The year to date has been one of the most successful contest seasons in the history of the Aveley and Newham band. It was bettered only when the band was officially ranked 13th for a period of time back in 2000.
The Area Qualifying Contest was held in Stevenage on 19th March 2006. The band's performance of Peter Graham's Journey to the Centre of the Earth was notable because the adjudicator Colin Hardy awarded 197 points. This was the highest points total given for any Area-winning performance across the country and was criticised in some quarters for being generous and unrealistic. It was in fact the first time since 2001 that the band regained the title as champions of the London and Southern Counties region. The result was particularly pleasing because of the recent domination by Redbridge Brass and secondly because of the increased competition from a rejuvenated Staines Band under the baton of Ian McElligot.
The next contest the band attended was the Grand Shield at the Spring Festival in Blackpool. The test piece was Whitsun Wakes by Michael Ball. Despite the result at the areas, expectations were not too high because experience at previous Grand Shield contests has proved just what a difficult contest it is to win. The band was therefore delighted to take the first prize, the beautiful Grand Shield and an invitation to the British Open. This is after all the oldest and most prestigious contest in the calendar and the result was all the more satisfying because the composer Michael Ball was adjudicating alongside Geoffrey Whittam.
With these excellent results in the bag, the band was in ebullient mood approaching the International All England Masters held at the Corn Exchange, Cambridge on 28th May. The test piece was Paganini Variations by Philip Wilby and the adjudicators were John Berryman, David Read and Geoffrey Whittam. The draw wasn't particularly helpful playing 5th of 21 bands and the criticism by 4Barsrest was rather scathing. In any event, a disappointing day, by the bands standard produced a lowly 19th position. As anyone in the brass band world knows, contesting can be a rather unpredictable game, just ask Carlton Main Colliery Band, who having qualified for the British Open alongside Aveley & Newham only managed a 16th position having played directly after Aveley & Newham at draw number 6.
What the band needed after this was a good break and pick-me-up. This came with a timely trip on 9th-11th June to the French Open at Amboise in the beautiful Loire Valley. Despite temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius, the band performed well to gain a first in the March prize and second place to Wingates playing Berlioz's Judges of the Secret Court in the test piece contest. Aveley & Newham earned many new friends performing the closing gala concert to a packed house of possibly 1200 enthusiastic and vocal concertgoers. A great time was had and enjoyed by all.
This brought the Aveley & Newham band to the British Open itself, held on 9th September at Symphony Hall in Birmingham, a prestigious venue hosting a prestigious line up of the country's top bands. Preparations for the contest were not ideal because of the normal disruptions of the holiday season exacerbated in Aveley's case because the contest was not scheduled before holidays & honeymoons were booked. The test piece was Vienna Nights by Philip Wilby, a new composition and a tough examination of any band. Black Dyke Mills Band emerged as victors followed by Buy as you View Cory and Desford. Carlton Main Colliery gained an exceptional 6th place having qualified behind Aveley & Newham in the Grand Shield and overcoming the difficulties of disrupted rehearsal schedule that bedevilled the Aveley Band. It was felt that the adjudications by Nigel Boddice , Michael Ball and David Read were very fair and helpful and on the whole, the Aveley & Newham Band were reasonably satisfied with it's position of 16th out of 19 bands. The band is guaranteed an invitation to the British Open in 2007 and is determined to prepare fully in order to improve on this years result.