A massed band of over 60 players from the junior, youth and senior bands gathered for Downshire's end-of-year concert. This event, which marks the end of the academic year and the beginning of a summer break, featured music which the bands had been working on during the last year.

Roger Doherty led the junior band through four pieces including Amarillo and I'll Tell Me Ma, with the audience providing lively clapping accompaniments in both pieces. The youth band, conducted by Michael Alcorn, played a range of pieces including Mr Jums, The Muppet Show theme music and two movements from Little Suite for Brass by Malcolm Arnold. The youth band programme also included a contemporary piece for snare drum solo, entitled Kim, by Askell Másson, performed skilfully by Cathryn Lynch.

The senior band opened and closed the concert with pieces from their 2017 summer programme, including Village People Medley and Minnie the Moocher with solos from Chris Reid and Leah Forsythe. Alas, this concert was also the last appearance for Leah on flugel before she moves to England to continue her academic studies. The concert also marked the first performance by Ellen Mullen as the newest member of Downshire Brass.

Two awards were made at the end of the evening, marking outstanding contributions by one member from each of the junior and youth bands. All of the young players in both bands could have been worthy winners of these awards, so inevitably it was challenging to select a recipient. In the end the Samuel Doherty Cup was won by Susan Lowther and the Doreen Alcorn Cup for Outstanding Musical Contribution was awarded to Cathryn Lynch.

The evening concluded with a massed band performance of the Best of Bond. What a sound!

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End of Year Concert 2017