We are pleased to announce the panel of adjudicators who will be judging performances at the National Youth Brass Band Championships, known as Youth Champs, at Stockport Grammar School on 25 March 2023.
In a first for Brass Bands England, potential adjudicators were asked to submit an application for judging positions at the event, in order to provide a fair and balanced application process. After receiving a high number of applications from highly qualified applicants from across the banding world, four individuals have been selected to adjudicate the next event.
Alex Parker, BBE Youth Champs Project lead, commented “We are really pleased with the new application process, which really widened the pool of people we were able to consider as adjudicators. We assessed candidates based on their track record, experience in musical assessment and written applications and CV against the event roles person specification. Many of the candidates were suitable for the role and we had to make difficult choices to find the best combination to provide a wide range of skills and experience. I fully expect to use this process again in the future to continue to ensure that opportunities are widely accessible and to attract the best possible candidates.”
Exact section adjudicators will be announced once the entries have been received for this year's Championships, the team will be as follows.
Adjudication Panel 2023
Tom Hutchinson
Tom began learning the cornet at the age of nine and joined his local brass band, Stannington in Sheffield. Tom also played solo cornet with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain including two courses as Leader. After a four year spell at Black Dyke and his graduation from the Royal Northern College of Music, Tom was invited to join the world number 1 ranked brass band, Cory Band, as principal cornet. After leading the band in his first year to its hat-trick winning European title in 2010, he has since led Cory to four British Open titles, four National Final wins, seven Welsh regional titles, eight Brass in Concert Championship wins, and four more European titles. Tom has also led Cory to its historic Grand Slam achievements in 2016 and 2019. On top of all this, he is a Professor of Cornet at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and a Besson Artist.
Andrea Price
A Masters Graduate and Mortimer Prize winning performer from the University of Salford, Andrea has also performed at the very highest banding level for many years - including a decade as principal percussionist and soloist at Black Dyke.
She was also a percussion finalist at the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and was the first female conductor of the Mikeneko Band in Japan.
An acclaimed composer and educationalist, her works are featured on the ABRSM exam board syllabus. She is currently Head of Lower School at Chetham's School of Music and the Musical Director of Wingates Brass Band.
Leigh Baker
Leigh hails from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire and after earning his stripes with the local town band he came under the wing of Geoff Whitham at the Ancient Order of Foresters Band at 16 years of age. Leigh continued to study euphonium at Huddersfield Polytechnic (now University).
Leigh joined the Brighouse and Rastrick Band on euphonium in 1990, but it was on Solo Baritone that Leigh really made his mark. His playing career with Brighouse lasted 19 years and won every major contest prize (apart from the elusive British Open) and performed throughout the UK, Europe and North America. Leigh’s composing and arranging work is prolific and his award winning (including two Brass in Concert awards), entertaining music is featured by many bands throughout the world.
Leigh has been the musical director of the South Yorkshire Police Band works with a host of bands such as Thoresby Colliery, Staffordshire, Milnrow bands,Harrogate, Carlton Main Frickley Colliery and Leyland Band and a year as Resident Conductor of the Brighouse and Rastrick Band. Leigh currently conducts Slaithwaite Band.
Jack Capstaff
Jack Capstaff is a conductor and composer of a wide variety of musical genres and ensembles. Having conducted since the age of fifteen, cutting his teeth with a local brass band, and being appointed the Music Director of a number of pantomimes and shows, Jack went on to study conducting and composition at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Jack's passion is in the creation and platforming of contemporary music and innovation of brass band and western classical music. Alongside his residency with Derwent Brass and Hatfield & Askern, Jack also undertakes project led work; most recently working with the Carlton Main Frickley Colliery band to put together a recording of The Snow Queen, his own 30-minute feature adaption of Hans Christian Anderson’s tale of the same title, with narration by Frank Renton and animation by his wife Charlotte.
Enter your youth band
Entry is currently open for the Youth Champ’s three sections: the Besson Prodige Showcase Section, the Performance Section, and the ABRSM Championship Section.
To find out more about the next Youth Champs and to enter a youth band please visit the Youth Champs page on the Brass Bands England website.
Youth Champs 2023 information