Lewes Brass are delighted to have been awarded second place at the London & Southern Counties Brass Band Regional Championships, held in Stevenage on Sunday 22 March.
Competing against 17 other bands, Lewes Brass delivered a confident and engaging performance of Philip Harper’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In a surprise for everyone in the room, the composer himself, Philip Harper, was in attendance for the day, an unexpected and special moment for all involved!
The result follows an intense and focused period of preparation. The band have been rehearsing for the past 10 weeks, supported by two invaluable workshops with guest conductors Paul Fisher (Amersham Band) and Jayne Murrill (East London Brass). This built on recent success at the SCABA Spring Contest, where Lewes Brass won the Second Section, placed 3rd overall, and took 2nd place in the March, leaving the band feeling well prepared heading into the Regionals.
The band’s Musical Director, Nathaniel Roff, had this to say in reflection:
“Well… What a result!
It’s been a very long day.. and I’m still not sure what to say but I’ll try..!
Honestly? I feel this fantastic result is a reflection of our hard work and commitment over the past 10 weeks. How far we have come since we started working on this end goal has been inspirational!
Yes – I had a musical vision for the piece – but you are the people taking on board my nonsense on a Thursday (and occasionally Monday) evening to put that vision into practice, putting in the hours, and really buying into what we were trying to achieve together.
Well done in particular to those of you performing at Stevenage for the first time, and for the first time on the contest stage on the instrument you played today!
Seeing the reaction to our success today, along with so many lovely comments and hearing how well we pulled together to create such a musical performance fills me with total pride and love for what we are building together.“
This was Nathaniel’s first regional contest as the MD of Lewes Brass after his appointment in June 2025. Nathaniel has led the band through a variety of concerts, most notably the band’s performances of The Snowman during the Christmas period. A fantastic first regionals for Nathaniel!
By securing second place, Lewes Brass have earned an invitation to compete at the National Finals in September, where they will perform alongside other top bands from across the country. Both Nathaniel and the band are looking forward to attending the finals at the new venue in York, a busy summer approaches!
The band would like to congratulate Staines Brass on their well-deserved victory, and Jersey Premier Brass for taking third place. A huge well done to everyone who competed over the weekend across all sections.
Lewes Brass are incredibly proud of this achievement and grateful for the continued support from their players, team, and community.
