More than 40,000 spectators lined the streets of Limerick on Sunday, 15 March, 2015 to witness University of Southern Mississippi, USA take the title of 'Overall Parade Champion' in the Limerick International Band Championship.
24 marching bands featuring over 1100 musicians from across Ireland, Europe and the USA performed for the 45th annual Championship, which is part of the Limerick St Patrick’s Festival.
Starting from Pery Square and finishing in Arthur’s Quay Park, this year’s Championship featured a huge variety of musicians.
International Band Championship 2015 category winners include the following:
- Overall Parade Champion: University of Southern Mississippi, USA
- Best International Band: Charlotte High School, USA
- Best Youth Band: Maghery Fife & Drum Band - Donegal
- Best Local Band: The Redemptorist Centre of Music Concert Band, Limerick
- Best Musical Performance: Romford Drum & Trumpet Corp, England
- Best Uniform: Clondalkin Youth Band
- Most Entertaining Performance: Musikappel Garmisch, Germany
- Special Judges Award: Friendship Band - Northern Ireland
- Mayors Prize: Chicago Police Band, USA
Performances were judged by an international panel including:
Dr. Andrea DeRenzis Strauss, PHD, Director of Bands, Associate Professor of Music, and Assistant Director of Instrumental Activities at Shorter College in Rome, Georgia
Dr. D. Bradley Snow, Assistant Teaching Professor, Director of Bands, DMA, University of Southern Mississippi, USA
Dr. Andrea DeRenzis Strauss, PHD, Emeritus Professor of Music and Conductor of Bands at Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Evelyn Grant - RTÉ Lyric FM
Niall Carroll - RTÉ Lyric FM
Mayor of Limerick, Cllr. Kevin Sheahan congratulated all of the winners in this year’s International Band Championship, adding: “The huge number of participants in this year’s Championship as well as the large turnout by members of the public shows what a fantastic event this is for Limerick.”
“The International Band Championship provides a major economic boost for the Mid-West region and the significant interest that has already been received from abroad for next year’s event shows that the event has the potential to expand further. This can only have positive knock-on effects for tourism, the local economy and Limerick’s reputation overseas.”
The Limerick International Band Championship, which was run on behalf of Limerick City and County Council by Grooveyard Productions, forms part of a comprehensive St Patrick’s Festival in Limerick City.
Limerick’s 2015 St. Patrick’s Day Parade which begins on Tuesday, March 17th at 12 noon will embrace the theme of Spring, celebrating the carnival spirit associated with the season. It is sponsored by the Crescent Shopping Centre, Analog and the Maldron Hotel Limerick.
Other festival highlights include a St. Patrick’s Market at the Milk Market on St Patrick’s Day, St. Patrick’s Weekend of Racing at Greenmount Park and free entry to the Hunt Museum for everyone wearing green from midday until 5pm.
Meanwhile, some of Limerick's most prominent buildings will be illuminated in green light with Limerick City Hall, King John’s Castle, The Clarion Hotel, Barrington's Hospital and Bellissimo Hair Salon joining the Niagara Falls, London Eye, Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Colosseum in Rome, Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and dozens of other iconic sites around the world as part of Tourism Ireland’s annual ‘global greening’ initiative.
More details on the 2015 Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival can be found on www.limerick.ie/stpatricksfestival.