The Isle of Man Wind Orchestra has come home from the National Concert Band Festival with a Silver Award.
The Orchestra, under musical director Paul Dunderdale, joined more than 5,000 musicians in 120 bands at the two-day national finals, held at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) in Cardiff over Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th April 2009.
Participating bands were awarded a merit, bronze, silver or gold award for performances judged under seven criteria. The Orchestra qualified by achieving a gold award at the North-West regional final in Warrington in November 2008.
Playing in the Community Wind Band section, along with the Edinburgh Concert Band and the Taunton Concert Band, the Isle of Man Wind Orchestra performed Tall Ships by Ron Goodwin, Song of Lir by Fergal Carroll and Eine Kleine Yiddishe Ragmusik by Adam Gorb.
Adjudicators were renowned percussionist Simone Rebello and Kevin Price, who has been principal trombonist of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and taught at Chetham's School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music.
The Isle of Man Wind Orchestra, formed in 1997, received gold-standard marks under six of the seven headings, the adjudicators praising its well-tuned performance; superior sense of balance; members' vigilance of the conductor's directions; and phrasing and dynamic variations.
The Orchestra, which meets at Marown Primary School on Thursday evenings, comprises members aged from their early teens to their 80s and includes a number of local young people who are studying music at college in the UK.
Pictured: Conductor Paul Dunderdale with the 37-strong Orchestra in Cardiff
