A Loughorough College musician who represented the United Kingdom in the Netherlands at the weekend has returned a European champion for the second time.
Ashley Ellis triumphed in the 2014 European Drum Corps Championships as part of The Company Performance Ensemble, an American-style marching band made up of young people from across the country.
The 16 year old trumpeter, who is studying A-levels in Maths, Physics, Biology and Psychology at Loughborough Sixth Form College, has been playing with the band for only three years but has now won the European Championships with them twice, as well as the UK Championships in 2013.
“We had been rehearsing for the European Championships since November last year and from the beginning of August, with rehearsals and competitions, we only had one week off. We had five solid days of practice in Belgium before we travelled to the Netherlands.”
The ten minute performance at The Parkstad Limburg Stadium, Kerkrade on Saturday was an original composition with choreography on a four seasons theme and saw the Ensemble competing against bands from six countries.
“It was fantastic when they announced we had won. We scored 89.95 out of 100, which was higher than our winning score in 2012 and only 0.5 off the highest ever European score.
“Now we have a month off. Then it’s back to work for next year’s European Drum Corps Championships.
“Hopefully we might make it a triple.”