New trophy will be dedicated to bandsman

The inaugural winners of the Drew Porter memorial Trophy (who are from Belfast) will receive the award on March 27 at a special presentation in the Memorial Hall in the City.

The Churchill Band have already formally presented the trophy to the Band Association, but brought the trophy back to the City so that the family could see it.

Drew, who was born in 1933, was affectionately known among band members as ‘Mr P’, and was held in high regard in the world of band music.

He joined the Churchill Flute band as a young boy, following in the footsteps of his father, who was already a member. Knuckling down, he worked his way up through the ranks of the band to the position of piccolo player, and then set his sights even higher and eventually took charge of the baton.

It was an ideal position for the bandsman, because Mr Porter was not only possessed of a great musical ability, he was blessed with a defined sense of interpretation, and had the gift of bringing out the best in the musicians he conducted. His enthusiasm for music and for contesting itself, that it heightened the Churchill’s standard of play so that he enjoyed many successes on the competition stage.

Such was his passion for music that it spilled over into other areas of his life, and as well as being a member of the Churchill Band for over 60 years, he was also associated for almost 40 years with the William King memorial Band. In fact, 10 years after beginning his association with the Kings, he became Musical Director for the William King Memorial, in 1982.

It is testament to his direction and talent that he led the band to over 70 first place major competition wins in Ireland and in Scotland.

And it is because of the high regard in which Mr Porter is still held that the decision was taken to create a new award, the Drew Porter memorial Trophy, to be presented by the Churchill Flute Band to the best piccolo performance in the Grade 2 Section of the Flute band Association of Northern Ireland’s Own Choice Contest, which is in it’s 52nd year.

This year the event took place in the Island Civic Centre in Lisburn, where the adjudicators were Dr Windsor Hylands and Mr Sandy Hay.