HATHERLEIGH Silver Band will compete in the finals of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain after winning the regional final in Torquay.

The West of England region is the biggest region in the competition with 83 bands competing in five sections. Hatherleigh came out on top in the 4th section. The band will now play against the best 4th section bands from around the whole of the UK in a bid to win the title.

Rachel Richards, from the band, said: ‘Our musical director Matt Green always had high hopes for us and he really made us bring out the magic in the piece. That makes it stand out from the other 21 bands in our section who came from as far afield as the Isle of Wight and Cheltenham.

‘The piece was The Journal of Phileas Fogg by Peter Graham, which took us on a musical trip around the world from London to Paris, through Russia, Spain and Vienna to name but a few of the destinations.

‘We absolutely loved playing it and it showed on the day. The test piece for Cheltenham will be announced on April 4, so fingers crossed it will be another lovely piece to play.’

The championships is brass banding’s equivalent to a first past-the-post championship involving some 600 bands in eight regional qualifying heats staged up and down the country.

The competition has existed in its current format since 1945 and is split into five sections; championship section and 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th sections.

Depending upon the number of bands entered into each section in each region, the top two, three and sometimes four placed bands qualify for a place in the finals, held in the autumn each year.

The lower section finals, showcasing sections 1 to 4, are held at the Centaur in Cheltenham in September.

The Championship Section Final is held in London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall, in October.