19 photos of the Northern Ireland International Open Accordion Championship

The 26th annual competition was another huge success with reaction from spectators and competitors alike being very favourable towards the festival which ran like clockwork.

Attracting 190 entries, it is the largest accordion festival in the British Isles and organiser Clyde Johnston was delighted to, once again, welcome competitors from the Accora School of Music in Co.Cavan, along with Trudy Maguire, Royal Meath and K&S Accordion Schools from Co Meath. There were also entries from Co Donegal, England, Germany, Portugal, Scotland and Wales, in addition to a good local response, especially from the Marching Bands.

A new feature this year was the introduction of a Drum Majors’ Display which proved very popular with the capacity audience. There were also trade stands on display by Sean O’Neill, Tom Cruickshank, Alan Shute and Rob Howard which added great interest and atmosphere to the Festival.

On Saturday, music adjudicators Julie Best, Stephen Cairns, and Jean Corrigan were greatly impressed not only by the high standard of playing but also with the smooth and efficient manner in which the Championships were run.

Outstanding performers of the day were soloists Aedin Davis and Oscar Everitt and the Royal Meath Accordion Orchestra, all from Co. Meath and all taught by Gerry Kelly. So impressed were the adjudicators with Aedin’s performance in the Senior Recital Solo that she was awarded the prize for Best Overall Performance of the Day, for a second year, and Royal Meath was awarded second Best Overall Performance of the Day for their performance in the Accordion Showband category whilst Oscar’s performance in the Higher Elementary Own Choice section earned him third Best Overall Performance of the Day.

Louise Boomer from Islandmagee also had a great day winning the Late Starters Higher Intermediate Solo, the Senior Frosini and the Senior Sacred as well as being awarded second prize in the Senior Polka, third prize in the Senior Musette and first place in the Accordion + Another Instrument category with Sonja Allen.

Triple prizewinners at the Festival were Aimee O’Donnell from Co Donegal, and Scotsman Alan Shute. Aimee was first in the Advanced Solo, Senior Polka and Senior March Solo as well as being placed second in the Senior Irish and Senior Frosini classes, whilst Alan won the Senior Musette Solo, the Jimmy Shand Solo,and the Over 60s Solo.

Double prize winners at the Championships were Thomas Murray, Co Meath, in the Preparatory Solo Test Piece and Own Choice Sections; Ina Stevenson, Larne, in the Late Starters Higher Preparatory Solo and the Late Starters Musette Solo as well as being place second in the Senior Sacred and third in the Over 60s.

Emilia Griffin, Co Meath, in the Preliminary Solo & Higher Preparatory Duet, when she teamed up with Catherina Hand; Fionn Parge, Co. Cavan in the Polka Solo 10 & Under and the Musette Solo 11 & Under and Jessica O’Donnell, Co Donegal in the Irish Traditional 12& Under and the Junior March Solo.

Other competitors who won their respective sections were Matthew Tayor in the Championship Solo 17 & Under; Emma O’Donoghue in the Championship Solo 15 & Under; Cora Duffy in the Championship Solo 13 & Under; Dylan Fagan in the Championship Solo 11 &Under; Sienna Synnott in the Championship Solo 9 & Under; Robin Wall, in the Championship Solo 7 & Under; Diarmuid O’Malley in the Higher Intermediate Solo; Lucy Callaghan, in the Intermediate Solo; Elijah Vythelingum in the Hi Elementary Solo Test piece; Roman Rakuts, in the Elementary Solo Test Piece; Ciaran Smith, in the Higher Preparatory Solo Test Piece; Freya O’Loughlin, in the Higher Preparatory Solo Own Choice; Rachael Hand, in the Introductory Solo I; Evin Olwell, in the Introductory Solo II; Lorna Alexander, in the Senior Scottish traditional Solo; James Farquhar, in the Scottish Traditional Solo 13-15 Years; Ann Donnell, in the Senior Irish Traditional; Matt Murdoch, in the Senior Jazz Solo; Pavel Kotoucek in the Senior Tango Solo; Adrian Lemon, in the Shand Morino Solo; Samuel Ginja, Traditional Folk Solo; Norma Lawlor in the Over 40s Solo and siblings Eoghan and Lorcan Brooks in the Preparatory Duet.

There was a good entry in The Group Sections this year with some competing for the first time. Slane NS Elementary Group won the Elementary Section while Ballymageough, South Down, won the Sacred Section ahead of Graceful Accord from Mountnorris and come second to Orchard Harmony, from Portadown in the Senior March Section whilst The Squeeze Collective, (Mountnorris) were popular winners in the Junior March Section.

In the Orchestral classes it was a clean sweep for the Accora Accordion Orchestras from Co Cavan winning the Preparatory, Preliminary, Elementary and Intermediate Sections as well as winning the Orchestral Percussion prize.

East Antrim Seniors won the Club Band class and the Orchestral Sacred as well as being awarded gold in the Showband Section and placed second in Orchestral Percussion. Royal Meath were also awarded Gold with K&S Accordion Band being awarded Silver. Lily of the Valley Accordion Band from Comber won the Intermediate March and were also awarded third prize in the Orchestral Percussion.

With another record entry, the Marching Band Sections once again served up a treat with Dunloy Accordion Band making a welcome return to the Championships, winning the Senior Marching Band Test Piece Section, and the Senior Own Choice as well as being place second in the Drum Corps Section.

Derryfubble Accordion Band from Co Tyrone, making their debut, won the Sacred March Section as well as taking second place in the Senior Own Choice and third prize for their Drum Corps. Ballygelly Accordion Band from Broughshane did the double in the Intermediate Sections winning both the Test and Own Choice sections ahead of Lily of the Valley who were also placed second in the Sacred March section.

It was a similar story in the First Grade Junior with the John Hunter Accordion Band from Mountnorris doing the double ahead of Cranfield Accordion Band from Kilkeel in a very competitive section. John Hunter were also placed third in the Sacred March Section.

There was also great interest in the Second Grade Junior Marching Band Sections with two bands making their first appearance at the Championships. Knockloughrim Accordion Band from Maghera making their third appearance at the Championships won all three of the categories however new entrants, Corbet Accordion Band from Banbridge and Star of David Accordion Band from Portadown gave very good accounts of themselves for their first competition.

Killaloo Accordion Band from Londonderry had another successful day in the Melody Marching Band Sections, winning all three categories as well as retaining their Best Drum Corps prize being placed ahead of all the Marching Bands.

The day’s music-making was brought to a conclusion with the Grand Finale in the Kingfisher Suite when players from the marching bands of Ballygelly, Ballymageough, Cranfield, Derryfubble, Dunloy, John Hunter, Lily of the Valley and Pride of the Birches together with East Antrim Seniors and other guest players formed the Massed Accordion Bands with over 60 accordions and put on a great display of rousing marches to the delight of the appreciative audience.

Prior to that, a Special Order of Merit award presented to two special people in recognition of their services to the accordion movement. Betty Stewart from Mountnorris who joined John Hunter Accordion Band 71 years ago keeping the band going through thick and thin and Larne man Bill McCartney, who shall be 90 later this year. Bill is a founder member of East Antrim Seniors and has been on the Information Desk at the Championships every year since its conception. The awards were presented by adjudicator Stephen Cairns.

Adjudicator Paula Monaghan put the ten Drum Majors through their paces to the playing of True & Trusty by the Massed Bands. Zara Little won the senior title ahead of Abby Moffett and Robert Adams whilst Sadie Jackson came out top in the 13-17 Years category with Lydia Bingham second and Sarah Giffin third. The 12 & Under Section was won by Rose McKinstry ahead of Eva Smyth in second place with Annie Smyth in third on M&D ahead of Maggie Laverty.