scheme enables local organizations to benefit from staff donating their time and fundraising skills. As well as p...

ONLY 5 WEEKS LEFT TO ENTER!

Time is running out to enter our 90th annual contest to be held at Molinnis Park Bugle on Saturday June 21st. Entries close May 10th and for a downloadable schedule and entry form just follow the link from our homepage. Ian Porthouse is our 2014 adjudicator and we look forward to welcoming him to...

2014 Music announced

A choice that is always eagerly anticipated are the Test Pieces for the West of England Bandsman’s Festival each year and those for 2014 have now been announced. Once again a judicous choice of old and new, several with local connections, has been made by the Festival Committee.

Since it was c...

2013 REPORT

The sun eventually shone at the 89th annual West of England Bandsmen's Festival held at Molinnis Park, Bugle on Saturday. Heavy ran leading up to the Festival had been a headache for organizers but just as the pasties were being delivered on Saturday morning the blue skies and sunshine appeared a...

2013 FULL RESULTS

St Austell Band win Royal Trophy

Championship Section

Hymn. Jerusalem

1st St Austell 190 points
2nd St Dennis 189
3rd Roche Brass 187

Test Piece English Heritage

1st St Austell 192 points
2nd St Dennis 188
3rd Roche Brass 187

Best Player Hannah Hawken (St Austell)

First Section

March. Flying Eagle

1st Lanner ...

2013 Contest schedule

 We have had a few enquiries regarding the running order for our 89th contest on Saturday. Whilst it is difficult to pin down exact timings of each section, here is the running order for the day.

1000 March

1100 Contest commences with Fourth Section.

Contest will then run as follows

Third Section

Trai...

2013 ENTRIES REVEALED

 A total of 22 bands (24 entries) will compete at this years contest at Molinnis Park on June 15th. St Dennis Band will bid to retain the Royal Trophy but will face stiff opposition from Egham, St Austell Town and the recently formed Roche Brass.

Championship Section.

Jerusalem (Hubert Parry) arr....

2013 Contest music announced

 The following music has been chosen for the 89th annual West of England Bandsmens Festival to be held at Molinnis Park, Bugle on Saturday 15th June 2013.

Championship Section.

Jerusalem (Sir Hubert Parry) arr Philip Sparke.

English Heritage (George Lloyd)

First Section.

March - Flying Eagle (H.L.Blan...

LOST PROPERTY AT 2012 FESTIVAL

 There were a number of bands that left equipment on the stage at Bugle this year and also some clothing and shoes left in the bandsmens tent. If you or your band are missing any of these items then please contact us on 07766011683 or via Twitter @webf_bugle and we will do our very best to get th...

CENTENARY SOUVENIR BOOKS STILL AVAILABLE!

The Centenary book that was produced to celebrate 100 years oif our contest are still available to buy for £6 (plus £3p+p). Why not treat yourself or a friend or loved one to this special piece of Bugle Contest history?

To order your copy call 07766011683 or contact us on Twitter @webf_bugle

17/6/12 SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!

And so the dust has settled on another WEBF Bugle Contest. As this is being written, our flags are being taken down around the village and the stage and seating have been packed away for another year. All that remains is to thank everyone that braved the disappointing weather conditions to make t...

2012 Centenary Contest- Full Results

St Dennis Band have won the Championship Section at Bugle today and with it the famous Royal Trophy and £1000. Their performance of Phillip Sparkes 'Tallis Variations' gained a total of 191 marks from Adjudicator John Berryman.

Results
Championship Section.
Test Piece-Tallis Variations
1st St Denni...

16/6/12 HERE WE GO!

So the big day has finally arrived as we celebrate our Centenary Contest. We all know that the weather forecast is not great but it has improved a little over the past few hours so lets hope we all enjoy a good day. We have organized an extra marquee at the contest field to cater for spectators t...

14/6/12 Champion Section Test Piece 'Tallis Variations' (Phillip Sparke)

Tallis Variations was written for the 2000 European Brass Band Championships. The hymn tune on which the variations are based is the third of nine that Thomas Tallis wrote in 1567 as part of a psalter for the first Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury. After the busy and turbulent opening the first ...

11/6/12 A Cornish Festival

Todays blog takes a look at the First Section Test Piece 'A Cornish Festival' by the late great Goff Richards.

A CORNISH FESTIVAL

Goff Richards was commissioned by the BBC to write a piece for a Radio Two Listen to the Band Weekend in the Hall for Cornwall in Truro in 1998. He composed A Cornish F...

10/6/12 Less that a week to go!

So here we are then with just six days to go until we hold our Centenary Contest at Molinnis Park on Saturday. Everyone involved with the contest is hoping and praying for some fine weather as we celebrate one hundred years of our unique event. Monday will see any committee members with a head fo...

9/6/12 Admission prices for Centenary Contest

For our 2012 Contest we have held admission prices at 2011 rate.

Adult £7
Child 6-16 £5
Child 5 or under FREE
Family Ticket £20 (2 adults and up to 3 children)
Car Parking £3

8/6/12 Youth and Training Section entries

Youth Section (Sponsored by P C Tonkin and Son)

10 minutes Own Choice

Entries

Mount Charles Youth (Jeremy Taylor)

First prize £150 plus The WD Lawton Memorial Trophy

Training Section

10 minutes Own Choice

Entries

Lanner Brass Academy (Phil Matthews)
Launceston Junior (T.B.C)
Lostwithiel Junior (Jane Whit...

7/6/12 Fourth Section Entries

Fourth Section (Sponsored by Rosevears of Bugle)

Test Piece: English Folk Song Suite (Ralph Vaughan Williams arr. Frank Wright)

Entries

Camborne Junior Contest (Alan Pope)
Liskeard Silver (Adrian Letts)
Lostwithiel Town (Denzil Stephens)
Okehampton Excelsior Silver (Richard Beardon)
Redruth Town (Norman...

6/6/12 Second and Third Section Entries

Second Section (Sponsored by Stephens Scown)

Test Piece: Symphonic Suite for Brass Band (Leighton Lucas)

Hymn: Aurelia (Arr Rieks van der Valde)

Entries

Heyl Town (David Loukes)

Ocean Brass (Johnathan M Camps)

Prize list

Test Piece

1st prize £250 plus The Violet Adams Memorial Trophy

2nd prize £150 plus...

5/6/12 First Section Entries

First Section (Sponsored by Minear Engineering Ltd)

Test Piece - A Cornish Festival (Goff Richards)

March - Arnhem (A.E.Kelly)

Entries

Bugle Silver (Jeremy Willcock)

Camborne Brass (Alan Pope)

Helston Town (John Hitchens)

Ocean Brass (Jonathan M Camps)

Prize List

Test Piece

1st prize £500 plus The Ford Kn...

4/6/12 Championship Section Entries

Championship Section (Sponsored by Imerys Minerals Ltd)

Test Piece - Tallis Variations (Philip Sparke)

Melody - I'll Walk With God (Nicholas Brodszky, arr Goff Richards)

Entries

Mount Charles (David Johnson)

St Austell Town (Gareth Pritchard)

St Dennis (Darren R Hawken)

Prize List

Test Piece

1st Prize £1...

3/6/12 Derek Greenwood (Adjudicator 2012)

There is now less than two weeks to go until our Centenary contest. With a high number of entries this year and our contest obviously having to adhere to restrictions regarding daylight and road closures amongst other things, it was decided to engage a second adjudictor so that the contest can ru...

2/6/12 John Berryman (Adjudicator 2012)

Well its a beautiful morning here in Bugle. Lets hope for similar in two weeks time! Todays blog is about one of this years adjudicators, John Berryman. We are very much looking forward to welcoming John back to his native Cornwall on June 16th.

John Berryman A.L.C.M , L.T.C.L is a native of Cornw...

1/6/12 Timings (approx) so you can plan your day at Bugle 2012

We have decided to blog about the approximate timings for the day so that any of view that are planning to come to the Centenary Contest can plan your day. 

March 1000

Contest to commence 1100 (4th Section)

Third Section 1255

Training Section 1315

Youth Section 1455

Second Section 1520

First Section 161...

2012 (Centenary) Contest

31/5/12 It is now just 16 days until we celebrate our Centenary Contest on June 16th. Following the recent withdrawals of Camborne Town and Bodmin Town, we are left with a very healthy 23 entries from 21 bands.

Our recently produced book entitled 'W.E.B.F Bugle - Celebrating 100 Years' will be av...