ONE of Bolton's best known bands scooped top prize in a national championships . . . and a welcome injection of brass.

The Eagley Brass Band - the oldest of its kind in Bolton - won the Burtonwood Brass Band Championships on Sunday.

With the title came a first prize of £500, together with two of the other top awards at the tournament.

The band, which is self financing, gave the final performance of the contest and played the test piece, Sinfonietta by Joseph Horovitz, scoring 193 points out of a possible 200. After the performance, adjudicator John Roberts described the band's performance as "the best I have heard of this piece."

Principal cornet player, David Shepherd and solo horn player, Peter Lyons, won awards for Best Instrumentalists in the section on their respective instruments.

The Eagley Band performs next on October 18 at the Albert Hall as part of the Nat West Bank NSPCC Charity Concert together with Smithills School Big Band and Canon Slade School Choir.

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