National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain winners

Announcing the win on their Facebook page, the band said: “Woah, woah, woah, woah! We won, we won, we won, we won!!!!! 1st of 20!!!!”

Waiting for the result (Image: Porthleven Town Band)

“We have just won the Third Section of the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.

“We couldn’t be happier or more proud.

“Porthleven - you’re our village and we’re your band, this is for you.

Winners! (Image: Porthleven Band/FB)

“Our players and Tom? Absolutely the best in the world. None of this would have been possible without any single member of the band. It literally takes a village.

“We’re so, so thrilled. This is incredible.” PTB Trustee Lynne Lees said: “On behalf of the whole Board of Trustees we can’t put into words our pride and gratitude to our MD Tom Bassett and our players.

“Their dedication, loyalty and determination are immeasurable and we’re all so terribly proud. Particular thanks as well to our Chair Kristina Faulkner and our fantastic band committee who work tirelessly’.

A review of the band’s performance in Cheltenham by Brassing Around said: “A fine performance from Porthleven, striving all the way through the performance, beginning to end is driven. The piece gains it’s confidence as it goes on, and we’re treated with a lovely cornet solo. Well done.”

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The National Brass Band Championships, has existed since 1945 in its current format.

The competition is split into five sections – Championship Section, and 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th sections – and eight qualifying regions in the UK.

These are the London and Southern Counties Region, the Midlands, the North of England, the North West. Scotland, Wales, the West of England and Yorkshire.

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 – 4, are held at the Centaur in Cheltenham in September, and the Championship Section Final is held in London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall, in October.

The first four bands in the Championship Section Final secure automatic entry for the following year’s equivalent event and the results of the Regional Championships not only determine the bands that qualify for an invitation to the National Finals, but also their gradings for the following year’s Regional Championships.