BOLTON’S Eagley Brass Band and its conductor Chris Wormald have just returned from a hugely successful weekend competing in the 2019 French Open Brass Band Championships held in Amboise, three hours south of Paris.

Situated in the Loire Valley, the stunning town of Amboise has hosted this annual international brass band competition every June for 25 years.

Formed in Bromley Cross 169 years ago, Eagley decided to enter the competition for the first time this year and achieved Third Place in their section, winning a trophy and 500 Euros.

The competition is in three parts. Firstly, an indoor set test piece must be performed in the Theatre Beaumarchais where every band must plays the prescribed set test plus other own choice items.

Secondly, there an outdoor marching contest must be performed which takes place in Amboise town centre and finally there is an outdoor entertainment contest where every band must play 30 minutes of own choice music to a huge crowd and which takes place with the stunning backdrop of Amboise Castle. A gala concert and results ceremony then takes place at 9pm in the evening.

Eagley Band can next be heard in Bolton on Saturday, July 6 in the Victoria Hall at 7.30pm when it presents it brand new Greatest Showman Gala Concert which will feature all the music from The Greatest Showman, Mary Poppins Returns, West Side Story and a very special performance of Riverdance to celebrate its twenty fifth anniversary.