NESTLE ROWNTREE Brass Band hit the right notes during a vital competition against other top regional bands.

Members of the band needed to do well in the Northern Regional Finals of the British Brass Band Championships in Darlington's Dolphin Centre last Sunday in order to preserve their hard won status in the elite Championship Section - the equivalent of Premier League Football.

Competing against top bands from the region they gained enough points from their performance to ensure continued survival in the top class.

Playing a test piece originally commissioned by the BBC, the band came fifth in the finals, a placing that their professional conductor Billy Rushworth said

reflected the hard work and commitment put into rehearsals and performances over the past year.

He said: "The band was up against stiff opposition, but gave their all to produce this result. I am proud of what we've achieved together."

Success in recent months is no stranger to the band.

Late last year they swept the board at Hardraw Scar, one of the brass band world's top competitions.

This year the band celebrates its centenary with a gala concert at York Theatre Royal featuring guest soloists Roger Webster and Nick Hudson. York residents can hear members of the band during the summer, when they are due to play in Parliament Street.

Updated: 09:23 Wednesday, March 19, 2003