A ROMSEY band have scooped a total of four trophies at a music contest.

For the third year in succession, Michelmersh Silver Band pulled off a clean sweep of the trophies at the Oxford Brass Band Entertainment Contest, a competition which features a number of Brass Bands from all over the country,

The band performed a twenty minute concert programme based around dance music.

Under the baton of Musical Director Melvin White, the programme opened with a Balkan folk dance which called for strong singing from the band, with their choreography skills also featuring.

The star of the show was xylophone soloist, Ella Walker, with her performance of Jan Berenska’s Taps in Tempo earning lots of praise from the adjudicators, and the trophy for Best Instrumentalist of the Day.

The programme ended with 'Mambo' from Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story.

The trophies for Best Band Overall, Best First Section Band and Best Entertainment Programme also made the journey back to the Michelmersh trophy cabinet at the end of a successful day.

Band chairman, Adam Smith, said: "The band has had its most successful contesting year to date in 2019, so for our last competition of the year to be another win and one that rewarded the fun and entertainment we love to bring to our concert audiences feels particularly fitting.

"Nobody deserves a trophy more than our very talented percussionist Ella Walker who works incredibly hard and put in an amazing performance on the day."

Michelmersh Silver Band won by five points clear over their nearest rivals, which is a huge margin in brass band contesting.

You can hear the award winning programme in its entirety in Romsey Abbey on Saturday, November 23 when they join forces with The Spitfire Sisters in 'Victory!' - a concert in aid of the RBL Poppy Appeal.

The concert will be celebrating the band's successes in 2019 and the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

Tickets available from the Romsey Visitor Centre or online at www.romseyabbey.org.uk/visit/concerts